During a particular worship service, some individuals among the congregation were brought forward before the altar for healing. The first thing was invoking the “Name of Jesus,” praying, and laying on of hands in behalf of the persons who were brought forward and invocation to the Lord was made in their behalf. It did come as a surprise to me that this occasion did not result in either of them being unbound from their infirmity and I had to wonder why that was so. We believe in the ‘anointing’ of the Holy Spirit and the signs as well as authority, privilege, and right that when we call upon Jesus’ Name in full assurance of ‘Faith,’ that if we ask anything in His Name, that He will do it. All this being said, people should have been loosed from their affliction and Satan bound by the power of God in our assembly on that day.
This caused me to inquire into the matter by soliciting an explanation from the Pastor, and what I was informed is that in some instances people are not healed immediately; and the healing is also dependent on some precondition or demonstration of “faith” that the individual wants to healed, by cooperating with some particular request from the man of God. This caused me to reflect on how healings took place in Jesus’ days on Earth and in the subsequent years after His ascension back to heaven. The following is what I have found.
Matthew 8: 5-1, 13
Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant based on the Centurion’s “faith” and the Scripture does not mention anything about the servant asking for Jesus to heal him; and not only that, but the servant was healed that ‘same’ hour.
Matthew 8: 14-15-16
Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever and she got up and served them. Jesus healed many who were demon-possessed with but a ‘word.’
NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here.
Matthew 8: 26-34
Jesus healed two demon-possessed men.
NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here.
Matthew 9: 1-8
Jesus healed a paralytic who was lying on a bed.
NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here and Jesus did not tell the man to discard his bed ‘first’ to show he believed Jesus would really him. Also, the person was healed almost immediately.
Matthew 9: 18-26
Jesus brought back to life the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue and healed the woman with a blood hemorrhage [“flow”].
NOTE: Jesus brought “life” back to the daughter based on her father’s act of ‘faith’ and the woman with the “issue” of blood acted in ‘faith’ also in behalf of herself.
Matthew 9: 27-31
Jesus heals two blind men who followed along (??) as they implored Him.
NOTE: There was a precondition, namely, Jesus asked them if they “believed” He was able [and ‘willing’??] to do this. He also said, “According to your ‘faith’ let it be to you.”
Matthew 9: 32-34
Jesus heals a mute, demon-possessed man who was brought to Him.
NOTE: There were no prerequisites recorded here and again, the healing was immediate.
There are numerous examples of healings in the Gospels, and after Jesus chose the “Twelve” and commanded as well as gave them the ‘Authority’ in Matthew 10: 7-8:
“And as you go [to the lost sheep of ‘Israel’], preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.’”
Jesus said in John 14: 12-14, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. AND WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”
If this is the case then the results should be the same without any set of additional requirements or under different exigent circumstances. The Apostle Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 4: 20 that the kingdom of God is not in word but in “power.”
II Timothy 3: 5
Having a form of godliness but denying its “power.” And from such people turn away.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 4, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The real Strongman of the Bible
One of the first names which come to mind is the Danite hero Samson, recorded in the Old Testament book of JUDGES. Starting as far back as the antediluvian-Earth, there are sons of the “Nephilim” (Genesis 6: 2, 4); Nimrod (Genesis 10: 8; I Chronicles 1: 10); the sons of Anak (Numbers 13: 33; Deuteronomy 2: 11); King Og of Bashan(Deuteronomy 3: 11); Goliath (I Samuel 17: 1-11); a youthful KingDavid (I Samuel 17: 12, 26-27, 38-51; 21: 8-9); Elhanan the son of Jaareroregim a Bethlehemite(II Samuel 21: 19; I Chronicles 20: 5); Josheb-Basshebeth who was called Adino the Eznite (II Samuel 23: 8); Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite (II Samuel 23: 9-10); Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite (II Samuel 23: 11-12); Abishai the brother of Joab (II Samuel 23: 18); and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada (II Samuel 23: 20-21).
Apparently, even the Apostle Peter was a rugged and physically rigorous person; as evidenced by John 21: 11, 18: Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
There is someone however, who is far mightier, more dangerous and sinister than all these men combined. Jesus reveals this person’s identity in Matthew 12: 26, 29 in this way: “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Revelation 12: 7-9, 12b
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast with him. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
Luke 10: 18
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
Job 1: 7
And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
I Chronicles 21: 1
Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
Luke 4: 6
And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Cp. John 12: 31; 16: 11)
Luke 13: 11, 16
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
Luke 22: 3
Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
Luke 22: 31
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Indeed, the Devil is not like the well-dressed prankster played by Ray Wise of the hit TV show, “Reaper” airing on KSTW Channel 11 [Seattle], but is a murderer (I John 3: 8a, 12a). The lion is called the “king of the beasts” and the serpent [“devil”] is likewise, according to Genesis 3: 1a; and not only that, but in I Peter 5: 8, it reads: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, and seeking [“all"] whom he may devour.
And Satan is deadly serious, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Cp. Acts 5:
1-11). He sets traps or snares for people (Cp. Ephesians 4: 27; 6: 11; I Timothy 3: 6-7; II Timothy 2: 26), and will cast some into prison (Revelation 2: 10b). Satan disrupts marital relationships (I Corinthians 7: 5b), had the power of death (Hebrews 2: 14b), and can even transform himself into an angel of light
(II Corinthians 11: 14). Yet, no matter how formidable this strong man is, God provides us with the victory in Jesus.
I John 4: 4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He [the “Holy Spirit”] that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Revelation 12: 10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the power of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 20: 1-2, 10
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 21: 4-6a
And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Apparently, even the Apostle Peter was a rugged and physically rigorous person; as evidenced by John 21: 11, 18: Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
There is someone however, who is far mightier, more dangerous and sinister than all these men combined. Jesus reveals this person’s identity in Matthew 12: 26, 29 in this way: “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Revelation 12: 7-9, 12b
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast with him. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
Luke 10: 18
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
Job 1: 7
And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
I Chronicles 21: 1
Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
Luke 4: 6
And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give you, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Cp. John 12: 31; 16: 11)
Luke 13: 11, 16
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
Luke 22: 3
Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
Luke 22: 31
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Indeed, the Devil is not like the well-dressed prankster played by Ray Wise of the hit TV show, “Reaper” airing on KSTW Channel 11 [Seattle], but is a murderer (I John 3: 8a, 12a). The lion is called the “king of the beasts” and the serpent [“devil”] is likewise, according to Genesis 3: 1a; and not only that, but in I Peter 5: 8, it reads: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, and seeking [“all"] whom he may devour.
And Satan is deadly serious, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Cp. Acts 5:
1-11). He sets traps or snares for people (Cp. Ephesians 4: 27; 6: 11; I Timothy 3: 6-7; II Timothy 2: 26), and will cast some into prison (Revelation 2: 10b). Satan disrupts marital relationships (I Corinthians 7: 5b), had the power of death (Hebrews 2: 14b), and can even transform himself into an angel of light
(II Corinthians 11: 14). Yet, no matter how formidable this strong man is, God provides us with the victory in Jesus.
I John 4: 4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He [the “Holy Spirit”] that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Revelation 12: 10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the power of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 20: 1-2, 10
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 21: 4-6a
And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, June 11, 2009
What would you do if Tomorrow Never Came?
I read a very inspirational testimony from by youngest sister as she witnessed to the glory of God in a dream, and whereupon she experienced the Celestial splendor of Heaven; accompanied by her Guardian Angel. She was enraptured and overcome with so much joy, which was unspeakable and inexpressionable such that the only words that came from her mouth as tears came streaming down her face, were those directed by the Holy Spirit through speaking in Tongues. It was for her an intimate, very personal, deeply moving, spiritual epiphany and she just had to share it because it was too overwhelming and powerful to just keep it bottled up inside her. I, for one, was honored and appreciated the portion of Divine grace that touched my heart and spirit after reading such an unexpected and wondrous email.
Since I hadn’t written an article for about a week or so, and certainly not one quite so personal, it did cause me to ponder another aspect, which serves as the title and theme for reflection in this writing. One of the relative certainties of the human experience and it is what most profoundly gives us a sense of hope, stability, rationality, and confidence, is that of looking forward to a “Tomorrow.” We never question that expectation because for whatever instinctive or innate reasoning as a sentient ‘being,’ it is as predictable and autonomic as breathing, something done without conscious thought, that indeed there will always be a tomorrow. But, “WHAT IF” today is the last day, and there is not another one to look forward to, ever again? We live in a world of materiality and physical substance, or as the Hindu sage would called it, ‘Maia’ [‘illusion’]; as though we have a guarantee of experiencing a future, that things will always work out and get done eventually; if not tomorrow then on some other day because after all, we have nothing to worry about because we have all the time in the world; but is that true?
Job 14: 1
Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
James 4: 14
Whereas you do not know what will happen ‘tomorrow.’ For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
The notion that people would be busy with their daily routines, lifestyle, and habits when the Lord returns is underscored by the statement of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24: 36-39, 42, 44; 25: 13:
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only. But, as in the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away; so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
I Thessalonians 5: 1-4
But concerning the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly well that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and Safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
A very poignant as well as explicit statement of arrogance, stubbornness and willful disregard for the longsuffering of God was penned by the Apostle Peter.
I Peter 3: 3-7, 9:
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the Last Days, walking according to their own lusts [self-interests], saying, “Where is the promise [‘evidence {philosophical reasoning or scientific proof’}??] of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation [“The Big Bang”??]. For this they are willfully forget [they don’t want to know or accept the ‘TRUTH’]: that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that “all” should come to repentance.
Hebrews 3: 7-8; 15
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today,” if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
One of the more startling things that Jesus said is recorded in Matthew 7: 22-23, which reads: “Many will say to Me in that Day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders [‘miracles’] in Your Name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
This is all the more incredible because in Mark 9: 38-41:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your Name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us. But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My Name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
I Peter 4: 17-18
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely [‘barely’] saved; where will the ungodly and sinner appear?”
Luke 18: 8b
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find ‘Faith’ on the earth?”
This article started off on a positive note and it would only seem reasonable to end it that way after some of the more dire and solemn admonitions previously, so here are a few passages which administer grace:
I Peter 1: 3-4-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation; ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Whom having not seen you love. Though, now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith- the salvation of your souls.
Ephesians 3: 20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 21: 4
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have [‘all’] passed away. (Cp. Isaiah 65: 17??)
Lastly, to quote the Scripture used by my sister, which is found in
I Corinthians 2: 9
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor has it entered into the heart of man the Things which God has prepared for those who love Him
(Cp. Isaiah 64: 4).”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Since I hadn’t written an article for about a week or so, and certainly not one quite so personal, it did cause me to ponder another aspect, which serves as the title and theme for reflection in this writing. One of the relative certainties of the human experience and it is what most profoundly gives us a sense of hope, stability, rationality, and confidence, is that of looking forward to a “Tomorrow.” We never question that expectation because for whatever instinctive or innate reasoning as a sentient ‘being,’ it is as predictable and autonomic as breathing, something done without conscious thought, that indeed there will always be a tomorrow. But, “WHAT IF” today is the last day, and there is not another one to look forward to, ever again? We live in a world of materiality and physical substance, or as the Hindu sage would called it, ‘Maia’ [‘illusion’]; as though we have a guarantee of experiencing a future, that things will always work out and get done eventually; if not tomorrow then on some other day because after all, we have nothing to worry about because we have all the time in the world; but is that true?
Job 14: 1
Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
James 4: 14
Whereas you do not know what will happen ‘tomorrow.’ For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
The notion that people would be busy with their daily routines, lifestyle, and habits when the Lord returns is underscored by the statement of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24: 36-39, 42, 44; 25: 13:
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only. But, as in the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away; so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
I Thessalonians 5: 1-4
But concerning the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly well that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and Safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
A very poignant as well as explicit statement of arrogance, stubbornness and willful disregard for the longsuffering of God was penned by the Apostle Peter.
I Peter 3: 3-7, 9:
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the Last Days, walking according to their own lusts [self-interests], saying, “Where is the promise [‘evidence {philosophical reasoning or scientific proof’}??] of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation [“The Big Bang”??]. For this they are willfully forget [they don’t want to know or accept the ‘TRUTH’]: that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that “all” should come to repentance.
Hebrews 3: 7-8; 15
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today,” if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
One of the more startling things that Jesus said is recorded in Matthew 7: 22-23, which reads: “Many will say to Me in that Day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders [‘miracles’] in Your Name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
This is all the more incredible because in Mark 9: 38-41:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your Name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us. But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My Name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
I Peter 4: 17-18
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely [‘barely’] saved; where will the ungodly and sinner appear?”
Luke 18: 8b
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find ‘Faith’ on the earth?”
This article started off on a positive note and it would only seem reasonable to end it that way after some of the more dire and solemn admonitions previously, so here are a few passages which administer grace:
I Peter 1: 3-4-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation; ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Whom having not seen you love. Though, now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith- the salvation of your souls.
Ephesians 3: 20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 21: 4
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have [‘all’] passed away. (Cp. Isaiah 65: 17??)
Lastly, to quote the Scripture used by my sister, which is found in
I Corinthians 2: 9
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor has it entered into the heart of man the Things which God has prepared for those who love Him
(Cp. Isaiah 64: 4).”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What People said in the Shadow of Jesus' Cross
Matthew 27: 39-43
(1) And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads (Cp. Psalms 109: 25) and saying, (2) “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days
(Cp. 26: 61; John 2: 19), (3)save Yourself! You are (4) the Son of God, (5) come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, (6) “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. [If He is (7) the King of Israel, let Him (5) come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. (8) He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him (Cp. Psalms 22: 18); for He said, “I am (4)the Son of God.”]
Mark 15: 19-22
(1) And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads (Cp. Psalms 109: 25) saying, “Aha! (2) You who destroy the temple and build it in three days (Cp. 26: 61; John 2: 19), (3) save Yourself, and (5) come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, (6) “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. “Let Christ, (7) the King of Israel, (5) descend now from the cross that we may see and believe.”
Luke 23: 35-37
And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying,
(6) “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If you are (7) the King of the Jews, (3)save Yourself.”
The last thing anyone wants to hear before they die are words laced with disdain, scorn, ridicule, insult, and rejection. The Lord of Heaven and Earth, bloodied, as His face was beaten almost beyond recognition from the constant pummeling by the fists of the Roman soldiers. He was spat upon, a crown of thorns placed around His forehead, and His limbs were stretched out on a living tree of wood in the form of a crucifix (‘T’ shaped) whereby His hands and feet were pierced with metal spikes, then His body was raised upon this beam and made secure.
With the full weight of Jesus’ body now uncomfortably supported by the extremities of His arms, shoulders, and upper back, the pain must have been excruciating and almost beyond human endurance as the sinews and tendons began to strain and tear away; not to mention the enormous pressure on His heart and lungs. Jesus endured this torture for six hours but it must have felt like an eternity to Him, and when God the Father’s Plan was finally accomplished for the Salvation of mankind and reconciling all creation back to Himself, in John 19: 30b, it reads: He [‘Jesus’] said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Although MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE give slightly different variations of Jesus’ actual last words or those of His blasphemers, the one constant theme in all these accounts was when they derided Jesus by saying that He couldn’t save Himself; mocking Him in their words of poisonous envy, spiritual blindness, vacillation and ignorance. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and in act of violence, one of the disciples cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in order to protect Jesus from His destiny or mission, Jesus said in Matthew 26: 53-54: “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will not provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? “How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”
In John 3: 14; 12: 32, it reads: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto Me.” Jesus said in John 10: 17-18: “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it [up] again. “No one takes it from Me." I have power [Gr. ‘exousia, dunamis’] to lay it down, and I have ‘power’ to take it [up] again. This command I have received from My Father.
So, the answer to Jesus’ accusers and those who don’t fully understand why the Lord of Glory and our Blessed Savior would undergo such an ordeal, Hebrews 12: 2, gives a little hint of that as it reads: Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now, what is this ‘joy’ so enormous and compelling that Jesus would freely and lovingly sacrifice Himself?
Hebrews 2: 9-11, 14-15
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, should taste death for everyone {NOTE: It does Not say “like” }. For it was fitting for Him [‘Jesus’], for Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory (Cp. 12: 2), to make the captain of their salvation perfect [complete] through suffering. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Cp. I Corinthians 15: 5), and release those who through fear of death were their entire lifetime subject to bondage.
Lastly, the final triumphal victory that we have in Jesus is summed up in Revelation 20: 14; 21: 4: Then Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away [‘forever’].
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
(1) And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads (Cp. Psalms 109: 25) and saying, (2) “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days
(Cp. 26: 61; John 2: 19), (3)save Yourself! You are (4) the Son of God, (5) come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, (6) “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. [If He is (7) the King of Israel, let Him (5) come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. (8) He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him (Cp. Psalms 22: 18); for He said, “I am (4)the Son of God.”]
Mark 15: 19-22
(1) And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads (Cp. Psalms 109: 25) saying, “Aha! (2) You who destroy the temple and build it in three days (Cp. 26: 61; John 2: 19), (3) save Yourself, and (5) come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, (6) “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. “Let Christ, (7) the King of Israel, (5) descend now from the cross that we may see and believe.”
Luke 23: 35-37
And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying,
(6) “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If you are (7) the King of the Jews, (3)save Yourself.”
The last thing anyone wants to hear before they die are words laced with disdain, scorn, ridicule, insult, and rejection. The Lord of Heaven and Earth, bloodied, as His face was beaten almost beyond recognition from the constant pummeling by the fists of the Roman soldiers. He was spat upon, a crown of thorns placed around His forehead, and His limbs were stretched out on a living tree of wood in the form of a crucifix (‘T’ shaped) whereby His hands and feet were pierced with metal spikes, then His body was raised upon this beam and made secure.
With the full weight of Jesus’ body now uncomfortably supported by the extremities of His arms, shoulders, and upper back, the pain must have been excruciating and almost beyond human endurance as the sinews and tendons began to strain and tear away; not to mention the enormous pressure on His heart and lungs. Jesus endured this torture for six hours but it must have felt like an eternity to Him, and when God the Father’s Plan was finally accomplished for the Salvation of mankind and reconciling all creation back to Himself, in John 19: 30b, it reads: He [‘Jesus’] said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Although MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE give slightly different variations of Jesus’ actual last words or those of His blasphemers, the one constant theme in all these accounts was when they derided Jesus by saying that He couldn’t save Himself; mocking Him in their words of poisonous envy, spiritual blindness, vacillation and ignorance. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and in act of violence, one of the disciples cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in order to protect Jesus from His destiny or mission, Jesus said in Matthew 26: 53-54: “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will not provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? “How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”
In John 3: 14; 12: 32, it reads: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto Me.” Jesus said in John 10: 17-18: “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it [up] again. “No one takes it from Me." I have power [Gr. ‘exousia, dunamis’] to lay it down, and I have ‘power’ to take it [up] again. This command I have received from My Father.
So, the answer to Jesus’ accusers and those who don’t fully understand why the Lord of Glory and our Blessed Savior would undergo such an ordeal, Hebrews 12: 2, gives a little hint of that as it reads: Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now, what is this ‘joy’ so enormous and compelling that Jesus would freely and lovingly sacrifice Himself?
Hebrews 2: 9-11, 14-15
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, should taste death for everyone {NOTE: It does Not say “like” }. For it was fitting for Him [‘Jesus’], for Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory (Cp. 12: 2), to make the captain of their salvation perfect [complete] through suffering. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Cp. I Corinthians 15: 5), and release those who through fear of death were their entire lifetime subject to bondage.
Lastly, the final triumphal victory that we have in Jesus is summed up in Revelation 20: 14; 21: 4: Then Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away [‘forever’].
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Exclusion of Some Miracles of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels
Another method in studying the Gospels is to look not only for areas of agreement between all the authors or sources but to notice divergence and exclusion because this could be an important key to discover subtle, but significant clues to underlying religious, psychological, social, political, or cultural differences which may have existed during that time period among the many groups with whom Jesus and His disciples came into contact with; or with those who were taught by Jesus' followers or their immediate successors in subsequent later generations.
Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit at a synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 1: 21-28; Luke 4: 31-37
Jesus heals a man with a withered hand at a synagogue on the Sabbath.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 3: 1-6; Luke 6: 6-11
Jesus heals two demon-possessed men in the country of Gadarenes.
Matthew 8: 28-34; Mark 5: 1-20 [“one man”]; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus walks on the Sea of Galilee [after feeding the five thousand].
Matthew 14: 2-33 [coming down from the mountain]; Mark 6: 45-52 [coming from the plain]; NOT IN LUKE
Many people touch Jesus’ garment and are healed in the land of Gennesaret.
Matthew 14: 34-36; Mark 6: 53-56; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Greek Syro-phoenician woman in the region of Tyre.
Matthew 15: 21-28; Mark 7: 24-30; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus heals a deaf mute while departing Tyre & Sidon, going through “Decapolis” to the Sea of Galilee.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 7: 31-37; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus raises the son of the widow in Nain after healing the Centurion’s servant in Capernaum.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 7: 11-17
Jesus feeds the four thousand.
Matthew 15: 32-39 [departs to “Magadan”]; Mark 8: 1-10 [departs to “Dalmanutha”]; NOT IN LUKE
John tells Jesus about someone casting out a demon who was not one of their number and they tried to prevent him.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 9: 38-41; Luke 9: 49-50
A Samaritan village rejects Jesus because He had His sight set towards Jerusalem.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 9: 51-56
Jesus sends out the ‘Seventy.’ [from “Samaria”??]
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 9: 51-52, 56b-57; 10: 1
Mary and Martha from a certain village [“Bethany”] worship and serve Jesus.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 10: 38-42
Jesus teaches the Lord’s [‘Model’] Prayer as part of the Sermon on the Mountain in the area around the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew 6: 9-13; NOT IN MARK; Luke 11: 1-4
Jesus heals a mute, demon-possessed man in Capernaum.
Matthew 9: 32-34; 12: 22-24; NOT IN MARK; Luke 11: 14-15
Jesus was told about those Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices while He was at one of the synagogues in Galilee.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 13: 1-5
Jesus heals a woman with a spirit of infirmity.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 13: 10-17
Jesus heals a man with dropsy.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 14: 1-6
Jesus heals ten lepers but only one of them [a ‘Samaritan’] came back to thank Him.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 17: 11-19
Jesus curses a fig tree.
Matthew 21: 18-22 [in ‘Bethany’]; Mark 11: 12-14, 20-24 [leaving from ‘Bethany’];
NOT IN LUKE
Jesus on trial before Herod [Cp. Luke 3: 1a; ‘Tetarch’??]
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 23: 6-12
COMMENTARY: Of these 21 incidents in this study, MATTHEW excludes 13 (61.9%), MARK does not include 11 of them (52.4%), and LUKE leaves out only 7 (33.3%). MATTHEW and MARK omit the same 9 events, and since MARK only had a total of 11 in the first place, that's a whopping 81.8%.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit at a synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 1: 21-28; Luke 4: 31-37
Jesus heals a man with a withered hand at a synagogue on the Sabbath.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 3: 1-6; Luke 6: 6-11
Jesus heals two demon-possessed men in the country of Gadarenes.
Matthew 8: 28-34; Mark 5: 1-20 [“one man”]; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus walks on the Sea of Galilee [after feeding the five thousand].
Matthew 14: 2-33 [coming down from the mountain]; Mark 6: 45-52 [coming from the plain]; NOT IN LUKE
Many people touch Jesus’ garment and are healed in the land of Gennesaret.
Matthew 14: 34-36; Mark 6: 53-56; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Greek Syro-phoenician woman in the region of Tyre.
Matthew 15: 21-28; Mark 7: 24-30; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus heals a deaf mute while departing Tyre & Sidon, going through “Decapolis” to the Sea of Galilee.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 7: 31-37; NOT IN LUKE
Jesus raises the son of the widow in Nain after healing the Centurion’s servant in Capernaum.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 7: 11-17
Jesus feeds the four thousand.
Matthew 15: 32-39 [departs to “Magadan”]; Mark 8: 1-10 [departs to “Dalmanutha”]; NOT IN LUKE
John tells Jesus about someone casting out a demon who was not one of their number and they tried to prevent him.
NOT IN MATTHEW; Mark 9: 38-41; Luke 9: 49-50
A Samaritan village rejects Jesus because He had His sight set towards Jerusalem.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 9: 51-56
Jesus sends out the ‘Seventy.’ [from “Samaria”??]
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 9: 51-52, 56b-57; 10: 1
Mary and Martha from a certain village [“Bethany”] worship and serve Jesus.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 10: 38-42
Jesus teaches the Lord’s [‘Model’] Prayer as part of the Sermon on the Mountain in the area around the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew 6: 9-13; NOT IN MARK; Luke 11: 1-4
Jesus heals a mute, demon-possessed man in Capernaum.
Matthew 9: 32-34; 12: 22-24; NOT IN MARK; Luke 11: 14-15
Jesus was told about those Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices while He was at one of the synagogues in Galilee.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 13: 1-5
Jesus heals a woman with a spirit of infirmity.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 13: 10-17
Jesus heals a man with dropsy.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 14: 1-6
Jesus heals ten lepers but only one of them [a ‘Samaritan’] came back to thank Him.
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 17: 11-19
Jesus curses a fig tree.
Matthew 21: 18-22 [in ‘Bethany’]; Mark 11: 12-14, 20-24 [leaving from ‘Bethany’];
NOT IN LUKE
Jesus on trial before Herod [Cp. Luke 3: 1a; ‘Tetarch’??]
NOT IN MATTHEW; NOT IN MARK; Luke 23: 6-12
COMMENTARY: Of these 21 incidents in this study, MATTHEW excludes 13 (61.9%), MARK does not include 11 of them (52.4%), and LUKE leaves out only 7 (33.3%). MATTHEW and MARK omit the same 9 events, and since MARK only had a total of 11 in the first place, that's a whopping 81.8%.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The Son of God problem for the Jews
The Jewish religion from its inception was monotheistic, at least in belief and practice, with the unique distinction separating it from those of their Canaanite and Mesopotamian neighbors is mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:4, which says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!.” Any idea that the Lord (YHVH) God of Israel could have a Son is totally inconceivable and anathema. One of the characteristics of nearly all divine pantheons of the gods is that of having a consort and offspring, so the idea of Jesus as being born the Son of God, and taking this a step further: to accept the divinity known as God, Whose very nature is transcendent, immortal, invisible, incorporeal, dwelling in unapproachable light, infinite in power, and existing on a spiritual (supernatural) plane far beyond human comprehension could condescend [empty Himself] to be involved in this physical substance called matter to undergo a physical birth by surrendering, or setting aside the prerogatives of Godhood, takes a great leap of faith, indeed!
The Old Testament writings prophesy that God would send a Mighty Deliver, Messiah, or Ruler and descendant from the House of David, who would redeemn His people Israel and destroy her enemies, as this is certainly what the contemporary Jews in Jesus' day were looking forward to (Matthew 2: 6;Luke 1: 68-75; 3: 15; John 1: 19-27).
Even Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18-19: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from among your brethren. Him shall you hear. I will raise up from them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My Name, I will require it of him [he shall be destroyed from among the people].
Jesus’ earthly and public ministry commenced with His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, the anointing by the Spirit of God like the form of a dove which sat upon Him, and the voice from heaven which said, “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3: 13-17). The narrative does not say if anyone else heard the voice besides Jesus and possibly John. Outside of Satan knowing who Jesus really was (Matthew 4: 6) and demons (Matthew 8: 28-29), Jesus referred to Himself by the enigmatic title, “Son of Man.” Interestingly, when the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph regarding Mary’s pregnancy, he said that she would bring forth a Son and you [Joseph] shall call His name Jesus (Matthew 1: 18-21).
In the book of Isaiah 7: 14, the Son is to be named Immanuel.
The multitudes thought Jesus was the Son of David (Matthew 12: 23b) and Herod the tetrarch thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead (Matthew 14: 1-11). Although Jesus alluded to His divinity in private with His disciples, it was apparent that they didn’t fully grasp the concept as recorded in Matthew 16: 13-17 because the rumor mill had it that Jesus was thought to be [a resurrected] John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets; until God finally revealed to Peter Who Jesus is. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the multitudes hailed Him as the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 21: 11). The Pharisees, disciples of the Herodians, and Sadducees saw in Jesus a great teacher (Matthew 2: 15-16, 23-24, 33). Also, the Pharisees thought the “Christ” was the Son of David (Matthew 22: 41-42).
When Jesus appeared before the ‘Sanhedrin’ (Jewish Supreme Court), they put Him under an oath before the living God to testify, or rather admit to being the Son of God; His reply was, “It is as you say [if you say so].” Jesus did quote
Daniel 7: 13, so in a way He did answer their question; for which He was accused of blasphemy. Although this was a kangaroo Court and an insult to the very rule of Law, jurisprudence, and legal precedent, still the deeply entrenched theological and psychological ramifications cannot be so easily ignored by the truth of this revelation.
If God can have a Son or become One, then what does that mean about the ‘Oneness’ of God, and not only that, but what about the implication of possibly a feminine aspect of deity (Divine Consort, Mother, Wife, or Goddess)? Since the children received God’s Law at Mount Sinai through Moses and written by the “finger of God,” the Jewish people have been warned about other gods and Asherah/Asherim. In the book of Jeremiah (44: 15-19) the people were quite obstinate and rebellious, refusing to listen to the word of the Lord as they continued offering incense, making cakes and pouring out drink offerings to the “Queen of Heaven.”
Now, as Jesus was delivered before Pontius Pilate, He was accused of being King of the Jews; posing a rather embarrassing problem for the political machinations of Rome in the region since Caesar had already appointed a King [an 'Edomite'] over the Jews. It is interesting that Jesus was not accused by the Jewish authorities of being the Son of God before the Governor of Judea, which might have been interesting to see if Pilate would have been more cautious in his dealings with Jesus. The immemorial words of Jesus which was spoken from the Cross of His Crucifixion, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, My God, My God,” why have You forsaken Me?” [recorded in MATTHEW and MARK]was lost in translation by the people in Judea who spoke Hebrew, and they thought He was calling for Elijah instead upon God His Father (Matthew 27; 45-47); that is because Jesus was from Galilee and spoke Aramaic.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 2, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The Old Testament writings prophesy that God would send a Mighty Deliver, Messiah, or Ruler and descendant from the House of David, who would redeemn His people Israel and destroy her enemies, as this is certainly what the contemporary Jews in Jesus' day were looking forward to (Matthew 2: 6;Luke 1: 68-75; 3: 15; John 1: 19-27).
Even Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18-19: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from among your brethren. Him shall you hear. I will raise up from them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My Name, I will require it of him [he shall be destroyed from among the people].
Jesus’ earthly and public ministry commenced with His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, the anointing by the Spirit of God like the form of a dove which sat upon Him, and the voice from heaven which said, “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3: 13-17). The narrative does not say if anyone else heard the voice besides Jesus and possibly John. Outside of Satan knowing who Jesus really was (Matthew 4: 6) and demons (Matthew 8: 28-29), Jesus referred to Himself by the enigmatic title, “Son of Man.” Interestingly, when the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph regarding Mary’s pregnancy, he said that she would bring forth a Son and you [Joseph] shall call His name Jesus (Matthew 1: 18-21).
In the book of Isaiah 7: 14, the Son is to be named Immanuel.
The multitudes thought Jesus was the Son of David (Matthew 12: 23b) and Herod the tetrarch thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead (Matthew 14: 1-11). Although Jesus alluded to His divinity in private with His disciples, it was apparent that they didn’t fully grasp the concept as recorded in Matthew 16: 13-17 because the rumor mill had it that Jesus was thought to be [a resurrected] John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets; until God finally revealed to Peter Who Jesus is. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the multitudes hailed Him as the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 21: 11). The Pharisees, disciples of the Herodians, and Sadducees saw in Jesus a great teacher (Matthew 2: 15-16, 23-24, 33). Also, the Pharisees thought the “Christ” was the Son of David (Matthew 22: 41-42).
When Jesus appeared before the ‘Sanhedrin’ (Jewish Supreme Court), they put Him under an oath before the living God to testify, or rather admit to being the Son of God; His reply was, “It is as you say [if you say so].” Jesus did quote
Daniel 7: 13, so in a way He did answer their question; for which He was accused of blasphemy. Although this was a kangaroo Court and an insult to the very rule of Law, jurisprudence, and legal precedent, still the deeply entrenched theological and psychological ramifications cannot be so easily ignored by the truth of this revelation.
If God can have a Son or become One, then what does that mean about the ‘Oneness’ of God, and not only that, but what about the implication of possibly a feminine aspect of deity (Divine Consort, Mother, Wife, or Goddess)? Since the children received God’s Law at Mount Sinai through Moses and written by the “finger of God,” the Jewish people have been warned about other gods and Asherah/Asherim. In the book of Jeremiah (44: 15-19) the people were quite obstinate and rebellious, refusing to listen to the word of the Lord as they continued offering incense, making cakes and pouring out drink offerings to the “Queen of Heaven.”
Now, as Jesus was delivered before Pontius Pilate, He was accused of being King of the Jews; posing a rather embarrassing problem for the political machinations of Rome in the region since Caesar had already appointed a King [an 'Edomite'] over the Jews. It is interesting that Jesus was not accused by the Jewish authorities of being the Son of God before the Governor of Judea, which might have been interesting to see if Pilate would have been more cautious in his dealings with Jesus. The immemorial words of Jesus which was spoken from the Cross of His Crucifixion, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, My God, My God,” why have You forsaken Me?” [recorded in MATTHEW and MARK]was lost in translation by the people in Judea who spoke Hebrew, and they thought He was calling for Elijah instead upon God His Father (Matthew 27; 45-47); that is because Jesus was from Galilee and spoke Aramaic.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 2, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
There is Power “In the Name of Jesus”
Far too often the Christian believer forgets that we are in a war, a battle royale to the finish, between the forces of the Devil; and those of God our Father and His anointed, our Lord Jesus Christ. The terror which inaugurated “9-1-1” is nothing compared to that which had been waged since the beginning of time for the salvation of mankind as well as restoration to the original harmony between the Creator and the rest of creation. Souls are being lost while we tremble and cower before the seemingly unending onslaught from the satanic forces, and a relentless enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy us.
This should not be a cause of great despair or anxiety because of the encouragement found in I John 4: 4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Jesus says of His Church in Matthew 16: 18b: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What we need are some reminders of what our privilege entitles us to, and to redirect and expand the focus of our mission. It is more than just the worship of praise, thankfulness, and offering supplication; but rather it is deadly serious. Although the Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 4: 20: For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power; but what good and benefit is all of that if we are ignorant of this great supernatural equipment for spiritual warfare or are afraid to use it?
Acts 3: 2, 6, 16
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And His name, through faith in His name [‘Jesus’], has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness.
Acts 5: 17-20, 25, 27-28a
Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and they laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this Name [‘Jesus’]?”
John 1: 12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the “authority” to become children of God, to those who believe in His name [‘Jesus’].
John 14: 12-14
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. “And whatever you ask in My name [‘Jesus’], that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name [‘Jesus’], I will do it.”
Philippians 2: 9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth [‘demons’??], and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 28: 18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Acts 10: 35
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
NOTE: The name of ‘Jesus’ carries within itself all the prerogatives of deity as conveyed in (Gr. ‘dunastes’-great responsibility or high position, rank; ‘exousia’-right or authority; ‘dunamis’-great force, might, or power; ‘kratos’-the right of a ruler or sovereign; and ‘energes’-unbounded energy to accomplish something.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works [‘all’] of the devil.
Luke 10: 17
Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name [‘Jesus’].”
II Corinthians 10: 4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [‘physical’], but mighty [Gr. ‘dunamis’??] in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing [even] every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Ephesians 6: 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against (1) principalities, against
(2) powers, against (3) the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
(4) spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
This should not be a cause of great despair or anxiety because of the encouragement found in I John 4: 4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Jesus says of His Church in Matthew 16: 18b: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What we need are some reminders of what our privilege entitles us to, and to redirect and expand the focus of our mission. It is more than just the worship of praise, thankfulness, and offering supplication; but rather it is deadly serious. Although the Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 4: 20: For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power; but what good and benefit is all of that if we are ignorant of this great supernatural equipment for spiritual warfare or are afraid to use it?
Acts 3: 2, 6, 16
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And His name, through faith in His name [‘Jesus’], has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness.
Acts 5: 17-20, 25, 27-28a
Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and they laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this Name [‘Jesus’]?”
John 1: 12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the “authority” to become children of God, to those who believe in His name [‘Jesus’].
John 14: 12-14
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. “And whatever you ask in My name [‘Jesus’], that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name [‘Jesus’], I will do it.”
Philippians 2: 9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth [‘demons’??], and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 28: 18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Acts 10: 35
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
NOTE: The name of ‘Jesus’ carries within itself all the prerogatives of deity as conveyed in (Gr. ‘dunastes’-great responsibility or high position, rank; ‘exousia’-right or authority; ‘dunamis’-great force, might, or power; ‘kratos’-the right of a ruler or sovereign; and ‘energes’-unbounded energy to accomplish something.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works [‘all’] of the devil.
Luke 10: 17
Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name [‘Jesus’].”
II Corinthians 10: 4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [‘physical’], but mighty [Gr. ‘dunamis’??] in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing [even] every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Ephesians 6: 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against (1) principalities, against
(2) powers, against (3) the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
(4) spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, May 21, 2009
These Signs shall Follow Those Who Believe
One area that is sorely underutilized in the Christian Church and of which augments the preaching of the Gospel, the neglected and badly needed ministry of exercising power over demons; to wit, healing any person suffering from any disease, sickness, or infirmity. This work is left for others in the medical profession, whether surgeons or psychiatrists, to treat or prescribe some kind of clinical therapy by either chemical substances or invasive and sometimes dangerous interventions. The thinking is that all maladies that humans suffer from have some sort of natural cause at the root; but is that always the case?
Perhaps one of the reasons that Christians as well as non-Christians have mixed feelings about this subject is the behavior of some ‘charlatan’ in the past who have misled people by claiming to be some kind of God-inspired “Faith-healer,” who as it turns out was nothing more than a self-serving, pseudo-religious snake oil salesman and ‘Flim-Flam-Man.’ On the other side of the coin are the Ecclesiastical Christian Church Fathers and Theologians who believe that these supernatural or supra-natural gifts ceased with the completion of the Biblical Canon or that Jesus, after His resurrection, cleansed the land [‘world’] of demons and unclean spirits.
If ever there was a need for this special ‘unction’ of Divine Grace, it is today. So many people are suffering and in constant pain and even the crimes that are reported on the television news and published in the newspapers are so shocking, depraved, and horrendous that it is hard to believe that a mere human being exercising their freewill without any external [‘subjective’] influence could commit such atrocities. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6: 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Someone will say that sickness and contracting a virulent or dreaded disease is just the miserable lot in life that one experiences and is part of being ‘human;’ then why did Jesus heal everybody that was sent to Him? Before going into the matter with a lot more detail, it is perhaps prudent first to look at a passage in
Luke 13: 10-12, 14a, 15a-16:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a ‘spirit of infirmity’ eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way straighten herself. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Himself and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound- think of it- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
Matthew 4: 23-24
And Jesus went about in Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout Syria (??); and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy [‘all’] the works of the devil.
NOTE: The ‘works’ of the devil are not just limited to sin and death, but includes physical and mental infirmities [‘diseases’] as well.
Matthew 10: 1
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power
[Gr. ‘Dunamis’], over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Matthew 17: 14-15, 18-19, 20a, 21
And when they had come to the multitudes, a man came to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an ‘epileptic’ and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and the water. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “However, this kind [‘demon’??] does not go out [from a person??] except by “prayer and fasting.”
NOTE: Two other Gospel narratives mention about Jesus granting the ‘Twelve’ this extraordinary authority (Cp. Mark 3: 14-15; 6: 7; Luke 9: 11). Curiously, JOHN doesn’t mention in his narrative anything about Jesus casting out demons or unclean spirits at all.
Now it is time to look at another incident regarding the ‘Twelve’ and the issue of the empowerment which was granted to them as portrayed in Mark 9: 38-40:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow [‘with’??] us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is on our side.”
Jesus says in Mark 16: 17-18:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name (1) they shall cast out demons; (2) they will speak with new tongues, (3) they will take up serpents; and (4) if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; (5) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
COMMENTARY:
Besides the Lord Jesus casting out demons and unclean spirits the Scriptures are silent on whether the ‘Twelve’ ever did. In Luke 10: 1, 17, 18a, 19, it states:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy [‘seventy-two??] others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where he Himself was about to go. Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “Behold, I give you the authority to (3) trample on serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and (4) nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Cp. Mark 16: 17-18)
In the book of Acts (19: 11-13, 15-16), it reads:
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And the evil spirit(s) answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man [‘men??] in whom was the evil spirit(s) leaped on them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. Of course, here too, it does not mention at this point whether the Apostle Paul did drive the evil spirit(s) out, but in all likelihood he probably did at a later point.
Now what does all of these things that happened two millennia ago in the Middle East have to do with modern times; much in every respect. If the Christian Church wants to distinguish itself as the ‘Truth,’ then it will have to manifest something which will authenticate or give witness to the theology. It is not enough merely to revere a sacred book and participate in a variety of liturgical rites or faith practices because that is common in just about all religions. Indeed, I Corinthians 4: 20 says: For the kingdom of God is not in word [‘only’] but in power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’]. And lastly, the Apostle Paul admonished his son in the Gospel about those believers in the body of Christ who appear on the surface to be righteous, but as he mentions in II Timothy 3: 5: Having a [‘outward’??] form of godliness, but denying the power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’] thereof: from such turn away.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Perhaps one of the reasons that Christians as well as non-Christians have mixed feelings about this subject is the behavior of some ‘charlatan’ in the past who have misled people by claiming to be some kind of God-inspired “Faith-healer,” who as it turns out was nothing more than a self-serving, pseudo-religious snake oil salesman and ‘Flim-Flam-Man.’ On the other side of the coin are the Ecclesiastical Christian Church Fathers and Theologians who believe that these supernatural or supra-natural gifts ceased with the completion of the Biblical Canon or that Jesus, after His resurrection, cleansed the land [‘world’] of demons and unclean spirits.
If ever there was a need for this special ‘unction’ of Divine Grace, it is today. So many people are suffering and in constant pain and even the crimes that are reported on the television news and published in the newspapers are so shocking, depraved, and horrendous that it is hard to believe that a mere human being exercising their freewill without any external [‘subjective’] influence could commit such atrocities. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6: 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Someone will say that sickness and contracting a virulent or dreaded disease is just the miserable lot in life that one experiences and is part of being ‘human;’ then why did Jesus heal everybody that was sent to Him? Before going into the matter with a lot more detail, it is perhaps prudent first to look at a passage in
Luke 13: 10-12, 14a, 15a-16:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a ‘spirit of infirmity’ eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way straighten herself. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Himself and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?” So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound- think of it- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
Matthew 4: 23-24
And Jesus went about in Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout Syria (??); and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
I John 3: 8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy [‘all’] the works of the devil.
NOTE: The ‘works’ of the devil are not just limited to sin and death, but includes physical and mental infirmities [‘diseases’] as well.
Matthew 10: 1
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power
[Gr. ‘Dunamis’], over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
Matthew 17: 14-15, 18-19, 20a, 21
And when they had come to the multitudes, a man came to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an ‘epileptic’ and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and the water. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “However, this kind [‘demon’??] does not go out [from a person??] except by “prayer and fasting.”
NOTE: Two other Gospel narratives mention about Jesus granting the ‘Twelve’ this extraordinary authority (Cp. Mark 3: 14-15; 6: 7; Luke 9: 11). Curiously, JOHN doesn’t mention in his narrative anything about Jesus casting out demons or unclean spirits at all.
Now it is time to look at another incident regarding the ‘Twelve’ and the issue of the empowerment which was granted to them as portrayed in Mark 9: 38-40:
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow [‘with’??] us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is on our side.”
Jesus says in Mark 16: 17-18:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name (1) they shall cast out demons; (2) they will speak with new tongues, (3) they will take up serpents; and (4) if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; (5) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
COMMENTARY:
Besides the Lord Jesus casting out demons and unclean spirits the Scriptures are silent on whether the ‘Twelve’ ever did. In Luke 10: 1, 17, 18a, 19, it states:
After these things the Lord appointed seventy [‘seventy-two??] others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where he Himself was about to go. Then the ‘Seventy’ returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “Behold, I give you the authority to (3) trample on serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and (4) nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Cp. Mark 16: 17-18)
In the book of Acts (19: 11-13, 15-16), it reads:
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And the evil spirit(s) answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man [‘men??] in whom was the evil spirit(s) leaped on them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. Of course, here too, it does not mention at this point whether the Apostle Paul did drive the evil spirit(s) out, but in all likelihood he probably did at a later point.
Now what does all of these things that happened two millennia ago in the Middle East have to do with modern times; much in every respect. If the Christian Church wants to distinguish itself as the ‘Truth,’ then it will have to manifest something which will authenticate or give witness to the theology. It is not enough merely to revere a sacred book and participate in a variety of liturgical rites or faith practices because that is common in just about all religions. Indeed, I Corinthians 4: 20 says: For the kingdom of God is not in word [‘only’] but in power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’]. And lastly, the Apostle Paul admonished his son in the Gospel about those believers in the body of Christ who appear on the surface to be righteous, but as he mentions in II Timothy 3: 5: Having a [‘outward’??] form of godliness, but denying the power [Gr. ‘Dunamis’] thereof: from such turn away.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
May 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, May 1, 2009
INRI: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews
These four letters are probably the most recognizable ‘acronym’ throughout the entire Western Hemisphere and many parts of the entire planet Earth, especially where Christianity has been carried into. The ‘specialness’ and recognition ascribed to these four characters of the English/Latin alphabet isn’t unlike that of the “Tetragramatton”(‘YHVH’), the sacred and unpronounceable Name of the Lord God of Israel, revered by all the Jews.
Each of the Gospel narratives present a slightly differing account of exactly what was written and by whom on a sign placed above the head of Jesus as He lay outstretched with His hands and feet driven through with spikes, lifted up and hanging on the wooden cross at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary. The question is why there is such variation in an event that was observed by eyewitnesses, and to what purpose would there be to leave out certain details of the crucifixion?
Matthew 27:37
GREEK (“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”)
ουτος εστιν ιησους ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti Iesous basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
זה זה את ישו המלך של היהודים
Yeshūa' ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
is est Iesvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Matthew’s version mentions ‘they’ [presumably the Roman soldiers] wrote this inscription as charge against Jesus and placed the sign above His head, and this would most probably have been written in Latin or Greek. The word “Nazareth” is omitted.
Mark 15:26
GREEK (“The King of the Jews”)
ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Mark’s account simply says, “The king of the Jews” without any additional qualifiers such as Jesus’ name or where He was from.
Luke 23:38
GREEK (“This is the King of the Jews”)
ουτος εστιν ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti basileus Ioudaios
also sometimes given as:
outos estin o basileus twn ioudaiwn
LATIN
is est Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
זה זה המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
Luke uses the same title as Mark but he adds that the ‘inscription’ was in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. None of the other authors mention anything about letters of the alphabet or a particular script or type, which may possibly mean that the source possibly didn’t know how to translate the lines of characters which was written on the sign.
John 19:19
GREEK (“Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”)
Ιησους ουσ.ναζαρέτ ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
Iesous Nazoraios basileus Ioudaios
LATIN
Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
ישו של נָצְרַת המלך של היהודים
yeshūa' Natz'rat ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
John states that Pilate wrote the inscription that was to be placed over the head of Jesus as He was to be hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, and the writing was in first, Hebrew, then Greek, and lastly, in Latin. It is interesting that the Roman Governor of Judea would give primacy to the Hebrew Language over Latin or Greek, because he certainly didn’t seem to have any particular love or respect for the Jewish people.
To sum it all up then, for whatever reasons, the sources used by Mark and Luke chose not to reveal Jesus’ identity or hometown; perhaps as a deliberate attempt to protect His family and loved ones, or for some unknown purpose that the Scriptures do not reveal. No doubt there have been many individuals who have claimed the mantle as the promised Messiah/Delivered and King of the Jews who have met a similar fate of martyrdom; and for some, this latest person is just “another unnamed one” in the long line of unsuccessful revolutionaries, soon to be forgotten in the dust of the earth; or so they thought! In John’s version, not only is Jesus’ name mentioned but also where He was from, and it is this bold declaration, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” or Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, that we derive the letters ‘INRI;’ which will be cherished from henceforth, and throughout time immemorial.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Each of the Gospel narratives present a slightly differing account of exactly what was written and by whom on a sign placed above the head of Jesus as He lay outstretched with His hands and feet driven through with spikes, lifted up and hanging on the wooden cross at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary. The question is why there is such variation in an event that was observed by eyewitnesses, and to what purpose would there be to leave out certain details of the crucifixion?
Matthew 27:37
GREEK (“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”)
ουτος εστιν ιησους ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti Iesous basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
זה זה את ישו המלך של היהודים
Yeshūa' ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
is est Iesvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Matthew’s version mentions ‘they’ [presumably the Roman soldiers] wrote this inscription as charge against Jesus and placed the sign above His head, and this would most probably have been written in Latin or Greek. The word “Nazareth” is omitted.
Mark 15:26
GREEK (“The King of the Jews”)
ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
basileus Ioudaios
HEBREW
המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
LATIN
Rex Ivdaeorvm
COMMENTARY:
Mark’s account simply says, “The king of the Jews” without any additional qualifiers such as Jesus’ name or where He was from.
Luke 23:38
GREEK (“This is the King of the Jews”)
ουτος εστιν ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
houtos esti basileus Ioudaios
also sometimes given as:
outos estin o basileus twn ioudaiwn
LATIN
is est Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
זה זה המלך של היהודים
ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
Luke uses the same title as Mark but he adds that the ‘inscription’ was in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. None of the other authors mention anything about letters of the alphabet or a particular script or type, which may possibly mean that the source possibly didn’t know how to translate the lines of characters which was written on the sign.
John 19:19
GREEK (“Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”)
Ιησους ουσ.ναζαρέτ ο βασιλευς των ιουδαιων
Iesous Nazoraios basileus Ioudaios
LATIN
Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm
HEBREW
ישו של נָצְרַת המלך של היהודים
yeshūa' Natz'rat ūmeleḵ hayĕhūḏīm
COMMENTARY:
John states that Pilate wrote the inscription that was to be placed over the head of Jesus as He was to be hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, and the writing was in first, Hebrew, then Greek, and lastly, in Latin. It is interesting that the Roman Governor of Judea would give primacy to the Hebrew Language over Latin or Greek, because he certainly didn’t seem to have any particular love or respect for the Jewish people.
To sum it all up then, for whatever reasons, the sources used by Mark and Luke chose not to reveal Jesus’ identity or hometown; perhaps as a deliberate attempt to protect His family and loved ones, or for some unknown purpose that the Scriptures do not reveal. No doubt there have been many individuals who have claimed the mantle as the promised Messiah/Delivered and King of the Jews who have met a similar fate of martyrdom; and for some, this latest person is just “another unnamed one” in the long line of unsuccessful revolutionaries, soon to be forgotten in the dust of the earth; or so they thought! In John’s version, not only is Jesus’ name mentioned but also where He was from, and it is this bold declaration, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” or Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, that we derive the letters ‘INRI;’ which will be cherished from henceforth, and throughout time immemorial.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
What Must I do to Inherit Eternal Life?
Jesus had just wrapped up a lengthy discourse in the region of Galilee (Cp. Matthew 17: 22, 24) and was entering the region of Judea beyond the Jordan (Cp. Matthew 19: 1). It was in this vicinity that great multitudes came to Him to be healed and some Pharisees came to Him with questions about ‘a man divorcing his wife for any cause.’ Jesus uses this occasion for another teaching opportunity, and after blessing the little children, someone from the crowd asked Him the very words contained in the title of this study, namely, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus tells him to keep the commandments.
Exodus 20: 1-17{abbr.}
(1) You shall not have other gods before Me (v. 3).
(2) You shall not make for yourself any graven [‘carved/molten’] image (v.4).
(3) You shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain (v. 7).
(4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (v. 8).
(5) Honor your Father and your Mother (v. 12).
(6) You shall not Murder (v. 13).
(7) You shall not commit Adultery (v. 14).
(8) You shall not Steal (v. 15).
(9) You shall not bear False Witness against your neighbor (v. 16).
(10) You shall not Covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (v. 17).
The man responded back, “Which ones?” The following is Jesus’ reply:
Matthew 19: 18-19
(6) You shall not Murder; (7) You shall not commit Adultery; (8) You shall not Steal; (9) You shall not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother; and You shall love your Neighbor as yourself.
Mark 10: 19
(7) Do not commit Adultery; (6) Do not Murder; (8) Do not Steal; (9) Do not bear False Witness; Do not Defraud; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother.
*Luke has 2 versions*
10: 25-27 [‘version 1’]
So He answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and [‘love’] your neighbor as yourself.
NOTE: This account does not contain a single quote from the ‘Decalogue’ [“Ten Commandments”] found originally in Exodus 20, but rather combines Deuteronomy 6: 5 and Leviticus 19: 18b.
After Jesus had commended him on his astuteness the scribe [‘lawyer’] wanted to justify himself, and asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” This leads to the perhaps controversial and not well received, at least in the cultural setting of that time among the Jews, what is now commonly known as, the “Parable of the Good Samaritan” (Cp. Luke 10: 30-37). Since the first version might not have been palpable to the contemporary Jewish worldview and doubtless received some antagonism or resistance, an alternative version of the narrative was constructed alongside the former one; but without the parable which honors any ‘Samaritan.’
Luke 18: 20 [‘version 2’]
(7) Do not commit Adultery; (6) Do not Murder; (8) Do not Steal; (9) Do not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother.
Leviticus 19: 1-18 {abbr.}
(5) Every one of you will revere his Mother and Father [‘order reversed’], and (4) keep My Sabbaths. (v. 3)
(1) Do not turn to Idols nor (2) make for yourself molten idols. (v. 4)
(8) You shall not steal, nor (9) deal falsely, nor lie to one another. (v. 11)
(3) You shall not swear by My Name, nor shall you profane the name of the Lord your God. (v. 12)
You shall not cheat [Cp. Mark 10: 19; ‘Defraud’] your neighbor nor (8) rob him. (v.13)
. . . nor shall you (6) take a stand against the life of your neighbor. (v. 16b)
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself (v. 18) {Cp. Matthew 19: 19}.
NOTE: Only Commandments (7) You shall not commit Adultery and (10) You shall not Covet anything belonging to your neighbor are missing from the original ten statutes which were given to Moses on fiery Mount Sinai as recorded in Exodus 20.
Deuteronomy 5: 6-22 {abbr.}
(1) You shall have no other gods before Me. (v. 7)
(2) You shall not make for yourself a Graven image. (v. 8)
(3) You shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain. (v. 11a)
(4) Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v. 12a)
(5) Honor your Father and your Mother (v. 16)
(6) You shall not Murder. (v. 17)
(7) You shall not commit Adultery. (v. 18)
(8) You shall not Steal. (v. 19)
(9) You shall not beat False Witness against your neighbor (v. 20)
(10) You shall not Covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. (v. 21)
And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (vs. 15)
NOTE: This is different from the explanation given in Exodus 20:8-11, which was based on God resting from the six days of ‘creation.’
To sum it all up then, Matthew, Mark, and Luke ver. 2 omit “Commandments” 1, 2, 3,
4, and 10. Matthew and Mark quote Leviticus 19 but use different verses. Luke version 1 and Matthew both use Leviticus 19: 18, but only Luke version 1 adds the additional reference in Deuteronomy 6: 5. Luke version 1 is actually the most profound and significant which encapsulates the very spiritual core of the true meaning, requirements and totality of the Law of God; which is attested by Jesus in
Matthew 22: 36-40 [esp. v. 41]: “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 28, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Exodus 20: 1-17{abbr.}
(1) You shall not have other gods before Me (v. 3).
(2) You shall not make for yourself any graven [‘carved/molten’] image (v.4).
(3) You shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain (v. 7).
(4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (v. 8).
(5) Honor your Father and your Mother (v. 12).
(6) You shall not Murder (v. 13).
(7) You shall not commit Adultery (v. 14).
(8) You shall not Steal (v. 15).
(9) You shall not bear False Witness against your neighbor (v. 16).
(10) You shall not Covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (v. 17).
The man responded back, “Which ones?” The following is Jesus’ reply:
Matthew 19: 18-19
(6) You shall not Murder; (7) You shall not commit Adultery; (8) You shall not Steal; (9) You shall not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother; and You shall love your Neighbor as yourself.
Mark 10: 19
(7) Do not commit Adultery; (6) Do not Murder; (8) Do not Steal; (9) Do not bear False Witness; Do not Defraud; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother.
*Luke has 2 versions*
10: 25-27 [‘version 1’]
So He answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and [‘love’] your neighbor as yourself.
NOTE: This account does not contain a single quote from the ‘Decalogue’ [“Ten Commandments”] found originally in Exodus 20, but rather combines Deuteronomy 6: 5 and Leviticus 19: 18b.
After Jesus had commended him on his astuteness the scribe [‘lawyer’] wanted to justify himself, and asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” This leads to the perhaps controversial and not well received, at least in the cultural setting of that time among the Jews, what is now commonly known as, the “Parable of the Good Samaritan” (Cp. Luke 10: 30-37). Since the first version might not have been palpable to the contemporary Jewish worldview and doubtless received some antagonism or resistance, an alternative version of the narrative was constructed alongside the former one; but without the parable which honors any ‘Samaritan.’
Luke 18: 20 [‘version 2’]
(7) Do not commit Adultery; (6) Do not Murder; (8) Do not Steal; (9) Do not bear False Witness; (5) Honor your Father and your Mother.
Leviticus 19: 1-18 {abbr.}
(5) Every one of you will revere his Mother and Father [‘order reversed’], and (4) keep My Sabbaths. (v. 3)
(1) Do not turn to Idols nor (2) make for yourself molten idols. (v. 4)
(8) You shall not steal, nor (9) deal falsely, nor lie to one another. (v. 11)
(3) You shall not swear by My Name, nor shall you profane the name of the Lord your God. (v. 12)
You shall not cheat [Cp. Mark 10: 19; ‘Defraud’] your neighbor nor (8) rob him. (v.13)
. . . nor shall you (6) take a stand against the life of your neighbor. (v. 16b)
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself (v. 18) {Cp. Matthew 19: 19}.
NOTE: Only Commandments (7) You shall not commit Adultery and (10) You shall not Covet anything belonging to your neighbor are missing from the original ten statutes which were given to Moses on fiery Mount Sinai as recorded in Exodus 20.
Deuteronomy 5: 6-22 {abbr.}
(1) You shall have no other gods before Me. (v. 7)
(2) You shall not make for yourself a Graven image. (v. 8)
(3) You shall not take the Lord’s Name in vain. (v. 11a)
(4) Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v. 12a)
(5) Honor your Father and your Mother (v. 16)
(6) You shall not Murder. (v. 17)
(7) You shall not commit Adultery. (v. 18)
(8) You shall not Steal. (v. 19)
(9) You shall not beat False Witness against your neighbor (v. 20)
(10) You shall not Covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. (v. 21)
And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (vs. 15)
NOTE: This is different from the explanation given in Exodus 20:8-11, which was based on God resting from the six days of ‘creation.’
To sum it all up then, Matthew, Mark, and Luke ver. 2 omit “Commandments” 1, 2, 3,
4, and 10. Matthew and Mark quote Leviticus 19 but use different verses. Luke version 1 and Matthew both use Leviticus 19: 18, but only Luke version 1 adds the additional reference in Deuteronomy 6: 5. Luke version 1 is actually the most profound and significant which encapsulates the very spiritual core of the true meaning, requirements and totality of the Law of God; which is attested by Jesus in
Matthew 22: 36-40 [esp. v. 41]: “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 28, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Prosperity Gospel Leaves Christians Spiritually Shortchanged
One of the early expositors of what is commonly referred to as the ‘Prosperity Gospel/Prosperity Theology’ was Norman Vincent Peale, who in 1952 wrote, “The Power of Positive Thinking;” which sold 20 million copies worldwide. He blended a bit of psychoanalysis and Scripture, such as the statement by Jesus, “The kingdom of God is within you [‘in your midst’];” thus laying the groundwork for what is becoming increasing popular today in Evangelical Christian circles. Even that work might have received inspiration from an earlier book by Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich,” which was published in 1937. Later in Christian circles believers were introduced to “prayer cloths” and anointing with “Holy [‘olive’??] Oil” to receive divine blessings for material things (cars, house, money, jobs, etc.); be that as it may, what does the Bible really say about this subject?
Proverbs 13: 7
There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
Matthew 25: 14-30 “Parable of the Talents”
COMMENTARY: This particular story is not a literal interpretation of investment strategies because Jesus states in v. 14a: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling into a far country.” If it were used in the contemporary sense for the purpose of financial counseling, then the servant with the one talent perhaps should be commended instead of condemned. For one thing, he had much less money to work with and therefore was prudently more careful with losing the Master’s money and more content to keep his money on the sidelines and wait until market conditions stabilize where the timing was more favorable to invest in the stock market or purchase Corporate/Treasury Bonds, T-Bills, Treasury Notes, Commercial Paper, or a Bank CD.
The other two servants had more money to work with and perhaps they were more risk takers, deciding to roll the dice and take their chances; which fortunately for them, it paid off on this occasion. Any significant incremental movements in the market on the downside could wipe out a small amount of money such as with having only ‘one’ talent, percentage-wise. The thing that sealed the fate [v. 30; ‘cast into outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth’] of the servant with this single talent was not so much that he ‘hid his talent,’ but rather how he tried to justify his course of action by upbraiding his Master and in some way attempt to blame him for his failure. What the Lord Jesus Christ used the illustration for was to teach the disciples about the importance of ‘bearing fruit’ and the dire consequences for not doing so.
The modern Evangelical “SUPER-SALESMEN/WOMEN FOR JESUS” who borrow heavily from some of the highly successful motivational speaker techniques used in Direct Selling Association (DSA) and Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) seminars to win over an ever-increasing multitude of ‘true believers’ to this “New Gospel,” and in many ways, it is like ‘the blind leading the blind.’ Some of these gurus will make available their ‘plan for material success/prosperity’ in a taped series on lectures on audio cassette tape/CD, or on a pre-recorded DVD live in front of an audience within the backdrop of an elaborate stage setting, sanctuary, outdoor arena or auditorium, or, as an author with a book published as a bestseller on the New York Times Top 20.
Jesus says in Matthew 6: 31: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”
I Timothy 6: 9-10
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money [not necessarily ‘riches/wealth’ per se] is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the ‘Faith’ in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows [‘regrets’].
Matthew 16: 26a
For what profit is it to a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Hebrews 13: 5a
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.
I Timothy 6: 6-8
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; and having food and clothing
[‘shelter’/other basic ‘necessities’??], with these we shall be content.
Psalms 37: 25
I have been young and now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his [‘their’] seed begging for bread.
So, when one of these preachers expound so eloquently upon how great and awesome our God is and that He is rich and does things in a very big way, get ready for the 'punch line.' They will also tell you about how one is robbing God in the matter of tithes and offerings and about bringing all the tithes into God's storehouse. Just a reminder: You might come to find out that the money collection and contribution of the saints might be filling up their storehouses, not God's.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Proverbs 13: 7
There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
Matthew 25: 14-30 “Parable of the Talents”
COMMENTARY: This particular story is not a literal interpretation of investment strategies because Jesus states in v. 14a: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling into a far country.” If it were used in the contemporary sense for the purpose of financial counseling, then the servant with the one talent perhaps should be commended instead of condemned. For one thing, he had much less money to work with and therefore was prudently more careful with losing the Master’s money and more content to keep his money on the sidelines and wait until market conditions stabilize where the timing was more favorable to invest in the stock market or purchase Corporate/Treasury Bonds, T-Bills, Treasury Notes, Commercial Paper, or a Bank CD.
The other two servants had more money to work with and perhaps they were more risk takers, deciding to roll the dice and take their chances; which fortunately for them, it paid off on this occasion. Any significant incremental movements in the market on the downside could wipe out a small amount of money such as with having only ‘one’ talent, percentage-wise. The thing that sealed the fate [v. 30; ‘cast into outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth’] of the servant with this single talent was not so much that he ‘hid his talent,’ but rather how he tried to justify his course of action by upbraiding his Master and in some way attempt to blame him for his failure. What the Lord Jesus Christ used the illustration for was to teach the disciples about the importance of ‘bearing fruit’ and the dire consequences for not doing so.
The modern Evangelical “SUPER-SALESMEN/WOMEN FOR JESUS” who borrow heavily from some of the highly successful motivational speaker techniques used in Direct Selling Association (DSA) and Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) seminars to win over an ever-increasing multitude of ‘true believers’ to this “New Gospel,” and in many ways, it is like ‘the blind leading the blind.’ Some of these gurus will make available their ‘plan for material success/prosperity’ in a taped series on lectures on audio cassette tape/CD, or on a pre-recorded DVD live in front of an audience within the backdrop of an elaborate stage setting, sanctuary, outdoor arena or auditorium, or, as an author with a book published as a bestseller on the New York Times Top 20.
Jesus says in Matthew 6: 31: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”
I Timothy 6: 9-10
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money [not necessarily ‘riches/wealth’ per se] is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the ‘Faith’ in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows [‘regrets’].
Matthew 16: 26a
For what profit is it to a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Hebrews 13: 5a
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.
I Timothy 6: 6-8
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; and having food and clothing
[‘shelter’/other basic ‘necessities’??], with these we shall be content.
Psalms 37: 25
I have been young and now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his [‘their’] seed begging for bread.
So, when one of these preachers expound so eloquently upon how great and awesome our God is and that He is rich and does things in a very big way, get ready for the 'punch line.' They will also tell you about how one is robbing God in the matter of tithes and offerings and about bringing all the tithes into God's storehouse. Just a reminder: You might come to find out that the money collection and contribution of the saints might be filling up their storehouses, not God's.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 27, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Seven Churches of Asia Minor in the Book of Revelation
If there was ever a book in the entire Christian Bible which has been the most complex, symbolically confusing, disturbing, and interpretatively challenging, this last written communication from Heaven is number one. A good starting place to begin this journey is to identify the author. Church tradition has it on the word of none other than Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons that the Apostle John is the one who received this inspired vision. There are of course, a couple of problems with this endorsement from the highly respected Ecclesiastical authority; firstly, there is no proof to this assertion and secondly, there is no evidence that ‘John’ ever ventured outside the environs of Judea or Samaria, and even when he did, he was never alone (Cp. Acts 3: 1; 4: 13; 8: 1b, 14; 12: 17b, 19b). And perhaps more importantly, this particular John is not an apostle.
Revelation 1: 9a, 22: 6, 9
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation, kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. . . Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must take place shortly.” Then he said to me, “I am your fellow servant, and of your brother the prophets.”
Now let’s take a closer look at the Seven Churches of Asia Minor to see what a ‘revelation’ it is to those of the Christian Faith [‘Gentiles’].
The Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2: 1-7)
Ephesus was a Greek city located on the west coast of Anatolia, Turkey. The Apostle Paul entered a Jewish synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews (Cp. Acts 18: 9). Apollos came there and taught in the synagogue but Aquila and Priscilla took him aside to explain the word of God more perfectly to him. (Cp. Acts 18: 24-26). Paul came back to Ephesus and reasoned and persuaded in the synagogue for three months the things concerning the kingdom of God. He later withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus; which he continued for a period of two years (Cp. Acts 19: 1b, 8-10).
Characteristics:
(1) Seven golden lamp stands (Cp. Exodus 25: 31:Zechariah 4: 2b; Hebrews 9: 1-2).
(2) Tested those who say they are Apostles and are not.
(3) The deeds of the ‘Nicolaitans.’
(4) The Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise [‘Persian’ word for “garden”] of God (Cp. Genesis 2: 8a, 9b).
The Church at Smyrna (Revelation 2: 8-11)
This was the ancient city of ‘Izmir’ on the Aegean seacoast of Anatolia, Turkey.
Characteristics:
(5) The blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but the synagogue of Satan.
(6) The First and the Last (Cp. Isaiah 44: 6b; 48: 12b), who was dead and came to life.
The Church in Pergamos (Revelation 2: 12-17)
This was an ancient Greek city in ‘Mysia’ [NW Anatolia, Turkey] near the Aegean Sea.
Characteristics:
(7) I know where Satan’s throne is.
(8) Antipas My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
(9) The doctrine of Balaam (Cp. Numbers 25: 1-2; 31: 16), (10) eat things sacrificed to idols, (11) sexual immorality.
(3) The doctrine of the ‘Nicolaitans.’
(12) The hidden manna to eat, (13) a white stone with a new name written on it
(Cp. Isaiah 62: 2b).
The Church in Thyatira (Revelation 2: 18-29)
This is the modern Turkish city of ‘Akhisar’ on the border between ‘Lydia & Mysia’ [NW Anatolia, Turkey].
Characteristics:
(14) The Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass
(Cp. 1: 13a, 14b-15a; Daniel 10: 6).
The woman (9a) Jezebel who seduce My servants [‘prophets’??] to (10a) commit sexual immorality and (11a) eat things sacrificed to idols.
(15) I will give power over the nations.
(16) I will give him the Morning Star (Cp. 22: 16b).
The Church in Sardis (Revelation 3: 1-6)
It was located in the Manisa province of Turkey, and capitol of the ancient city of ‘Lydia’ [east of ‘Ionia’ and inland ‘Izmir’]. The population spoke an ‘Anatolian’ language known as “Lydian.”
Characteristics:
(17) I will come as a thief in the night (Cp. Matthew 24: 43-44).
(18) He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments (Cp. Ecclesiastes 9: 8a??).
(19) I will not blot out his name from the Book of life (Cp. Exodus 32: 32).
(20) I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels
(Cp. Matthew 10: 32; Mark 8: 38??).
The Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13)
This was a town and district of Manisa province in the Aegean region of Turkey.
Characteristics:
(21) He who has the key of David.
(22) He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens
(Cp. Isaiah 22: 22b).
(5a) Those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not.
(23) I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God.
(24) The name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from My God.
I will write on him My new name (Cp. 19: 12).
The Church of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3: 14-22)
This was an ancient metropolis built on the river Lyons in Anatolia, near the modern village of ‘Eskihisar,’ Denizli province, Turkey.
Characteristics:
(25) These things say the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God (Cp. Colossians 1: 15).
(26) I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Cp. Matthew 19: 28; 25: 31).
According to ‘Wikipedia’ all of these Churches of Asia Minor are near the vicinity of ‘Anatolia’ in modern-day Turkey, and coincidentally the Apostle Paul’s birthplace in Tarsus [‘Cilicia’] is south of the Anatolian peninsula. This is even more intriguing from a later secular historical perspective because of the genocide of one million Armenian Jews living in Anatolia by the Turks in the year 1915. So is it possible that one of the most influential contributors to Christianity as it is known and practiced throughout the world may have been one of the ancestors of the “Armenian Jews”?
Another point needs to be made, and that is, not only is the imagery and symbolism of the seven churches almost entirely Jewish in content, theme, as well as in other literary expressions, and it should not be co-opted just to fit neatly into eschatological Christian theological interpretations. When John says he was in the Spirit on the ‘Lord’s Day’ (Cp. 1: 1), it is not so obvious that he has in mind the First Day of the week; which is celebrated by Christians as the day when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead (Cp. Matthew 28: 1a; Mark 16: 1-2a; Luke 23: 56b;
John 20: 1) and as a day of worship (Cp. Acts 20: 7??; I Corinthians 16: 1-2).
If, the audience to whom John penned his message were perhaps “Messianic Jews” [Jews who believe in Jesus as the ‘Messiah’], who although are Greek in language and custom, nevertheless they were still religiously devout and faithful to Jewish traditions and aspirations; then identifying to the words, “The Lord’s Day,” would seem to have the meaning as spoken by the Lord Jesus:
Matthew 12: 8
For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath [‘Day’].
Mark 2: 28
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath [‘Day’].
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 18, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Revelation 1: 9a, 22: 6, 9
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation, kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. . . Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must take place shortly.” Then he said to me, “I am your fellow servant, and of your brother the prophets.”
Now let’s take a closer look at the Seven Churches of Asia Minor to see what a ‘revelation’ it is to those of the Christian Faith [‘Gentiles’].
The Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2: 1-7)
Ephesus was a Greek city located on the west coast of Anatolia, Turkey. The Apostle Paul entered a Jewish synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews (Cp. Acts 18: 9). Apollos came there and taught in the synagogue but Aquila and Priscilla took him aside to explain the word of God more perfectly to him. (Cp. Acts 18: 24-26). Paul came back to Ephesus and reasoned and persuaded in the synagogue for three months the things concerning the kingdom of God. He later withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus; which he continued for a period of two years (Cp. Acts 19: 1b, 8-10).
Characteristics:
(1) Seven golden lamp stands (Cp. Exodus 25: 31:Zechariah 4: 2b; Hebrews 9: 1-2).
(2) Tested those who say they are Apostles and are not.
(3) The deeds of the ‘Nicolaitans.’
(4) The Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise [‘Persian’ word for “garden”] of God (Cp. Genesis 2: 8a, 9b).
The Church at Smyrna (Revelation 2: 8-11)
This was the ancient city of ‘Izmir’ on the Aegean seacoast of Anatolia, Turkey.
Characteristics:
(5) The blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but the synagogue of Satan.
(6) The First and the Last (Cp. Isaiah 44: 6b; 48: 12b), who was dead and came to life.
The Church in Pergamos (Revelation 2: 12-17)
This was an ancient Greek city in ‘Mysia’ [NW Anatolia, Turkey] near the Aegean Sea.
Characteristics:
(7) I know where Satan’s throne is.
(8) Antipas My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
(9) The doctrine of Balaam (Cp. Numbers 25: 1-2; 31: 16), (10) eat things sacrificed to idols, (11) sexual immorality.
(3) The doctrine of the ‘Nicolaitans.’
(12) The hidden manna to eat, (13) a white stone with a new name written on it
(Cp. Isaiah 62: 2b).
The Church in Thyatira (Revelation 2: 18-29)
This is the modern Turkish city of ‘Akhisar’ on the border between ‘Lydia & Mysia’ [NW Anatolia, Turkey].
Characteristics:
(14) The Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass
(Cp. 1: 13a, 14b-15a; Daniel 10: 6).
The woman (9a) Jezebel who seduce My servants [‘prophets’??] to (10a) commit sexual immorality and (11a) eat things sacrificed to idols.
(15) I will give power over the nations.
(16) I will give him the Morning Star (Cp. 22: 16b).
The Church in Sardis (Revelation 3: 1-6)
It was located in the Manisa province of Turkey, and capitol of the ancient city of ‘Lydia’ [east of ‘Ionia’ and inland ‘Izmir’]. The population spoke an ‘Anatolian’ language known as “Lydian.”
Characteristics:
(17) I will come as a thief in the night (Cp. Matthew 24: 43-44).
(18) He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments (Cp. Ecclesiastes 9: 8a??).
(19) I will not blot out his name from the Book of life (Cp. Exodus 32: 32).
(20) I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels
(Cp. Matthew 10: 32; Mark 8: 38??).
The Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3: 7-13)
This was a town and district of Manisa province in the Aegean region of Turkey.
Characteristics:
(21) He who has the key of David.
(22) He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens
(Cp. Isaiah 22: 22b).
(5a) Those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not.
(23) I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God.
(24) The name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from My God.
I will write on him My new name (Cp. 19: 12).
The Church of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3: 14-22)
This was an ancient metropolis built on the river Lyons in Anatolia, near the modern village of ‘Eskihisar,’ Denizli province, Turkey.
Characteristics:
(25) These things say the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God (Cp. Colossians 1: 15).
(26) I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Cp. Matthew 19: 28; 25: 31).
According to ‘Wikipedia’ all of these Churches of Asia Minor are near the vicinity of ‘Anatolia’ in modern-day Turkey, and coincidentally the Apostle Paul’s birthplace in Tarsus [‘Cilicia’] is south of the Anatolian peninsula. This is even more intriguing from a later secular historical perspective because of the genocide of one million Armenian Jews living in Anatolia by the Turks in the year 1915. So is it possible that one of the most influential contributors to Christianity as it is known and practiced throughout the world may have been one of the ancestors of the “Armenian Jews”?
Another point needs to be made, and that is, not only is the imagery and symbolism of the seven churches almost entirely Jewish in content, theme, as well as in other literary expressions, and it should not be co-opted just to fit neatly into eschatological Christian theological interpretations. When John says he was in the Spirit on the ‘Lord’s Day’ (Cp. 1: 1), it is not so obvious that he has in mind the First Day of the week; which is celebrated by Christians as the day when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead (Cp. Matthew 28: 1a; Mark 16: 1-2a; Luke 23: 56b;
John 20: 1) and as a day of worship (Cp. Acts 20: 7??; I Corinthians 16: 1-2).
If, the audience to whom John penned his message were perhaps “Messianic Jews” [Jews who believe in Jesus as the ‘Messiah’], who although are Greek in language and custom, nevertheless they were still religiously devout and faithful to Jewish traditions and aspirations; then identifying to the words, “The Lord’s Day,” would seem to have the meaning as spoken by the Lord Jesus:
Matthew 12: 8
For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath [‘Day’].
Mark 2: 28
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath [‘Day’].
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 18, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
What Day was Jesus Crucified On?
Sunday, April 14, commemorates the most revered of all holy days in Christendom, namely, observing the ‘Easter’ celebration or Pascha. "Good Friday" culminates the final last days of the sacred week which reached its zenith with worship services and all the liturgical elements which accompany the solemnity of the occasion. While it is almost universally accepted that Friday was the day in which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified at Golgotha Hill on Mount Calvary, yet, is that really the day on which this sacred event happened?
Matthew 27: 57a, 59-60
Now, when evening [of the ‘Preparation Day before the Sabbath] had come. . . Joseph [of ‘Arimathea’] took the body of Jesus and laid it in his new tomb.
62-65
On the next day which follows the ‘Preparation Day’ [the Sabbath], the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead;’ So that the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”
28: 1
Now after the Sabbath, as the ‘First’ day of the week began to dawn.
Mark 15: 42-45
Now, when evening had come, because, it was the ‘Preparation Day,’ that is, the day before the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate granted the body to Joseph, who wrapped His body in linen and laid Him in a tomb which he had hewn out of the rock.
16: 1-2
Now, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him; very early in the morning, on the ‘First’ day of the week, they came to the tomb when [‘before’??] the sun had risen.
Luke 23: 50, 52-54
Now, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a good and just man. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. The he took it down, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the ‘Preparation Day’ (Cp. Mark 15: 42), and the Sabbath drew near.
24: 1
Now, on the ‘First’ day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bearing spices which they had prepared.
John 19: 31, 40, 42
Therefore, because it was the ‘Preparation Day,’ (Cp. Mark 15: 42) that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the ‘Sabbath’ (for the ‘Sabbath’ was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then they[Cp. 19: 38-39; Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus] took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ ‘Preparation Day,’ for the tomb was nearby.
20: 1a
Now, on the ‘First’ day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark.
So, what ‘Day’ was it on that Jesus conquered the power of death and rose victorious from the grave? Well, using the ancient lunar chronology of ‘evening and morning’ as a ‘Day’ (Cp. Genesis 1: 5b) as well as Jesus’ own words in Matthew 12: 40: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be ‘three days and three nights’ in the heart of the earth.”
[CHART]
(1a) Thursday Dawn
(1b) Thursday Dusk ‘Preparation Day’(START)
“Jesus Crucified”
(2a) Friday Dawn
(2b) Friday Dusk ‘Preparation Day’ (END)
‘Sabbath Day’(START)
(3a) Saturday Dawn
(3b) Saturday Dusk ‘Sabbath Day’(END)
‘First Day’ of the week(START)
*Jesus resurrected sometime between late Saturday night [most likely,
after ‘midnight’] and early Sunday morning before dawn.*
(4a) Sunday Dawn
(4a) Sunday Dusk ‘First Day’ of the week (END)
So, it would seem from this illustration that "Holy Friday" may indeed be Holy Thursday; coincidentally, the very day of the week that is named in honor of ‘Thor,’ son of the Viking deity and Father of the Norse gods, ‘Odin.’ It was ordained in the Old Testament Scriptures through the prophesy of King David that God would not allow His Holy One to see corruption [‘decay’], and so, on the ‘Third Day,’ He arose!
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 15, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Matthew 27: 57a, 59-60
Now, when evening [of the ‘Preparation Day before the Sabbath] had come. . . Joseph [of ‘Arimathea’] took the body of Jesus and laid it in his new tomb.
62-65
On the next day which follows the ‘Preparation Day’ [the Sabbath], the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead;’ So that the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”
28: 1
Now after the Sabbath, as the ‘First’ day of the week began to dawn.
Mark 15: 42-45
Now, when evening had come, because, it was the ‘Preparation Day,’ that is, the day before the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate granted the body to Joseph, who wrapped His body in linen and laid Him in a tomb which he had hewn out of the rock.
16: 1-2
Now, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him; very early in the morning, on the ‘First’ day of the week, they came to the tomb when [‘before’??] the sun had risen.
Luke 23: 50, 52-54
Now, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a good and just man. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. The he took it down, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the ‘Preparation Day’ (Cp. Mark 15: 42), and the Sabbath drew near.
24: 1
Now, on the ‘First’ day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bearing spices which they had prepared.
John 19: 31, 40, 42
Therefore, because it was the ‘Preparation Day,’ (Cp. Mark 15: 42) that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the ‘Sabbath’ (for the ‘Sabbath’ was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then they[Cp. 19: 38-39; Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus] took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ ‘Preparation Day,’ for the tomb was nearby.
20: 1a
Now, on the ‘First’ day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark.
So, what ‘Day’ was it on that Jesus conquered the power of death and rose victorious from the grave? Well, using the ancient lunar chronology of ‘evening and morning’ as a ‘Day’ (Cp. Genesis 1: 5b) as well as Jesus’ own words in Matthew 12: 40: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be ‘three days and three nights’ in the heart of the earth.”
[CHART]
(1a) Thursday Dawn
(1b) Thursday Dusk ‘Preparation Day’(START)
“Jesus Crucified”
(2a) Friday Dawn
(2b) Friday Dusk ‘Preparation Day’ (END)
‘Sabbath Day’(START)
(3a) Saturday Dawn
(3b) Saturday Dusk ‘Sabbath Day’(END)
‘First Day’ of the week(START)
*Jesus resurrected sometime between late Saturday night [most likely,
after ‘midnight’] and early Sunday morning before dawn.*
(4a) Sunday Dawn
(4a) Sunday Dusk ‘First Day’ of the week (END)
So, it would seem from this illustration that "Holy Friday" may indeed be Holy Thursday; coincidentally, the very day of the week that is named in honor of ‘Thor,’ son of the Viking deity and Father of the Norse gods, ‘Odin.’ It was ordained in the Old Testament Scriptures through the prophesy of King David that God would not allow His Holy One to see corruption [‘decay’], and so, on the ‘Third Day,’ He arose!
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 15, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The First Sermon that Jesus preached
In the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, only two include in this study the material comprising the first sermon that Jesus taught in a public way to the masses. One could say that outside of teaching here and there at the various synagogues in and around the region of Galilee and the few occasions at the Temple in Jerusalem, this is His first big outdoor ‘Tent Meeting,’ but only underneath the dome of the sky and not a tarpaulin.
According to Matthew 5: 1-2; 8: 1, this event took place on the ‘Mountaintop’ whereas Luke 6: 17, 20; 7: 1 says it was ‘on a level plain.’ Consider the fact that unlike modern times where one can read all the narrative sources in a single collection, the earliest followers and disciples may have had access to only a single source; whether orally or written down on a scroll. One’s behavior is determined by what you believe and any subsequent actions are greatly influenced by what a person is taught and the level of sacredness or specialness attributed to that source. If someone only had Matthew’s account of what Jesus taught, how would their faith practices, or more importantly, their theology and mentality, psychology, as well as social interactions mesh or conflict with those who only knew Luke’s?
“The Beatitudes”
Matthew 5: 3-12
(1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (2) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (3) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (6) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (7) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. (8) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. (9) Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely (9a) for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
NOTE: Notice the use of ‘they’ and ‘you’ during Jesus’ discourse.
Luke 6: 20-23
(1) Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (4) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. (2) Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. (9) Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, (9a) for the Son of Man’s sake; Rejoice in that day and be leap for joy! For indeed; your reward is great in heaven for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
NOTE: Luke’s version omits #’s 3-5 of Matthew’s account and the order is not sequential; but it does use ‘you/your’ exclusively.
“The Law of Love Your Enemies”
Matthew 5: 43-48
You have heard that it has been said; You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies. But I say to you, (1) love your enemies and bless those who curse you; (2) do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. (3) For if you love those who love you, what rewards have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (4) And if you greet your brethren [‘friends’] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors [‘Gentiles’??] do so? (5) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Luke 6: 27-35
But I say to you who hear: (1) Love your enemies; (2) do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. [To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him, who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him, who takes away your goods, do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise]. (3) But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. (4) And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. [And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive back as much.] (1) But love your enemies, do good and lend (??), hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For, He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. (5) Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is also merciful (??).
NOTE: There are several points here which are radically different from Matthew’s narrative, namely: ‘turning the other cheek’ {‘passive resistance’}, ‘giving away or allowing your goods to be plundered,’ and ‘lending without expectation of repayment’ or even to hold some sort of asset in the form of collateral/equity as security against the borrower.’ Also, instead of using ‘tax collector’ Luke uses ‘sinners,’ repeats #’s 1&2, and uses phrases in [ ]’s that are not in Matthew at all. Lastly, Matthew ends with being ‘perfect’ as your Father in heaven is perfect and Luke says, being ‘merciful’ as your Father is merciful.
“The Law of Do Not Judge”
Matthew 7: 1-6
(1)Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For what judgment you judge, you will be judged; (3) and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (4) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank (‘beam’) in your own eye? (5) Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” You hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. [(6) Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine {‘wild hogs/boars’??}, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces].
NOTE: The phrase of the last verse in the [ ] does not seem to reflect the theme of this section.
Luke 6: 37-38
(1) Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [Give; and it will be given you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.] (2) For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
NOTE: Notwithstanding the comments on Matthew’s narrative, Luke is consistent with #’s 1&2, and although not part of the original (??) of Matthew, ‘condemning’ and ‘forgiving’ is consistent with the essence of Jesus’ teaching on this point. There is again, the part contained in the [ ] that just doesn’t seem to fit comfortably at this placing.
“A Tree is known by Its Fruit”
Matthew 7: 16-19
(1) You will know them by their fruits. (2) Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? (3) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (4) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them. NOTE: In this account, there is no pruning, replanting in different soil, or a determination made to see if the tree is taking up an adequate supply of nutrients (sunlight, water, nitrogen, etc.) and if ‘photosynthesis’ is taking place; It is just the end results that matter, not the process.
Luke 6: 43-45
(3) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit; nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
(1) For every tree is known by its own fruit. (2) For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. [ A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks].
NOTE: The order is a little mixed up in Luke in comparison to Matthew and #4 is not included. Item #5 in Luke seems to be an expanded version or a somewhat explanation for Matthew 7: 19. Again, the words enclosed with the [ ] seem to be a little out of place here, too.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
According to Matthew 5: 1-2; 8: 1, this event took place on the ‘Mountaintop’ whereas Luke 6: 17, 20; 7: 1 says it was ‘on a level plain.’ Consider the fact that unlike modern times where one can read all the narrative sources in a single collection, the earliest followers and disciples may have had access to only a single source; whether orally or written down on a scroll. One’s behavior is determined by what you believe and any subsequent actions are greatly influenced by what a person is taught and the level of sacredness or specialness attributed to that source. If someone only had Matthew’s account of what Jesus taught, how would their faith practices, or more importantly, their theology and mentality, psychology, as well as social interactions mesh or conflict with those who only knew Luke’s?
“The Beatitudes”
Matthew 5: 3-12
(1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (2) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (3) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (6) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (7) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. (8) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. (9) Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely (9a) for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
NOTE: Notice the use of ‘they’ and ‘you’ during Jesus’ discourse.
Luke 6: 20-23
(1) Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (4) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. (2) Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. (9) Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, (9a) for the Son of Man’s sake; Rejoice in that day and be leap for joy! For indeed; your reward is great in heaven for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
NOTE: Luke’s version omits #’s 3-5 of Matthew’s account and the order is not sequential; but it does use ‘you/your’ exclusively.
“The Law of Love Your Enemies”
Matthew 5: 43-48
You have heard that it has been said; You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies. But I say to you, (1) love your enemies and bless those who curse you; (2) do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. (3) For if you love those who love you, what rewards have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (4) And if you greet your brethren [‘friends’] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors [‘Gentiles’??] do so? (5) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Luke 6: 27-35
But I say to you who hear: (1) Love your enemies; (2) do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. [To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him, who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him, who takes away your goods, do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise]. (3) But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. (4) And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. [And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive back as much.] (1) But love your enemies, do good and lend (??), hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For, He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. (5) Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is also merciful (??).
NOTE: There are several points here which are radically different from Matthew’s narrative, namely: ‘turning the other cheek’ {‘passive resistance’}, ‘giving away or allowing your goods to be plundered,’ and ‘lending without expectation of repayment’ or even to hold some sort of asset in the form of collateral/equity as security against the borrower.’ Also, instead of using ‘tax collector’ Luke uses ‘sinners,’ repeats #’s 1&2, and uses phrases in [ ]’s that are not in Matthew at all. Lastly, Matthew ends with being ‘perfect’ as your Father in heaven is perfect and Luke says, being ‘merciful’ as your Father is merciful.
“The Law of Do Not Judge”
Matthew 7: 1-6
(1)Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For what judgment you judge, you will be judged; (3) and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (4) And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank (‘beam’) in your own eye? (5) Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” You hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. [(6) Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine {‘wild hogs/boars’??}, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces].
NOTE: The phrase of the last verse in the [ ] does not seem to reflect the theme of this section.
Luke 6: 37-38
(1) Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [Give; and it will be given you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.] (2) For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
NOTE: Notwithstanding the comments on Matthew’s narrative, Luke is consistent with #’s 1&2, and although not part of the original (??) of Matthew, ‘condemning’ and ‘forgiving’ is consistent with the essence of Jesus’ teaching on this point. There is again, the part contained in the [ ] that just doesn’t seem to fit comfortably at this placing.
“A Tree is known by Its Fruit”
Matthew 7: 16-19
(1) You will know them by their fruits. (2) Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? (3) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (4) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them. NOTE: In this account, there is no pruning, replanting in different soil, or a determination made to see if the tree is taking up an adequate supply of nutrients (sunlight, water, nitrogen, etc.) and if ‘photosynthesis’ is taking place; It is just the end results that matter, not the process.
Luke 6: 43-45
(3) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit; nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
(1) For every tree is known by its own fruit. (2) For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. [ A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks].
NOTE: The order is a little mixed up in Luke in comparison to Matthew and #4 is not included. Item #5 in Luke seems to be an expanded version or a somewhat explanation for Matthew 7: 19. Again, the words enclosed with the [ ] seem to be a little out of place here, too.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, April 3, 2009
Is the Garden of Eden real and where was it Located?
According to ‘Wikipedia’ there are roughly thirty names of the most popular and well-known mythical lands. Some of these places evoke a sense of wonder, peaceful serenity, or even sacredness. Whether it is the spade of the archaeologist or the scribbled entries in the journal of seafarers, describing exotic and far away lands, it only arouses our curiosity and adds to the allure of these unsolvable mysteries. So, the question is whether the ‘Garden of Eden’ is a fabled place that was the invention of imaginative, superstitious, religiously-pious Jewish scribes who lived in Mesopotamia several millennia ago, who borrowed from the pagan religions of their fellow Semitic neighbors; refining and reworking the ‘Creation Lore’ to fit their own particular theology. The following references from The Old Testament Scriptures are offered for consideration.
Ezekiel 28: 13a
You were in Eden, the garden of God. (Cp. Genesis 13: 10b).
31: 3, 8-9, 16b
Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; and its top was among the deep boughs. The cedars in the garden of God [‘Eden’] could not hide it; No tree in the garden of God [‘Eden’] was like it in beauty. I made it with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. Then all the trees of ‘Eden,’ the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the trees were well-watered, were consoled in the earth below.
18a
To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth.
NOTE: Is the description of trees in the Garden of Eden used figuratively and as a ‘metaphor’ for the King of Assyria? It is recommended to read all of Ezekiel 28 & 31.
Isaiah 51: 3b
He will make her wilderness like ‘Eden,’ and her desert like the garden of the Lord.
Now, it is time to look at some geography or physical landscape of the region:
Genesis 2: 8a,
The Lord planted a garden, ‘eastward’ in Eden. NOTE: The direction would be from the standpoint of where Jerusalem [‘Judea’] is located.
10
Now a “river” went out of ‘Eden’ to water the garden, and from “there” it parted and became four riverheads.
NOTE: Using Biblical “cartography” [the ‘science of mapmaking’] and ‘Google Earth’ the “Persian Gulf” is the most likely source that fits the Biblical criteria. It must be kept in mind that due to the shifting of Teutonic plates and large land masses sinking or breaking away to form new Continents, it is possible that this region was once above ground. Not only is that, but the word ‘Eden’ in the Sumerian language is translated, “Plain.”
There might have at one time been an ancient, mighty river (??) proceeding from the Persian Gulf region that traversed the Plain into ‘Eden,’ branching off into the Tigris River through Eastern Assyria, the Euphrates River up through Iraq between Syria and Assyria; the other two rivers having dried up over time. This ancient river from the Persian Gulf enters ancient Iraq [‘Chaldea’] where it borders Iran [‘Elam/Persia’], and then it splits into the other rivers; that’s where the Garden of Eden was located from antiquity.
NOTE: The patriarch Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldeans (Cp. Genesis 11: 28, 31), which on a Biblical map of the period is directly west on the area where the ‘Garden of Eden’ might have been.
It is worth noting that in describing the course of the rivers in the book of GENESIS, the Euphrates River didn’t require an explanation because the people or audience to whom this scroll [‘book’] was written, already knew how and where it traversed the land. Also, the river ‘Gihon’ is mentioned as going around the whole land of “Cush” and in II Chronicles 32: 30, an “Upper Gihon” is mentioned; so it stands to reason that if there is an Upper one, there must have been a “Lower Gihon,” which might have continued flowing in its course during that time.
Some other interesting things about Eden:
Ezekiel 27: 23-24
Haran [‘Mesopotamia’], and Canneh, ‘Eden,’ Asshur and Chilmad all send their wares. In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
Amos 1: 5a
And the one who holds the scepter from Beth-Eden (‘House of Eden’??).
Isaiah 37: 12b
The people of Eden who were in ‘Telassar.’ NOTE: Is ‘Telassar’ the same as ‘Ellasar’ mentioned in Genesis 14: 1, 2, 9 during the battle of the Kings in the valley of ‘Siddim’ (The “Salt Sea”)?
Perhaps it will never be known as to the precise location of the Garden of Eden or whether it can be proven to have ever existed, but one thing is certain, that this place will forever hold a special place in the imagination and hearts of any person who wants to believe that it was ‘real;’ and in the end, this is all that matters.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Ezekiel 28: 13a
You were in Eden, the garden of God. (Cp. Genesis 13: 10b).
31: 3, 8-9, 16b
Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; and its top was among the deep boughs. The cedars in the garden of God [‘Eden’] could not hide it; No tree in the garden of God [‘Eden’] was like it in beauty. I made it with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. Then all the trees of ‘Eden,’ the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the trees were well-watered, were consoled in the earth below.
18a
To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth.
NOTE: Is the description of trees in the Garden of Eden used figuratively and as a ‘metaphor’ for the King of Assyria? It is recommended to read all of Ezekiel 28 & 31.
Isaiah 51: 3b
He will make her wilderness like ‘Eden,’ and her desert like the garden of the Lord.
Now, it is time to look at some geography or physical landscape of the region:
Genesis 2: 8a,
The Lord planted a garden, ‘eastward’ in Eden. NOTE: The direction would be from the standpoint of where Jerusalem [‘Judea’] is located.
10
Now a “river” went out of ‘Eden’ to water the garden, and from “there” it parted and became four riverheads.
NOTE: Using Biblical “cartography” [the ‘science of mapmaking’] and ‘Google Earth’ the “Persian Gulf” is the most likely source that fits the Biblical criteria. It must be kept in mind that due to the shifting of Teutonic plates and large land masses sinking or breaking away to form new Continents, it is possible that this region was once above ground. Not only is that, but the word ‘Eden’ in the Sumerian language is translated, “Plain.”
There might have at one time been an ancient, mighty river (??) proceeding from the Persian Gulf region that traversed the Plain into ‘Eden,’ branching off into the Tigris River through Eastern Assyria, the Euphrates River up through Iraq between Syria and Assyria; the other two rivers having dried up over time. This ancient river from the Persian Gulf enters ancient Iraq [‘Chaldea’] where it borders Iran [‘Elam/Persia’], and then it splits into the other rivers; that’s where the Garden of Eden was located from antiquity.
NOTE: The patriarch Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldeans (Cp. Genesis 11: 28, 31), which on a Biblical map of the period is directly west on the area where the ‘Garden of Eden’ might have been.
It is worth noting that in describing the course of the rivers in the book of GENESIS, the Euphrates River didn’t require an explanation because the people or audience to whom this scroll [‘book’] was written, already knew how and where it traversed the land. Also, the river ‘Gihon’ is mentioned as going around the whole land of “Cush” and in II Chronicles 32: 30, an “Upper Gihon” is mentioned; so it stands to reason that if there is an Upper one, there must have been a “Lower Gihon,” which might have continued flowing in its course during that time.
Some other interesting things about Eden:
Ezekiel 27: 23-24
Haran [‘Mesopotamia’], and Canneh, ‘Eden,’ Asshur and Chilmad all send their wares. In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
Amos 1: 5a
And the one who holds the scepter from Beth-Eden (‘House of Eden’??).
Isaiah 37: 12b
The people of Eden who were in ‘Telassar.’ NOTE: Is ‘Telassar’ the same as ‘Ellasar’ mentioned in Genesis 14: 1, 2, 9 during the battle of the Kings in the valley of ‘Siddim’ (The “Salt Sea”)?
Perhaps it will never be known as to the precise location of the Garden of Eden or whether it can be proven to have ever existed, but one thing is certain, that this place will forever hold a special place in the imagination and hearts of any person who wants to believe that it was ‘real;’ and in the end, this is all that matters.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The House of Judas
There is hardly a more infamous person in Holy Writ than Judas. He is even more notorious than ‘Jezebel,’ wife of King Ahab or the lovely and seductive ‘Delilah.’ The name, ‘Judas’ will be known throughout the annals of history and time as the ultimate act of ‘betrayal,’ selling out his Master and companions in the ministry for thirty pieces of silver. The bittersweet irony is that the expression of a ‘kiss,’ the usual sign of respect love, affection, and caring became the twisted act of the darkness of his heart in setting in motion a series of events, which ultimately brought Jesus to the Cross of Crucifixion. Nothing more is heard about Judas after Jesus was arrested and only in the book of MATTHEW is the fate which befell Judas finally revealed, but is that the whole story?
The following is of course conjecture, but let’s look at a brief alternative scenario. Because of what Judas did, it would certainly not be safe for him to remain within the environs of Galilee or Judea [‘Jerusalem’], so instead he leaves the region and settles in nearby Syria. Over the intervening years the followers of “Jesus the Nazarene” continue to grow and spread outside the area into neighboring countries, including Syria. There are Jewish communities throughout the land who are descendants of the original captives from the land of Israel who have been exiled there in Damascus, Syria (Cp. II Chronicles 28: 5a). The followers of the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ say that they are of “The Way” [‘Ha-Derekh’] and their faith practices come to the attention of a very zealous Jew who is also a Roman citizen, named ‘Saul.’
This person launches a one-man crusade almost to the level of an obsessive madness to stamp out this perceived menace to the purity of the Jewish traditions, Law of Moses, and the teachings of the elders and rabbis. This vigilante pronounces a ‘Jihad’ [‘Holy war’] on the new religion and essentially all those faithful believers are under a ‘fatwa’ [‘Death sentence’], where they will be caught, sent to prison in Jerusalem, and even killed/murdered. Saul received documentation [authorization]from the high priest in Jerusalem giving him the authority to carry out this edict, and on the way to Damascus [‘Syria’]; he had a life-changing experience where the Lord Jesus Christ was reveled to him in a burst of celestial radiance [light]. A now blinded Saul was led into the city by his companions [‘enforcers’] and came to lodge at ‘the house of Judas.’ There was a disciple there in Damascus by the name of Ananias whom the Lord told, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the “house of Judas” for one called Saul of Tarsus [in ‘Cilicia’], for behold he is praying.”(Cp. Acts 9: 11)
Now the million dollar question is, could this be the ‘One’ of the “Twelve” and son of perdition [‘destruction’], Judas Iscariot? Well, there are some interesting clues, nonetheless. Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon (Cp. John 6: 71a; 12: 4; 13: 26) is mentioned but which Simon is his father? MATTHEW and MARK refer to one of Jesus’ disciples as Simon the Canaanite, which doesn’t reveal much, but LUKE correctly identifies one of Jesus’ disciples as Simon the Zealot (6: 15). Also, it might not be apparent at first, but “Iscariot” is derivative of ‘sicari’/[‘Assassin’] and is a title, not a name as such . Remember that Jesus named James and John the sons of Zebedee, ‘Boanerges’ [“Sons of Thunder”], which was well deserved (Cp. Luke 9: 52-56). Jesus called Simon Peter, ‘Cephas’[“Rock”] in John 1: 42.
The Zealots and Sicarii vehemently opposed Roman rule in the region and waged war and instigated insurrection against their foreign overlords by either; brandishing swords in open combat or using small daggers to kill their victims by stealth. Now, putting all this together might result in the following: After this man [‘Theudas’], Judas of Galilee (??) rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered
(Cp. Acts 5: 37).
Judas was doubtless a native Galilean or at the very least, Judean; and it is doubtful that he or any of the disciples had any great love for the Romans. Matthew 11: 12 reads: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. To whom or what aspect of the kingdom is Jesus referring to? Is it possible that there were some among His followers who were seeking to usher in an ‘apocalyptic’ “end-of-days battle between the forces of Darkness and Light” [‘Good vs. Evil’] rather than bearing the olive branch or turning the other cheek?
In John 18: 10a it states: Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant. It is only in this account that the assailant is named whereas in the other versions the person is unknown or not revealed (??). In Peter’s defense, there doesn’t seem to be anything in his character as revealed in the Scriptures to indicate he would take this sort of action. James and John would be better candidates but Simon Peter is rather doubtful. One person who might be one of the sword-wielding disciples is of course, Simon the Zealot (John 6: 15; 18: 10-11; Matthew 26: 51-52; Mark 14: 47; Luke 22: 36-38). In this instance, the source used for the narrative in JOHN might have gotten it all wrong.
It seems that Simon Peter’s interest centered on fishing(Cp. 5: 1-11; John 21: 1-11; esp. 15, “Simon do you love Me more than these {‘fish’??}?”) and not on becoming a revolutionary or insurrectionist. MATTHEW is the only narrative to record Judas’ death by hanging for his act (Cp. Matthew 27: 3-10), and while he may have indeed hung himself, but it might not be for that reason. If he were indeed the leader of a revolt against Rome then taking his own life through hanging might have been the preferable way to die than endure the agony of crucifixion; which was the fate for criminals that Rome deemed a threat to her imperial power, which ‘Barabbas’ was sentenced to (Cp. Matthew 21: 16; Mark 15: 6-7; Luke 23: 18-19; John 18: 39-40).
It must be kept in mind that MATTHEW has a tendency to embellish or inflate some of his details with literary flourishes (Cp. Matthew 27: 51b-53; 28: 1-2). Lastly, whether the Judas in the Gospels is the same one in ACTS in purely hypothetical, but considering that these accounts were written at different times based upon the sources used, one should not necessarily dismiss it outright. Both could be right but it is just the placement in MATTHEW that seems to be a little odd and it would be interesting to read through the narrative without the passages being there. It just might be the editor’s way to explain a most important concern for believers in future generations and where he placed the explanation of Judas’ fate in the book was where he deemed it would fit best.
Adding this last point to the mystery of Judas Iscariot is the curiously revealing reference by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15: 5, where he states: And that He ['Jesus'] was seen of Cephas ['Simon Peter'], then of the "Twelve." Judas was always numbered among the Twelve Disciples, so if he killed himself during the immediate time period after Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection, there would only be eleven. Since the book of FIRST CORINTHIANS was dated around A.D. 50-55, earlier than any of the Gospels, then at least during this time Jesus appeared to the "Twelve" (including 'Judas'??) after His Resurrection and before His ascension back to heaven; and not just to eleven disciples as reported in the latter version contained within the Gospels.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 31, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The following is of course conjecture, but let’s look at a brief alternative scenario. Because of what Judas did, it would certainly not be safe for him to remain within the environs of Galilee or Judea [‘Jerusalem’], so instead he leaves the region and settles in nearby Syria. Over the intervening years the followers of “Jesus the Nazarene” continue to grow and spread outside the area into neighboring countries, including Syria. There are Jewish communities throughout the land who are descendants of the original captives from the land of Israel who have been exiled there in Damascus, Syria (Cp. II Chronicles 28: 5a). The followers of the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ say that they are of “The Way” [‘Ha-Derekh’] and their faith practices come to the attention of a very zealous Jew who is also a Roman citizen, named ‘Saul.’
This person launches a one-man crusade almost to the level of an obsessive madness to stamp out this perceived menace to the purity of the Jewish traditions, Law of Moses, and the teachings of the elders and rabbis. This vigilante pronounces a ‘Jihad’ [‘Holy war’] on the new religion and essentially all those faithful believers are under a ‘fatwa’ [‘Death sentence’], where they will be caught, sent to prison in Jerusalem, and even killed/murdered. Saul received documentation [authorization]from the high priest in Jerusalem giving him the authority to carry out this edict, and on the way to Damascus [‘Syria’]; he had a life-changing experience where the Lord Jesus Christ was reveled to him in a burst of celestial radiance [light]. A now blinded Saul was led into the city by his companions [‘enforcers’] and came to lodge at ‘the house of Judas.’ There was a disciple there in Damascus by the name of Ananias whom the Lord told, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the “house of Judas” for one called Saul of Tarsus [in ‘Cilicia’], for behold he is praying.”(Cp. Acts 9: 11)
Now the million dollar question is, could this be the ‘One’ of the “Twelve” and son of perdition [‘destruction’], Judas Iscariot? Well, there are some interesting clues, nonetheless. Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon (Cp. John 6: 71a; 12: 4; 13: 26) is mentioned but which Simon is his father? MATTHEW and MARK refer to one of Jesus’ disciples as Simon the Canaanite, which doesn’t reveal much, but LUKE correctly identifies one of Jesus’ disciples as Simon the Zealot (6: 15). Also, it might not be apparent at first, but “Iscariot” is derivative of ‘sicari’/[‘Assassin’] and is a title, not a name as such . Remember that Jesus named James and John the sons of Zebedee, ‘Boanerges’ [“Sons of Thunder”], which was well deserved (Cp. Luke 9: 52-56). Jesus called Simon Peter, ‘Cephas’[“Rock”] in John 1: 42.
The Zealots and Sicarii vehemently opposed Roman rule in the region and waged war and instigated insurrection against their foreign overlords by either; brandishing swords in open combat or using small daggers to kill their victims by stealth. Now, putting all this together might result in the following: After this man [‘Theudas’], Judas of Galilee (??) rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered
(Cp. Acts 5: 37).
Judas was doubtless a native Galilean or at the very least, Judean; and it is doubtful that he or any of the disciples had any great love for the Romans. Matthew 11: 12 reads: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. To whom or what aspect of the kingdom is Jesus referring to? Is it possible that there were some among His followers who were seeking to usher in an ‘apocalyptic’ “end-of-days battle between the forces of Darkness and Light” [‘Good vs. Evil’] rather than bearing the olive branch or turning the other cheek?
In John 18: 10a it states: Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant. It is only in this account that the assailant is named whereas in the other versions the person is unknown or not revealed (??). In Peter’s defense, there doesn’t seem to be anything in his character as revealed in the Scriptures to indicate he would take this sort of action. James and John would be better candidates but Simon Peter is rather doubtful. One person who might be one of the sword-wielding disciples is of course, Simon the Zealot (John 6: 15; 18: 10-11; Matthew 26: 51-52; Mark 14: 47; Luke 22: 36-38). In this instance, the source used for the narrative in JOHN might have gotten it all wrong.
It seems that Simon Peter’s interest centered on fishing(Cp. 5: 1-11; John 21: 1-11; esp. 15, “Simon do you love Me more than these {‘fish’??}?”) and not on becoming a revolutionary or insurrectionist. MATTHEW is the only narrative to record Judas’ death by hanging for his act (Cp. Matthew 27: 3-10), and while he may have indeed hung himself, but it might not be for that reason. If he were indeed the leader of a revolt against Rome then taking his own life through hanging might have been the preferable way to die than endure the agony of crucifixion; which was the fate for criminals that Rome deemed a threat to her imperial power, which ‘Barabbas’ was sentenced to (Cp. Matthew 21: 16; Mark 15: 6-7; Luke 23: 18-19; John 18: 39-40).
It must be kept in mind that MATTHEW has a tendency to embellish or inflate some of his details with literary flourishes (Cp. Matthew 27: 51b-53; 28: 1-2). Lastly, whether the Judas in the Gospels is the same one in ACTS in purely hypothetical, but considering that these accounts were written at different times based upon the sources used, one should not necessarily dismiss it outright. Both could be right but it is just the placement in MATTHEW that seems to be a little odd and it would be interesting to read through the narrative without the passages being there. It just might be the editor’s way to explain a most important concern for believers in future generations and where he placed the explanation of Judas’ fate in the book was where he deemed it would fit best.
Adding this last point to the mystery of Judas Iscariot is the curiously revealing reference by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 15: 5, where he states: And that He ['Jesus'] was seen of Cephas ['Simon Peter'], then of the "Twelve." Judas was always numbered among the Twelve Disciples, so if he killed himself during the immediate time period after Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection, there would only be eleven. Since the book of FIRST CORINTHIANS was dated around A.D. 50-55, earlier than any of the Gospels, then at least during this time Jesus appeared to the "Twelve" (including 'Judas'??) after His Resurrection and before His ascension back to heaven; and not just to eleven disciples as reported in the latter version contained within the Gospels.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 31, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Book of JOHN: A Radically Different GOSPEL
One of the things that stand out in the Gospel of JOHN is the silence on “Hell” [‘gehenna’] or unquenchable/eternal fire, of which Matthew is abundant with, and all the other writers refer to it at least twice. There are almost no Parables, very few miracles/healings as compared to the other narratives, and scant mention about the Kingdom of God/Heaven or Son of Man. In quite a few instances the setting is in the region of Judea instead of Galilee. The Samaritans are to be avoided
(Cp. Matthew 10: 5-6, 21-28 [esp. 24]; Mark 7: 20), but in this book the hated ‘Samaritans’ are the very first ones to accept Jesus as the Christ [‘Messiah’] in the fourth chapter.
In the “Synoptic Gospels” (MATTHEW-MARK-LUKE), Peter, James & John the sons of Zebedee form the nucleus of Jesus’ inner circle among the ‘Twelve,’ but in JOHN’s version there doesn’t appear to be any central person, group or trio among His disciples. Another observation is the frequent reference to ‘the Jews;’ either as a social/religious class or race, which includes their religious observances such as the Feast days. Outside of the book of ACTS which mentions the word, ‘Jew,’ a total of 66 times; of which 36 is in a negative context (54.5%). JOHN uses the word 57 times; 23 out of that total is also negative (40%). He uses the term, “for fear of the Jews” 4 times (Cp. 7: 13; 9: 22; 19: 38; 20: 19). The last reference is most intriguing for two reasons, namely: 1) The is no reason suggested to explain why the disciples are hiding behind shut doors in fear of the Jews after Jesus Crucifixion/Resurrection, and, 2) None of the other gospel writers mention this state of mind by Jesus’ disciples.
The following is a list of Significant Omissions:
The Temptation in the Wilderness (Cp. Matthew 1: 4-11; Mark 1: 12-13; Luke 4: 1-13)
John the Baptist taken into Custody (Cp. Matthew 4: 12-27; Luke 3: 20)
John the Baptist in Prison (Cp. Matthew 11: 1-5; Luke 7: 18-22)
Jesus Choosing His Twelve Disciples/Apostles and their Names (Cp. Matthew 10: 1-8; Mark 6: 7-11; Luke 9: 1-6) NOTE: It is only near the end of JOHN that ‘Twelve,’ as in the number of Apostles/Disciples, is mentioned (20: 24).
Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
(Cp. Matthew 17: 1-9; Mark 9: 2-10; Luke 9: 28-36)
The Sign of the Times/ Destruction of the Temple/End of the Age
(Cp. Matthew 24: 1-31; Mark 13: 1-33; Luke 21: 5-36)
The Lord’s Supper (Cp. Matthew 26: 26-30; Mark 14: 22-26; Luke 22: 14-20)
NOTE: Instead, Jesus institutes the rite of ‘Foot washing.’ (13: 3-15)
JOHN does present several major themes such as: Believe (66 times); Jesus as the Son of God (38 times); Everlasting/ Eternal Life (22 times) in contrast to Condemnation (4 times); Water/wash/baptizing (20 times); Light/Darkness (13 times); The ‘Spirit’
(13 times); Glorifying God (13 times); and Jesus as the King of Israel/Messiah [‘Christ’](11 times). Even in 1: 1; it starts out like the book of GENESIS and not some list of Jewish genealogy and although MARK uses the introductory phrase, “The Gospel of the Son of God,” that theme is not expanded upon to its fullest extent; and even then it is only mentioned 7 times.
In JOHN, the author seems a firsthand witness because of the use of ‘the next day; again the next day; the following day; on the third day,’ etc. (1: 29, 35, 43; 2: 1). MATTHEW thru LUKE indicate that Jesus presumably started His public ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist (Cp. Matthew 4: 12; Mark 1: 14; Luke 3: 20, 23), but there was a period of time when their ministries were concurrent (3: 22-25; 4; 1; 9: 14). In fact, some of the first and earliest followers of Jesus were disciples of John the Baptist (1: 35-37).
A little attention should be reserved for one of the more interesting of the followers of Jesus at the start, and that is Nathanael. He is told by Jesus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ‘hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (1: 51).’” This is quite similar to what Jesus told some of the ‘Disciples’ [Peter, James, and John??], “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
(Cp. Matthew 16: 28; Mark 9: 1; Luke 9: 27)
Also, if this is not enough of a mystery, remember the wedding in ‘Cana’ (2: 1-5, 12) where Jesus, His disciples, mother, and brothers were invited? It seems that Mother Mary was actively involved and participated in the celebration which would be quite unusual if it were not some very close friends or a relative; not to mention that the identity of the bride and bridegroom is not revealed. It is only in the very last chapter of the book is Nathanael’s city finally disclosed, but why wasn’t it earlier as with his other acquaintances,Philip, Andrew, and Peter
(‘Bethsaida;’ 1: 43??).
This will serve as a nice transition to introduce the “Beloved” Disciple, who, as it is recorded: Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on His breast at the supper. Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me (21: 21-23).” Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” JOHN reveals the close intimate social relationship that Jesus had with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary and His ‘love’ for them
(11: 3, 5, {‘Lazarus’} in particular; esp. 35-36). LUKE mentions a little bit about this special bond also.
While Jesus hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, He seemed to entrust the care of His mother to one of His followers, where the Scripture says: And from that very hour he took her to his own home (19: 27). This would seem to be an egregious violation of the social and religious customs of the Jews to allow a woman to be taken into the home of a man who is not her relative or betrothed husband. Not only that, but Jesus had brothers (Cp. Matthew 13: 55 {James, Joses [‘Joseph’], Simon, and Judas}, and sisters {v. 56}, but JOHN mentions only brothers (2: 12). It is of course a long shot, but entirely plausible that the ‘other’ Judas [‘not Iscariot’] in John 14: 22a, could be Jesus’ younger brother; solving the riddle rather nicely of the disciple leaning on Jesus’ breast and of His words to the onlookers at the Cross to whom were told, “Mother behold thy son, Son behold the mother.” Interestingly, in the last chapter (21: 1-2, 7-8), ‘Nathanael’ is mentioned but ‘Judas’ is not listed.
Continuing further:
Let’s finalize one last little bit of information regarding the disciples. Besides the ones already mentioned, Philip, Andrew, Peter, and Nathanael
(1: 40-41, 43-44, 45); there is Judas Iscariot son of Simon (6: 71); Thomas who is called ‘Twin’ {‘whose’??} (11: 16a); and Judas [‘not Iscariot’] (14: 22a). It is only in the 20th chapter is the number of Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles numbered as twelve, and even the last chapter only mentions the sons of Zebedee (‘unnamed’??), ‘two’ other of His disciples were together, and the ‘other’ disciples came in the little boat (21: 2, 8).
Now it is time to identify the disciple who was known to the high priest, accompanying Jesus into the courtyard; and also afterward, brought in Peter who had been waiting by the door outside. (18: 15-16). This person in all probably was not ‘Galilean,’ and the stronger internal evidence seems to point in the direction of ‘Joseph of Arimathea,’ who was a “secret” disciple and member of the ‘Sanhedrin’ [“Jewish Supreme Court”].
(Cp. Matthew 27: 57: Mark 15: 43; Luke 23: 50-51; John 19: 38)
Lastly, where John the Baptist did his preaching and baptizing was located in the vicinity of ‘Qumran,’ where a Bedouin youth found the “Dead Sea Scrolls” in the 1940’s; and coincidentally, this is the place where the community of ascetic Jews called ‘Essenes’ practiced their religious observances and rituals. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to envision John the Baptist as a member of this radical ‘sect’ of Judaism. Even John the Baptist had some doubts about Jesus as the ‘Messiah’ because it is recorded in Matthew 11: 2-3: And when John in prison heard about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him [‘Jesus’], “Are You the ‘One’ or should we look for ‘Another’?”
Be that as it may, this Gospel is so different from the others in style, content, and meaning. JOHN explores much richer and deeper themes, and the deity of Jesus is in full view. In this account, Jesus is not just a miracle-working rabbi who heals the sick and casts out demons, but rather, He is the very Son of God.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 28, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
(Cp. Matthew 10: 5-6, 21-28 [esp. 24]; Mark 7: 20), but in this book the hated ‘Samaritans’ are the very first ones to accept Jesus as the Christ [‘Messiah’] in the fourth chapter.
In the “Synoptic Gospels” (MATTHEW-MARK-LUKE), Peter, James & John the sons of Zebedee form the nucleus of Jesus’ inner circle among the ‘Twelve,’ but in JOHN’s version there doesn’t appear to be any central person, group or trio among His disciples. Another observation is the frequent reference to ‘the Jews;’ either as a social/religious class or race, which includes their religious observances such as the Feast days. Outside of the book of ACTS which mentions the word, ‘Jew,’ a total of 66 times; of which 36 is in a negative context (54.5%). JOHN uses the word 57 times; 23 out of that total is also negative (40%). He uses the term, “for fear of the Jews” 4 times (Cp. 7: 13; 9: 22; 19: 38; 20: 19). The last reference is most intriguing for two reasons, namely: 1) The is no reason suggested to explain why the disciples are hiding behind shut doors in fear of the Jews after Jesus Crucifixion/Resurrection, and, 2) None of the other gospel writers mention this state of mind by Jesus’ disciples.
The following is a list of Significant Omissions:
The Temptation in the Wilderness (Cp. Matthew 1: 4-11; Mark 1: 12-13; Luke 4: 1-13)
John the Baptist taken into Custody (Cp. Matthew 4: 12-27; Luke 3: 20)
John the Baptist in Prison (Cp. Matthew 11: 1-5; Luke 7: 18-22)
Jesus Choosing His Twelve Disciples/Apostles and their Names (Cp. Matthew 10: 1-8; Mark 6: 7-11; Luke 9: 1-6) NOTE: It is only near the end of JOHN that ‘Twelve,’ as in the number of Apostles/Disciples, is mentioned (20: 24).
Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
(Cp. Matthew 17: 1-9; Mark 9: 2-10; Luke 9: 28-36)
The Sign of the Times/ Destruction of the Temple/End of the Age
(Cp. Matthew 24: 1-31; Mark 13: 1-33; Luke 21: 5-36)
The Lord’s Supper (Cp. Matthew 26: 26-30; Mark 14: 22-26; Luke 22: 14-20)
NOTE: Instead, Jesus institutes the rite of ‘Foot washing.’ (13: 3-15)
JOHN does present several major themes such as: Believe (66 times); Jesus as the Son of God (38 times); Everlasting/ Eternal Life (22 times) in contrast to Condemnation (4 times); Water/wash/baptizing (20 times); Light/Darkness (13 times); The ‘Spirit’
(13 times); Glorifying God (13 times); and Jesus as the King of Israel/Messiah [‘Christ’](11 times). Even in 1: 1; it starts out like the book of GENESIS and not some list of Jewish genealogy and although MARK uses the introductory phrase, “The Gospel of the Son of God,” that theme is not expanded upon to its fullest extent; and even then it is only mentioned 7 times.
In JOHN, the author seems a firsthand witness because of the use of ‘the next day; again the next day; the following day; on the third day,’ etc. (1: 29, 35, 43; 2: 1). MATTHEW thru LUKE indicate that Jesus presumably started His public ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist (Cp. Matthew 4: 12; Mark 1: 14; Luke 3: 20, 23), but there was a period of time when their ministries were concurrent (3: 22-25; 4; 1; 9: 14). In fact, some of the first and earliest followers of Jesus were disciples of John the Baptist (1: 35-37).
A little attention should be reserved for one of the more interesting of the followers of Jesus at the start, and that is Nathanael. He is told by Jesus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ‘hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (1: 51).’” This is quite similar to what Jesus told some of the ‘Disciples’ [Peter, James, and John??], “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
(Cp. Matthew 16: 28; Mark 9: 1; Luke 9: 27)
Also, if this is not enough of a mystery, remember the wedding in ‘Cana’ (2: 1-5, 12) where Jesus, His disciples, mother, and brothers were invited? It seems that Mother Mary was actively involved and participated in the celebration which would be quite unusual if it were not some very close friends or a relative; not to mention that the identity of the bride and bridegroom is not revealed. It is only in the very last chapter of the book is Nathanael’s city finally disclosed, but why wasn’t it earlier as with his other acquaintances,Philip, Andrew, and Peter
(‘Bethsaida;’ 1: 43??).
This will serve as a nice transition to introduce the “Beloved” Disciple, who, as it is recorded: Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on His breast at the supper. Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me (21: 21-23).” Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” JOHN reveals the close intimate social relationship that Jesus had with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary and His ‘love’ for them
(11: 3, 5, {‘Lazarus’} in particular; esp. 35-36). LUKE mentions a little bit about this special bond also.
While Jesus hung on the Cross of Crucifixion, He seemed to entrust the care of His mother to one of His followers, where the Scripture says: And from that very hour he took her to his own home (19: 27). This would seem to be an egregious violation of the social and religious customs of the Jews to allow a woman to be taken into the home of a man who is not her relative or betrothed husband. Not only that, but Jesus had brothers (Cp. Matthew 13: 55 {James, Joses [‘Joseph’], Simon, and Judas}, and sisters {v. 56}, but JOHN mentions only brothers (2: 12). It is of course a long shot, but entirely plausible that the ‘other’ Judas [‘not Iscariot’] in John 14: 22a, could be Jesus’ younger brother; solving the riddle rather nicely of the disciple leaning on Jesus’ breast and of His words to the onlookers at the Cross to whom were told, “Mother behold thy son, Son behold the mother.” Interestingly, in the last chapter (21: 1-2, 7-8), ‘Nathanael’ is mentioned but ‘Judas’ is not listed.
Continuing further:
Let’s finalize one last little bit of information regarding the disciples. Besides the ones already mentioned, Philip, Andrew, Peter, and Nathanael
(1: 40-41, 43-44, 45); there is Judas Iscariot son of Simon (6: 71); Thomas who is called ‘Twin’ {‘whose’??} (11: 16a); and Judas [‘not Iscariot’] (14: 22a). It is only in the 20th chapter is the number of Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles numbered as twelve, and even the last chapter only mentions the sons of Zebedee (‘unnamed’??), ‘two’ other of His disciples were together, and the ‘other’ disciples came in the little boat (21: 2, 8).
Now it is time to identify the disciple who was known to the high priest, accompanying Jesus into the courtyard; and also afterward, brought in Peter who had been waiting by the door outside. (18: 15-16). This person in all probably was not ‘Galilean,’ and the stronger internal evidence seems to point in the direction of ‘Joseph of Arimathea,’ who was a “secret” disciple and member of the ‘Sanhedrin’ [“Jewish Supreme Court”].
(Cp. Matthew 27: 57: Mark 15: 43; Luke 23: 50-51; John 19: 38)
Lastly, where John the Baptist did his preaching and baptizing was located in the vicinity of ‘Qumran,’ where a Bedouin youth found the “Dead Sea Scrolls” in the 1940’s; and coincidentally, this is the place where the community of ascetic Jews called ‘Essenes’ practiced their religious observances and rituals. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to envision John the Baptist as a member of this radical ‘sect’ of Judaism. Even John the Baptist had some doubts about Jesus as the ‘Messiah’ because it is recorded in Matthew 11: 2-3: And when John in prison heard about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him [‘Jesus’], “Are You the ‘One’ or should we look for ‘Another’?”
Be that as it may, this Gospel is so different from the others in style, content, and meaning. JOHN explores much richer and deeper themes, and the deity of Jesus is in full view. In this account, Jesus is not just a miracle-working rabbi who heals the sick and casts out demons, but rather, He is the very Son of God.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 28, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Captivity and Exile of the Children of Israel
In studying the religious history of the Jewish people, namely, the children of Israel, one never quite fully comprehends the rebellion of their ancestors, nor the severity and extent to which God punished them for their disobedience. The Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar is the most well known one to have occurred wherein the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah were taken away; but there were also two other ones which happened to those who lived in the territory of the ten tribes when they were taken captive to Assyria and Damascus, Syria.
I Kings 17: 13
Yet the Lord testified against Israel and Judah, by all His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.”
18, 20, 23b
Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah. And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He cast them from his sight. So Israel was carried away from their land to Assyria, “as it is to this day.”
II Kings 15: 29
In the days of Pekah King of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser (‘Pul;’ v. 19) King of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoch, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali; and he (1) carried them captive to Assyria.
17: 5-6; 18: 9-11, 18, 23b-24
Now the King of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the King of Assyria [‘Shalmeneser’] (2) took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River Gozam, and in the cities of the “Medes”
[‘Iranians’]. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel. And removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone [Cp. Ezra 4: 1a; ‘Judah and Benjamin??]. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day. Then the King of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath,, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of [‘in place of’] the children of Israel [Cp. Ezra 4: 9-10??]; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in their cities. NOTE: This perhaps explains the disdain that the Jews had for the Samaritans during Jesus’ day because they were neither Israelites nor the original inhabitants of the land, but rather, deportees from other foreign [‘Gentile’] nations.
24: 11, 14, 20
And Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it. Also he (3) carried into captivity all Jerusalem; All the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives [v. 16 says, “seven thousand”??], and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally [‘not permanently’??] cast them from His presence.
II Chronicles 28: 5a
Therefore the Lord God delivered him [‘King Ahaz;’ v. 1] into the hand of the King of Syria [‘who was he’??]. They defeated him, and (4) carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus.
Ezra 4: 1-2, 9-10
Now when the adversaries [‘enemies’] of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity [‘Babylonian’] were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, ‘Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon King of Assyria who brought us here. The Dinaites, Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, the people of Persia, Erech, Babylon, Shushan, Dehavites, Elamites, and the rest of the nations that noble ‘Osnapper’ settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond the River [‘Euphrates’]’ and so forth.
6: 21-22
Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful and turned the heart of the King of Assyria toward them (??), to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
NOTE: The King of Assyria was not involved in this endeavor to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, but rather it was Artaxerxes, King of Persia (Cp. Ezra 7: 1a).
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 24, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
I Kings 17: 13
Yet the Lord testified against Israel and Judah, by all His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.”
18, 20, 23b
Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah. And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He cast them from his sight. So Israel was carried away from their land to Assyria, “as it is to this day.”
II Kings 15: 29
In the days of Pekah King of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser (‘Pul;’ v. 19) King of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoch, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali; and he (1) carried them captive to Assyria.
17: 5-6; 18: 9-11, 18, 23b-24
Now the King of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the King of Assyria [‘Shalmeneser’] (2) took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River Gozam, and in the cities of the “Medes”
[‘Iranians’]. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel. And removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone [Cp. Ezra 4: 1a; ‘Judah and Benjamin??]. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day. Then the King of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath,, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of [‘in place of’] the children of Israel [Cp. Ezra 4: 9-10??]; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in their cities. NOTE: This perhaps explains the disdain that the Jews had for the Samaritans during Jesus’ day because they were neither Israelites nor the original inhabitants of the land, but rather, deportees from other foreign [‘Gentile’] nations.
24: 11, 14, 20
And Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it. Also he (3) carried into captivity all Jerusalem; All the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives [v. 16 says, “seven thousand”??], and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally [‘not permanently’??] cast them from His presence.
II Chronicles 28: 5a
Therefore the Lord God delivered him [‘King Ahaz;’ v. 1] into the hand of the King of Syria [‘who was he’??]. They defeated him, and (4) carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus.
Ezra 4: 1-2, 9-10
Now when the adversaries [‘enemies’] of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity [‘Babylonian’] were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, ‘Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon King of Assyria who brought us here. The Dinaites, Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, the people of Persia, Erech, Babylon, Shushan, Dehavites, Elamites, and the rest of the nations that noble ‘Osnapper’ settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond the River [‘Euphrates’]’ and so forth.
6: 21-22
Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful and turned the heart of the King of Assyria toward them (??), to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
NOTE: The King of Assyria was not involved in this endeavor to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, but rather it was Artaxerxes, King of Persia (Cp. Ezra 7: 1a).
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 24, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Jewish People's debt to the Persians ['Iranians']
It has been quite sometime since the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmed Ahmadinejad, has spewed venomous anti-Semitic denunciations against Israel; denying the historical evidence of the ‘Holocaust’ while at the same time calling for her destruction. Unlike Iran’s neighbors; the Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis, Saudis, and other Arabs, the Iranians are not only have the unique distinction of sharing the religious tradition of “Islam," but they are racially and culturally ‘Farsi’-speaking Persians.
There is an ancient tie that binds these two great people in a way that is rarely spoken of, vigorously denied, and nearly ignored; but it is recorded in the Jewish sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament. In fact, were it not for the Iranians [‘Persians’], the Jewish people might not even exist, or at least in the numbers that they do as far as population; not to mention the existence of modern Israel as a free and independent State.
In a far distant past the great King Ahaseurus, ruler of Media and Persia [‘Iran’] unwittingly passed a royal decree through an act of deceit and subterfuge by one of his court officials which amounted to essentially, a death sentence for any ‘Jew’ living throughout the kingdom. However, because of the king’s great affection and love for a beautiful Jewish female named “Esther” [‘Hadassah’] who became his Queen in place of ‘Vashti,’ he issued another royal edict which gave the Jewish people the right not only to defend themselves against their enemies, but that they could locate, pursue [‘hunt down’] and destroy them as well; which they convincingly and ultimately did. The following is a brief highlight of this remarkable historic event.
ESTHER
3: 2, 4, 5-6
And all the King’s servants who were within the King’s gate bowed and paid homage to ‘Haman,’ for so the King had commanded concerning him. But ‘Mordecai’ would not bow down or pay homage. Then the King’s servants who were within the King’s gate said to see if Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai told them that he was a “Jew.” When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of “the people of Mordecai.” Instead, Haman sought to destroy ‘all’ the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahaseurus- “the people of Mordecai.”
8, 9a, 13a
Then Haman said to King Ahaseurus, “There is a ‘people’ scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other peoples, and they do not keep the King’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the King to let them remain [‘live’]. If it pleases the King, let a decree be written that they be destroyed. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the King’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to ‘annihilate’ all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women.
7: 3-4a
Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O King, and if it pleases the King, let my life be given to me at my petition, and ‘my people’ at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be ‘annihilated.’
8: 11a
By the letters the King permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives- to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them; both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions (??).
9: 1b
On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overcome them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
So, after this reading, it is a little strange to hear a Persian [‘Iranian’] leader or people speak with such hatred about exterminating the Jews when three of their ancient kings (Cp. Ezra 6: 14b; Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes) were their benefactors; not only allowing them to return to their homeland but provided the resources to help the returning Jewish exiles to rebuild the Temple as well as the walls of Jerusalem that had fallen down.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
There is an ancient tie that binds these two great people in a way that is rarely spoken of, vigorously denied, and nearly ignored; but it is recorded in the Jewish sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament. In fact, were it not for the Iranians [‘Persians’], the Jewish people might not even exist, or at least in the numbers that they do as far as population; not to mention the existence of modern Israel as a free and independent State.
In a far distant past the great King Ahaseurus, ruler of Media and Persia [‘Iran’] unwittingly passed a royal decree through an act of deceit and subterfuge by one of his court officials which amounted to essentially, a death sentence for any ‘Jew’ living throughout the kingdom. However, because of the king’s great affection and love for a beautiful Jewish female named “Esther” [‘Hadassah’] who became his Queen in place of ‘Vashti,’ he issued another royal edict which gave the Jewish people the right not only to defend themselves against their enemies, but that they could locate, pursue [‘hunt down’] and destroy them as well; which they convincingly and ultimately did. The following is a brief highlight of this remarkable historic event.
ESTHER
3: 2, 4, 5-6
And all the King’s servants who were within the King’s gate bowed and paid homage to ‘Haman,’ for so the King had commanded concerning him. But ‘Mordecai’ would not bow down or pay homage. Then the King’s servants who were within the King’s gate said to see if Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai told them that he was a “Jew.” When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of “the people of Mordecai.” Instead, Haman sought to destroy ‘all’ the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahaseurus- “the people of Mordecai.”
8, 9a, 13a
Then Haman said to King Ahaseurus, “There is a ‘people’ scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other peoples, and they do not keep the King’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the King to let them remain [‘live’]. If it pleases the King, let a decree be written that they be destroyed. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the King’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to ‘annihilate’ all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women.
7: 3-4a
Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O King, and if it pleases the King, let my life be given to me at my petition, and ‘my people’ at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be ‘annihilated.’
8: 11a
By the letters the King permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives- to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them; both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions (??).
9: 1b
On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overcome them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
So, after this reading, it is a little strange to hear a Persian [‘Iranian’] leader or people speak with such hatred about exterminating the Jews when three of their ancient kings (Cp. Ezra 6: 14b; Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes) were their benefactors; not only allowing them to return to their homeland but provided the resources to help the returning Jewish exiles to rebuild the Temple as well as the walls of Jerusalem that had fallen down.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Major Jewish Feasts of Antiquity
EXODUS
12: 1-11
The (1) Feast of the Passover [vs. 2-3; the 1st month, the10th day; v. 6; at ‘twilight’].
14-20
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread [vs. 17-18; 1st month, the 14th day].
23: 14, 15a, 16
Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year.
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread [v. 15; month of ‘Abib’], the (3) Feast of Harvest [including Firstfruits??], and the (4) Feast of Ingathering.
NOTE: It is possible that the feasts of Harvest, Firstfruits, and Ingathering might have been combined in later periods.
34: 18
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread, as I command you in the appointed time of the month of ‘Abib;’ for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.
22-23
And you shall observe the (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1], of the (3) Firstfruits of wheat (??) Harvest, and the (4) Feast of Ingathering at the years end. Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel.
NOTE: This is the first time the ‘Feast of Weeks’ is mentioned, and is not part of the original three or four feasts.
LEVITICUS
16: 1-34
The (6) Day of Atonement [v. 29; 7th month and 10th day].
23: 1-2
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts:
3
The Sabbath [v. 38; ‘Sabbaths’].
5
The (1) Feast of Passover [1st month and 14th day].
6
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread [1st month and 15th day].
9-14
The (3) Feast of Firstfruits [Cp. Joshua 5: 11a]
15-22
The (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1].
23-25
The (7) Feast of Trumpets [v. 24; 7th month and 1st day].
26-32
The (6) Day of Atonement [v.27; 7th month and 10th day].
33-44
The (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths [vs. 34 & 39; 7th month and 15th day]. So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.
25: 1-7
The (9) Seven Year Sabbath [v. 4].
8-10
The (10) Year of Jubilee/Release [v. 8; seven Sabbaths of 49 years; vs. 9a &10, add 1year and it is celebrated on “The Day of Atonement” {Cp. 23: 27}.
NUMBERS
9: 1-2
Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the first month (‘Abib’) of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Let the children of Israel keep the (1) Passover at its appointed time. And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, “at twilight” (Cp. Exodus 12: 6b; ‘after sunset’)
EXCEPTION:
6-12
Certain men were defiled because they came in contact with a human corpse and could not partake of the Passover. They were allowed to do so at the same day and time in the second month. This grace based upon exigent circumstances applied also to someone who was on a faraway journey during this time and included their posterity as well.
28: 9-10
(11) Sabbath Offerings.
11-15
(12) Monthly (‘New Moon’??) Offerings.
16-25
Offerings at (1) Passover [14th day of 1st month].
26-31
Offerings at the (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1]
29: 1-6
Offerings at the (7) Feast of Trumpets [1st day of the 7th month].
7-11
Offerings at the (6) Day of Atonement [10th day of the 7th month].
12-40
Offering at the (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths [v. 12; 15th day of the 7th month].
DEUTERONOMY
1-8
The (1) Feast of Passover Reviewed [v. 1; month of ‘Abib;’ v. 6b; at “twilight or sunset”].
9-12
The (5) Feast of Weeks Reviewed [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1].
13-15
The (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths Reviewed (Cp. Numbers 29: 12).
16
Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place where He chooses; at the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread, the (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1], and the (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
I KINGS
8: 63-65; 9: 3
The (13) Dedication of the [‘first’]Temple.
II KINGS
22: 21; 23: 19, 21-23
The (1) Feast of the Passover.
I CHRONICLES
23: 31
(11) Sabbaths, (12) New Moons, and the set [‘appointed’??] feasts.
II CHRONICLES
2: 4b
(11) Sabbaths, (12) New Moons, and on the ‘set’ feasts of the Lord our God.
7: 5b, 8-11
The (13) Dedication of the [‘first’]Temple [v. 5].
8: 13b
(11) Sabbaths, (12) New Moons, and the three appointed [‘set’] yearly feasts- the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread, the (5) Feast of Weeks/Pentecost [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1], and the (8) Feast of Booths/Tabernacles.
30: 5, 13-18
The (1) Feast of the Passover to the Lord. The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread.
NOTE: These ‘feasts’ were celebrated on the wrong date (Cp. Exodus 12: 1-6, 17-18).
31: 3b
(11) Sabbaths (??), (12) New Moons (??), and the ‘fixed’ festivals.
35: 1-19
King Josiah celebrated the (1) Feast of the Passover.
NOTE: No ‘Passover’ celebrated since the time of Samuel the Prophet (v. 18a).
EZRA
3: 2, 4-5a
Then Jeshua the son of Jehozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. They also kept the(8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for (12) New Moons and for all the ‘appointed’ feasts of the Lord that were consecrated. NOTE: Nowhere does it mention that God accepted these sacrifices, but the narrative is silent on the Divine acknowledgement.
5: 13, 15-16
The (13) Dedication of the [‘second’] Temple [v.15; 3rd day of the month ‘Adar’] was completed, and the descendants of the captivity of the children of Israel kept the
(1) Passover.
6: 19, 22
And the descendants of the captivity kept the (1) Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month [‘Abib’]. And they kept the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy.
NEHEMIAH
8: 1b, 14b,
Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. And they found written in the law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths [‘temporary shelters’] during the ‘feast’ of the seventh month. NOTE: The particular celebration is the (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Cp. Leviticus 23: 39-43)
17b
The children of Israel had not sat under booths ‘since the days of Joshua the son of
Nun ’ (Cp. Joshua 5: 9a, 10-11). And they kept the ‘Feast’ of [(8) Tabernacles/Booths] for seven days.
10: 33a, 35, 37
(11) Sabbaths, the (12) New Moons, and the (3) Feasts of Firstfruits.
ESTHER
2: 16
The tenth month, which is the month of 'Tebeth.'
3: 7a&b
The first month, the month of 'Nisan.'The twelfth month, which is the month 'Adar.'
8: 9
The third month, which is the month of 'Sivan.'
9: 18-24
The (14) Feast of Purim [v. 19b; on the 14th day of the month ‘Adar’]
Of the many Sabbaths, feast and days of offerings commanded by the Lord God for the Israelites to observe, only the Dedication of the [‘second’] Temple and Purim stand out as not having received a ‘Divine’ response; and often times, silence speaks volumes. Although God did not command King Solomon to build Him a House, but rather Solomon devotion and commitment fulfilled the wish of His father, King David; and God promised him that his descendant would complete what David wanted (Cp. II Samuel 7: 12b-13). Nevertheless, I Kings 9: 3 and II Chronicles 7: 5 attest to unfailing promise by God of what his heir finally accomplished.
It is interesting that in the Gospel narratives, Matthew through Luke [Matthew 26: 17-20; Mark 14: 1-2, 12; Luke 22: 1, 7-8, 11, 14] mention the Lord Jesus Christ celebrating the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread and the (1) Passover; but the order is reversed (Cp. Exodus 12: 2-3, 6, 17-18??). Only in John’s account is the Dedication of the Temple mentioned [NOTE: Presumably the ‘first’ Temple built by King Solomon; Cp. I Kings 8: 63-65; 9: 3; II Chronicles 7: 5b, 6-11]. The author also states that “it was during ‘winter’ (Cp. John 10: 22),” which is in accord with the traditional Jewish Religious Calendar of happening September-October, on the first day of the month. Coincidentally, this is the same time as the (7) Feast of Trumpets (Cp. Leviticus 23: 4). This interval of months would be considered the ‘fall’ season for those of us living in America or the Western Hemisphere.
The apostle John also includes the (1) Passover, but he leaves out the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread. Additionally, there is a reference to there being Greeks among those who came up to worship at the ‘feast’ [again, presumably the (1) Passover; Cp. John12: 20??], in violation of the prohibition in the Law of Moses that ‘foreigners’ are not to partake of it (Cp. Exodus 12: 43). Outside of the Gospels, the book of Acts mentions the Day of (5) Pentecost (Cp. 2: 1), which is essentially the (5) Feast of Weeks (Cp. Leviticus 23: 15-16). The (2) Days of Unleavened Bread is mentioned in Acts 12: 3; 20: 6, and in Acts18: 21; 20: 16, the writer says the apostle Paul wanted to keep the coming ‘feast’ in Jerusalem, which in all likelihood is the (5) Day Pentecost/the Feast of Weeks (Cp. Acts 2: 1; Leviticus 23: 15-16).
ONE FINAL THOUGHT:
The Gospel account of Jesus celebrating the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread and
the (1) Passover for the last time with His disciples before His betrayal and evening before the ‘Crucifixion’ might be misunderstood. The aforementioned ‘feast’ represents the male [‘Paschal’] lamb, without spot or blemish that was to be slain and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a ‘Memorial’ to the children of Israel being delivered from Egyptian bondage by the Mighty hand of the Lord God
(Cp. Exodus 12: 12-13, 26-27). A more solemn occasion might have been the symbolism of the (6) Day of Atonement (Cp. Leviticus 16: 1-34; 23: 26-32), where two goats were chosen as redemption for the sins of the people. The lot of one was freedom as the scapegoat and was sent away into the wilderness, but the other one had to be ritually sacrificed by the shedding of blood as a vicarious atonement for the sins of the Children of Israel.
Lastly, there is a curious passage in Jeremiah 7: 22-23: “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices (??).” “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be Your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in the ways that I commanded you that it may be well with you.’
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 14, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
12: 1-11
The (1) Feast of the Passover [vs. 2-3; the 1st month, the10th day; v. 6; at ‘twilight’].
14-20
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread [vs. 17-18; 1st month, the 14th day].
23: 14, 15a, 16
Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year.
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread [v. 15; month of ‘Abib’], the (3) Feast of Harvest [including Firstfruits??], and the (4) Feast of Ingathering.
NOTE: It is possible that the feasts of Harvest, Firstfruits, and Ingathering might have been combined in later periods.
34: 18
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread, as I command you in the appointed time of the month of ‘Abib;’ for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.
22-23
And you shall observe the (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1], of the (3) Firstfruits of wheat (??) Harvest, and the (4) Feast of Ingathering at the years end. Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel.
NOTE: This is the first time the ‘Feast of Weeks’ is mentioned, and is not part of the original three or four feasts.
LEVITICUS
16: 1-34
The (6) Day of Atonement [v. 29; 7th month and 10th day].
23: 1-2
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts:
3
The Sabbath [v. 38; ‘Sabbaths’].
5
The (1) Feast of Passover [1st month and 14th day].
6
The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread [1st month and 15th day].
9-14
The (3) Feast of Firstfruits [Cp. Joshua 5: 11a]
15-22
The (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1].
23-25
The (7) Feast of Trumpets [v. 24; 7th month and 1st day].
26-32
The (6) Day of Atonement [v.27; 7th month and 10th day].
33-44
The (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths [vs. 34 & 39; 7th month and 15th day]. So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.
25: 1-7
The (9) Seven Year Sabbath [v. 4].
8-10
The (10) Year of Jubilee/Release [v. 8; seven Sabbaths of 49 years; vs. 9a &10, add 1year and it is celebrated on “The Day of Atonement” {Cp. 23: 27}.
NUMBERS
9: 1-2
Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the first month (‘Abib’) of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Let the children of Israel keep the (1) Passover at its appointed time. And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, “at twilight” (Cp. Exodus 12: 6b; ‘after sunset’)
EXCEPTION:
6-12
Certain men were defiled because they came in contact with a human corpse and could not partake of the Passover. They were allowed to do so at the same day and time in the second month. This grace based upon exigent circumstances applied also to someone who was on a faraway journey during this time and included their posterity as well.
28: 9-10
(11) Sabbath Offerings.
11-15
(12) Monthly (‘New Moon’??) Offerings.
16-25
Offerings at (1) Passover [14th day of 1st month].
26-31
Offerings at the (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1]
29: 1-6
Offerings at the (7) Feast of Trumpets [1st day of the 7th month].
7-11
Offerings at the (6) Day of Atonement [10th day of the 7th month].
12-40
Offering at the (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths [v. 12; 15th day of the 7th month].
DEUTERONOMY
1-8
The (1) Feast of Passover Reviewed [v. 1; month of ‘Abib;’ v. 6b; at “twilight or sunset”].
9-12
The (5) Feast of Weeks Reviewed [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1].
13-15
The (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths Reviewed (Cp. Numbers 29: 12).
16
Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place where He chooses; at the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread, the (5) Feast of Weeks [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1], and the (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
I KINGS
8: 63-65; 9: 3
The (13) Dedication of the [‘first’]Temple.
II KINGS
22: 21; 23: 19, 21-23
The (1) Feast of the Passover.
I CHRONICLES
23: 31
(11) Sabbaths, (12) New Moons, and the set [‘appointed’??] feasts.
II CHRONICLES
2: 4b
(11) Sabbaths, (12) New Moons, and on the ‘set’ feasts of the Lord our God.
7: 5b, 8-11
The (13) Dedication of the [‘first’]Temple [v. 5].
8: 13b
(11) Sabbaths, (12) New Moons, and the three appointed [‘set’] yearly feasts- the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread, the (5) Feast of Weeks/Pentecost [‘Pentecost;’ Leviticus 23: 15-16; Acts 2: 1], and the (8) Feast of Booths/Tabernacles.
30: 5, 13-18
The (1) Feast of the Passover to the Lord. The (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread.
NOTE: These ‘feasts’ were celebrated on the wrong date (Cp. Exodus 12: 1-6, 17-18).
31: 3b
(11) Sabbaths (??), (12) New Moons (??), and the ‘fixed’ festivals.
35: 1-19
King Josiah celebrated the (1) Feast of the Passover.
NOTE: No ‘Passover’ celebrated since the time of Samuel the Prophet (v. 18a).
EZRA
3: 2, 4-5a
Then Jeshua the son of Jehozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. They also kept the(8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for (12) New Moons and for all the ‘appointed’ feasts of the Lord that were consecrated. NOTE: Nowhere does it mention that God accepted these sacrifices, but the narrative is silent on the Divine acknowledgement.
5: 13, 15-16
The (13) Dedication of the [‘second’] Temple [v.15; 3rd day of the month ‘Adar’] was completed, and the descendants of the captivity of the children of Israel kept the
(1) Passover.
6: 19, 22
And the descendants of the captivity kept the (1) Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month [‘Abib’]. And they kept the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy.
NEHEMIAH
8: 1b, 14b,
Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. And they found written in the law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths [‘temporary shelters’] during the ‘feast’ of the seventh month. NOTE: The particular celebration is the (8) Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Cp. Leviticus 23: 39-43)
17b
The children of Israel had not sat under booths ‘since the days of Joshua the son of
Nun ’ (Cp. Joshua 5: 9a, 10-11). And they kept the ‘Feast’ of [(8) Tabernacles/Booths] for seven days.
10: 33a, 35, 37
(11) Sabbaths, the (12) New Moons, and the (3) Feasts of Firstfruits.
ESTHER
2: 16
The tenth month, which is the month of 'Tebeth.'
3: 7a&b
The first month, the month of 'Nisan.'The twelfth month, which is the month 'Adar.'
8: 9
The third month, which is the month of 'Sivan.'
9: 18-24
The (14) Feast of Purim [v. 19b; on the 14th day of the month ‘Adar’]
Of the many Sabbaths, feast and days of offerings commanded by the Lord God for the Israelites to observe, only the Dedication of the [‘second’] Temple and Purim stand out as not having received a ‘Divine’ response; and often times, silence speaks volumes. Although God did not command King Solomon to build Him a House, but rather Solomon devotion and commitment fulfilled the wish of His father, King David; and God promised him that his descendant would complete what David wanted (Cp. II Samuel 7: 12b-13). Nevertheless, I Kings 9: 3 and II Chronicles 7: 5 attest to unfailing promise by God of what his heir finally accomplished.
It is interesting that in the Gospel narratives, Matthew through Luke [Matthew 26: 17-20; Mark 14: 1-2, 12; Luke 22: 1, 7-8, 11, 14] mention the Lord Jesus Christ celebrating the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread and the (1) Passover; but the order is reversed (Cp. Exodus 12: 2-3, 6, 17-18??). Only in John’s account is the Dedication of the Temple mentioned [NOTE: Presumably the ‘first’ Temple built by King Solomon; Cp. I Kings 8: 63-65; 9: 3; II Chronicles 7: 5b, 6-11]. The author also states that “it was during ‘winter’ (Cp. John 10: 22),” which is in accord with the traditional Jewish Religious Calendar of happening September-October, on the first day of the month. Coincidentally, this is the same time as the (7) Feast of Trumpets (Cp. Leviticus 23: 4). This interval of months would be considered the ‘fall’ season for those of us living in America or the Western Hemisphere.
The apostle John also includes the (1) Passover, but he leaves out the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread. Additionally, there is a reference to there being Greeks among those who came up to worship at the ‘feast’ [again, presumably the (1) Passover; Cp. John12: 20??], in violation of the prohibition in the Law of Moses that ‘foreigners’ are not to partake of it (Cp. Exodus 12: 43). Outside of the Gospels, the book of Acts mentions the Day of (5) Pentecost (Cp. 2: 1), which is essentially the (5) Feast of Weeks (Cp. Leviticus 23: 15-16). The (2) Days of Unleavened Bread is mentioned in Acts 12: 3; 20: 6, and in Acts18: 21; 20: 16, the writer says the apostle Paul wanted to keep the coming ‘feast’ in Jerusalem, which in all likelihood is the (5) Day Pentecost/the Feast of Weeks (Cp. Acts 2: 1; Leviticus 23: 15-16).
ONE FINAL THOUGHT:
The Gospel account of Jesus celebrating the (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread and
the (1) Passover for the last time with His disciples before His betrayal and evening before the ‘Crucifixion’ might be misunderstood. The aforementioned ‘feast’ represents the male [‘Paschal’] lamb, without spot or blemish that was to be slain and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a ‘Memorial’ to the children of Israel being delivered from Egyptian bondage by the Mighty hand of the Lord God
(Cp. Exodus 12: 12-13, 26-27). A more solemn occasion might have been the symbolism of the (6) Day of Atonement (Cp. Leviticus 16: 1-34; 23: 26-32), where two goats were chosen as redemption for the sins of the people. The lot of one was freedom as the scapegoat and was sent away into the wilderness, but the other one had to be ritually sacrificed by the shedding of blood as a vicarious atonement for the sins of the Children of Israel.
Lastly, there is a curious passage in Jeremiah 7: 22-23: “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices (??).” “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be Your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in the ways that I commanded you that it may be well with you.’
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 14, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Book of the Law of God
It is probably without much dispute or controversy among the three major World religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that the prophet Moses received the Law of God on Mount Sinai, the “Ten Commandments” (‘Decalogue’), which he wrote down on stone tablets. This simple method for recording legal contracts and commercial transactions was widely practiced throughout the Mesopotamian Valley at that time. The various materials used during the Fourth Century B.C. consisted of wax-covered and soft clay or stone tablets hardened in the sun. Perhaps the earliest known script or alphabet was Phoenician, followed by cuneiform, and then, by the pictorial representation of the Egyptian hieroglyphs. Letters or symbols were impressed into the softened clay or stone using an instrument called a ‘stylus.’
The brief historical overview will serve as a basis for the query as to how were these very sacred commandments of God written in a book (??) at such an early time period. Exodus 24: 7 is the first mention of ‘book,’ and right after that, ‘tablets of stone’ is recorded in Exodus 31: 18. It would be quite amazing for a book to have been manufactured or developed back then; at least in the sense of the way that such an item is produced since the invention of the modern printing press.
Exodus 24: 3-4, 7
Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances (Exodus 20: 1 - 23: 19); and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord [on what??]. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he took the book of the covenant (??) and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
24:12, 18; 31: 18
Now the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction.” And Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. [See Exodus 25: 1 – 31: 17] And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
31:18
And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
32: 15-16
Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides, they were written on one side and the other. And the tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets
34.1-2 Now the Lord said to Moses, "Cut out for you two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered". “So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai (Cp. 3:6??), and present yourself to Me on the top of the mountain.
27
The Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words. . .”
40: 20
He took ‘the Testimony’ [“Ten Commandments”] and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
Deuteronomy 4: 44-45
Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt.
10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (‘Bezalel’ made; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
27: 2-3, 8
”So it shall be on the day when you shall cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones, and coat them with lime and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, in order that you may enter the land which the lord your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. “And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly.”
28: 58
“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear the honored and awesome name, the Lord your God.
29: 27
Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book.
31:19, 21-22, 24-26
“Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, in order that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. “Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel. And it came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, “Take this book of the law and place it beside (??) the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.
32: 46
And he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe; all the words of this law.”
Joshua 1: 8
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
8: 31-32
As it is written in the book of the law of Moses.
24: 26
And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up under the oak that is by the sanctuary of the Lord (where??)
I Samuel 10: 25a
Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and he wrote them in the book and placed it before (??) the Lord.
I Kings 8: 1, 3-4, 9 (Cp. II Chronicles 5: 1-14)
Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
II Kings 22: 8, 10, 14 (Cp. II Chronicles 34: 8-24)
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord". And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. Morever, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book". And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.
23: 1, 2
Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant, which was found in the house of the Lord.
23.21-22, 24-25
Then the king commanded all the people saying, "Celebrate the Passover to the Lord God as it is written in this book of the covenant". Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spirits and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. And before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.
II Chronicles 17: 1-3
Also in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah to teach in the cities of Judah, and with them he sent Levites: Shemiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Ashael, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; the Levites, and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. So they taught in Judah, and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
Ezra 3: 2, 4-5a
Then Jeshua the son of Jehozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. They also kept the ‘Feast of Tabernacles,’ as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for ‘New Moons’ and for all the appointed feasts of the Lord that were consecrated. NOTE: Nowhere does it mention that God accepted these sacrifices, but the narrative is silent on the Divine acknowledgement.
Nehemiah 8: 1, 14
Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. And they found written in the law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths [‘temporary shelters’] during the feast of the seventh month.
Oral narrative accounts and histories preceded the science of writing by hundreds of years, and considering the sheer volume as well as the detailed information contained within the Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances of the “Torah” (Heb. ‘Law;’ Genesis-Deuteronomy), not to mention the other sacred ‘Writings,’ it is certainly worth consideration to inquire if it would be possible that everything was written down in a ‘book’ as such, in that contemporary situation. Some of the later prophets also use words like ‘tablet’ or ‘scroll’ (Cp. Isaiah 30: 8a), and Habakkuk has ‘tablet’ also (Cp. Habakkuk 2: 2b). The prophet Jeremiah might help shed some light on this matter because he uses the phrase, “scroll of a book” (Cp. Jeremiah 36: 2a; 4a, 8b, 10a). He also mentions the scribe’s chamber (Cp. 36: 20-21), which could possibly have reference to a library of sorts. In that same chapter, verse 32 mentions that King Jehoiakim, after hearing a few lines from the book, cut it up and threw it in the fire.
Doubtless, pious Jewish scribes, to include perhaps, scholars of rabbinic schools, prophets, and those who descend from the Levites (Aaron and Moses) or priests, might have had a hand in composing, revising, and editing whole sections over many generations, centuries even, to preserve the cultural, historical, and religious legacy of the Jewish people, whether living within their homeland or as captives in foreign nations, about their relationship with the One True God, the God of Israel.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The brief historical overview will serve as a basis for the query as to how were these very sacred commandments of God written in a book (??) at such an early time period. Exodus 24: 7 is the first mention of ‘book,’ and right after that, ‘tablets of stone’ is recorded in Exodus 31: 18. It would be quite amazing for a book to have been manufactured or developed back then; at least in the sense of the way that such an item is produced since the invention of the modern printing press.
Exodus 24: 3-4, 7
Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances (Exodus 20: 1 - 23: 19); and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord [on what??]. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he took the book of the covenant (??) and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
24:12, 18; 31: 18
Now the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction.” And Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. [See Exodus 25: 1 – 31: 17] And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
31:18
And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.
32: 15-16
Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides, they were written on one side and the other. And the tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets
34.1-2 Now the Lord said to Moses, "Cut out for you two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered". “So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai (Cp. 3:6??), and present yourself to Me on the top of the mountain.
27
The Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words. . .”
40: 20
He took ‘the Testimony’ [“Ten Commandments”] and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
Deuteronomy 4: 44-45
Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt.
10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (‘Bezalel’ made; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
27: 2-3, 8
”So it shall be on the day when you shall cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones, and coat them with lime and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, in order that you may enter the land which the lord your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. “And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly.”
28: 58
“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear the honored and awesome name, the Lord your God.
29: 27
Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book.
31:19, 21-22, 24-26
“Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, in order that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel. “Then it shall come about, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness (for it shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants); for I know their intent which they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.” So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel. And it came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, “Take this book of the law and place it beside (??) the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.
32: 46
And he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe; all the words of this law.”
Joshua 1: 8
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
8: 31-32
As it is written in the book of the law of Moses.
24: 26
And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up under the oak that is by the sanctuary of the Lord (where??)
I Samuel 10: 25a
Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and he wrote them in the book and placed it before (??) the Lord.
I Kings 8: 1, 3-4, 9 (Cp. II Chronicles 5: 1-14)
Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
II Kings 22: 8, 10, 14 (Cp. II Chronicles 34: 8-24)
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord". And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. Morever, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book". And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.
23: 1, 2
Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant, which was found in the house of the Lord.
23.21-22, 24-25
Then the king commanded all the people saying, "Celebrate the Passover to the Lord God as it is written in this book of the covenant". Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spirits and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. And before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.
II Chronicles 17: 1-3
Also in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah to teach in the cities of Judah, and with them he sent Levites: Shemiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Ashael, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; the Levites, and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. So they taught in Judah, and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
Ezra 3: 2, 4-5a
Then Jeshua the son of Jehozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. They also kept the ‘Feast of Tabernacles,’ as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for ‘New Moons’ and for all the appointed feasts of the Lord that were consecrated. NOTE: Nowhere does it mention that God accepted these sacrifices, but the narrative is silent on the Divine acknowledgement.
Nehemiah 8: 1, 14
Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. And they found written in the law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths [‘temporary shelters’] during the feast of the seventh month.
Oral narrative accounts and histories preceded the science of writing by hundreds of years, and considering the sheer volume as well as the detailed information contained within the Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances of the “Torah” (Heb. ‘Law;’ Genesis-Deuteronomy), not to mention the other sacred ‘Writings,’ it is certainly worth consideration to inquire if it would be possible that everything was written down in a ‘book’ as such, in that contemporary situation. Some of the later prophets also use words like ‘tablet’ or ‘scroll’ (Cp. Isaiah 30: 8a), and Habakkuk has ‘tablet’ also (Cp. Habakkuk 2: 2b). The prophet Jeremiah might help shed some light on this matter because he uses the phrase, “scroll of a book” (Cp. Jeremiah 36: 2a; 4a, 8b, 10a). He also mentions the scribe’s chamber (Cp. 36: 20-21), which could possibly have reference to a library of sorts. In that same chapter, verse 32 mentions that King Jehoiakim, after hearing a few lines from the book, cut it up and threw it in the fire.
Doubtless, pious Jewish scribes, to include perhaps, scholars of rabbinic schools, prophets, and those who descend from the Levites (Aaron and Moses) or priests, might have had a hand in composing, revising, and editing whole sections over many generations, centuries even, to preserve the cultural, historical, and religious legacy of the Jewish people, whether living within their homeland or as captives in foreign nations, about their relationship with the One True God, the God of Israel.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Ark of the Covenant
In studying the history of the beginnings of the Jewish religion as presented in the Old Testament, one cannot help but notice the importance placed upon the most sacred of furnishings contained within the tabernacle or temple, the ‘Holiest of Holies,’ and that is the ark of the Covenant of the Lord. The journey of this special representation of deity, began from the wilderness of Sinai behind a tent curtain, later to be hoisted upon the shoulders of the Levites as the children of Israel cross the Jordan River to enter the land of promise. The ark of God stays at Bethel in Shiloh until the Philistines take it as a prize in battle for defeating the Israelites and return with it to Ashdod and place it in the temple of their god, Dagon.
The God of Israel punishes the Philistines and they place it on an ox cart with the proper sacrifices to atone for their deeds. The ark of the Lord is returned back to the territory of the land of Israel but it eventually ends up to dwell permanently in the land of Judah where King Solomon finally completes his father David’s heartfelt desire to build the Lord’s house where the ark will be placed within. Solomon does indeed finish building and dedicating the temple with the Ark of the Covenant and all the holy furnishings (Cp. I Kings 5 and II Chronicles 5). This is the last time that the ark is mentioned in Holy Writ except in the book of Revelation (Cp. Revelation 11: 19).
Exodus 25: 8, 10, 16, 21b
“And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.” And they shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long (3. 75 feet) and one and a half cubits wide (2. 25 feet), and one and a half cubits high [2. 25 feet].” “And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.”
21a, 22
“And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark. “And there I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, and from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony; I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
40: 20
He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
Deuteronomy 10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (NOTE: actually,‘Bezalel’ made it; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
31: 9
So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and to all the elders of Israel.
19, 26
Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.
Joshua 7: 6
The ark of the covenant of the Lord.
I Samuel 3: 1, 4
Word from the Lord was rare in those days and visions were infrequent. The temple of the Lord, where the ark was.
4: 3, 10
The ark of the covenant was at Shiloh and the Philistines defeated Israel and took the ark of God.
5: 1-2
The Philistines took the ark [of the Covenant] from Ebenezer (territory of Benjamin and the land of Judah) and brought it to Ashdod, placing it in the house of Dagon.
6: 18
Even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they sat the ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
15, 19
The Levites took down the ark of the Lord. Some of the men of Beth-Shemesh (territory and tribe of Judah) looked into the ark of the Lord and He struck down
50, 070 men of the people.
NOTE: This is like what happened to those Nazi soldiers and other government officials from Germany in the “Indiana Jones” movie.
7: 1-2
In Kiriath-jaarim (“Hebron;” tribe of ‘Dan’ in Judea??) the ark was brought to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and his son Eleazar was consecrated to keep the ark of the Lord.
14: 3, 18
And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli (Cp. I Samuel 1: 3), the priest of the Lord at Shiloh. . . Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here [Gibneah of Benjamin].” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel [at‘Shiloh’??].
II Samuel 6: 2-3a, 11a, 12a (Cp. I Chronicles 13: 1-14; 15 – 16)
And David arose and went with all the people from Baale Judah (“Kiriath-jearim”) to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts (YHVH Sabaoth), who dwells between the cherubim. So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with gladness.
7: 2
The king [David] said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark dwells inside tent curtains.”
I Kings 8: 1, 3-4, 9 (Cp. II Chronicles 5: 1-14)
Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
36: 7, 10a, 17-19
Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him [‘Jehoiachin’] and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the Lord [which ones??]. . . Therefore, He [“God’] brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on the young man or virgin, on the aged or on the weak; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small (Cp. v. 7; Daniel 1: 1-2??), and the treasures of the king and his leaders, these entire he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
NOTE: There is no mention of the ark of the Covenant, the Mercy seat with the golden cherubim, the Table of Showbread, the golden Lamp stand, the Altar of Incense or other precious items of having been taken to Babylon.
Ezra 1: 7, 11a
King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods. All the articles of gold and silver were five thousand four hundred.
NOTE: When the Philistines captured the ark of God and placed it in the temple of their god ‘Dagon,’ the people were plagued to such an extent that they were compelled to return it with an appropriate offering of golden tumors (??) to appease the wrath of the Lord; but such is not the case with God punishing the Babylonians and Chaldeans because at this time God used these nations to chastise rebellious Israel and Judah.
Finally, there is the curious passage in Jeremiah 3: 16, which states, “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days, “says the Lord, ‘that they shall say no more ‘the ark of the covenant of the Lord,’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The God of Israel punishes the Philistines and they place it on an ox cart with the proper sacrifices to atone for their deeds. The ark of the Lord is returned back to the territory of the land of Israel but it eventually ends up to dwell permanently in the land of Judah where King Solomon finally completes his father David’s heartfelt desire to build the Lord’s house where the ark will be placed within. Solomon does indeed finish building and dedicating the temple with the Ark of the Covenant and all the holy furnishings (Cp. I Kings 5 and II Chronicles 5). This is the last time that the ark is mentioned in Holy Writ except in the book of Revelation (Cp. Revelation 11: 19).
Exodus 25: 8, 10, 16, 21b
“And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.” And they shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long (3. 75 feet) and one and a half cubits wide (2. 25 feet), and one and a half cubits high [2. 25 feet].” “And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.”
21a, 22
“And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark. “And there I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, and from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony; I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
40: 20
He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
Deuteronomy 10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (NOTE: actually,‘Bezalel’ made it; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
31: 9
So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and to all the elders of Israel.
19, 26
Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.
Joshua 7: 6
The ark of the covenant of the Lord.
I Samuel 3: 1, 4
Word from the Lord was rare in those days and visions were infrequent. The temple of the Lord, where the ark was.
4: 3, 10
The ark of the covenant was at Shiloh and the Philistines defeated Israel and took the ark of God.
5: 1-2
The Philistines took the ark [of the Covenant] from Ebenezer (territory of Benjamin and the land of Judah) and brought it to Ashdod, placing it in the house of Dagon.
6: 18
Even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they sat the ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
15, 19
The Levites took down the ark of the Lord. Some of the men of Beth-Shemesh (territory and tribe of Judah) looked into the ark of the Lord and He struck down
50, 070 men of the people.
NOTE: This is like what happened to those Nazi soldiers and other government officials from Germany in the “Indiana Jones” movie.
7: 1-2
In Kiriath-jaarim (“Hebron;” tribe of ‘Dan’ in Judea??) the ark was brought to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and his son Eleazar was consecrated to keep the ark of the Lord.
14: 3, 18
And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli (Cp. I Samuel 1: 3), the priest of the Lord at Shiloh. . . Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here [Gibneah of Benjamin].” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel [at‘Shiloh’??].
II Samuel 6: 2-3a, 11a, 12a (Cp. I Chronicles 13: 1-14; 15 – 16)
And David arose and went with all the people from Baale Judah (“Kiriath-jearim”) to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts (YHVH Sabaoth), who dwells between the cherubim. So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with gladness.
7: 2
The king [David] said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark dwells inside tent curtains.”
I Kings 8: 1, 3-4, 9 (Cp. II Chronicles 5: 1-14)
Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
36: 7, 10a, 17-19
Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him [‘Jehoiachin’] and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the Lord [which ones??]. . . Therefore, He [“God’] brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on the young man or virgin, on the aged or on the weak; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small (Cp. v. 7; Daniel 1: 1-2??), and the treasures of the king and his leaders, these entire he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
NOTE: There is no mention of the ark of the Covenant, the Mercy seat with the golden cherubim, the Table of Showbread, the golden Lamp stand, the Altar of Incense or other precious items of having been taken to Babylon.
Ezra 1: 7, 11a
King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods. All the articles of gold and silver were five thousand four hundred.
NOTE: When the Philistines captured the ark of God and placed it in the temple of their god ‘Dagon,’ the people were plagued to such an extent that they were compelled to return it with an appropriate offering of golden tumors (??) to appease the wrath of the Lord; but such is not the case with God punishing the Babylonians and Chaldeans because at this time God used these nations to chastise rebellious Israel and Judah.
Finally, there is the curious passage in Jeremiah 3: 16, which states, “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days, “says the Lord, ‘that they shall say no more ‘the ark of the covenant of the Lord,’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 11, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Two Accounts of Creation (Part II)
The Two Accounts of Creation
PART II
In an earlier study (Part I), the synopsis of the Creation story seemed like an cataclysmic event of incomprehensible magnitude with: formless matter, order out of chaos, separation of Light from Darkness, the “Spirit” or ‘wind’ of God stirring up the unseen, invisible, and swirling cosmic energies, indefinite time periods called ‘Days’ or epochs, the creation of Heaven and Earth, vegetation, primeval life forms (fish, birds, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the field); the creation of ‘Man’ (“them”) in God’s image and likeness; not a man called “Adam” and a woman who was his helper called “Eve,” but rather male and female who were told to replenish the entire Earth over which they have the dominion. This account in GENESIS should not be read as a continuous narrative but rather as an interwoven and sophisticated portrayal that might have had several authors, revisions, sources, and which may have been written at different time periods by Jewish scribes, including possibly, during the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity of the inhabitants living within the lands of Israel and Judah, respectively.
GENESIS 2: 4
The history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the ‘Day’ that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens:
NOTE: This is the ‘Title’ and in the following story, the ‘Creator’ is the Lord God (‘YHVH’) who creates everything in an indefinite period called ‘Day’ with the ‘Earth’ seeming to get preeminence because it is mentioned before the ‘heavens’ in the latter phrase.
5
Before any plant of the field or any herb had grown (??). It had not rained on the earth and there was no ‘man’ to till the ground.
NOTE: Man was given a very mundane occupation as opposed to having dominion over the Earth in the other version.
7
The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the ‘breath of life’ and man became a living ‘soul’ (Heb. “Nephesh;” the same word applied to animals??)
NOTE: This differs from being created in God’s image and likeness (Cp.1: 26-27)
8
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and in there He put the man.
9
The Lord God made every tree to grow out of the ground that is (a) pleasant to the sight, and (b) good for food. The ‘Tree of Life’ was also in the midst of the garden, and also the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.’
16
And the Lord God commanded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die [‘dying, you shall die’??].
19
Out of the ground the Lord God formed every (5) beast of the field, and every (2) bird of the air.
NOTE: (1) sea creatures and (4) creeping things are not mentioned yet as in the First Chapter.
20
So Adam [not the ‘man’??] gave names to all (3) cattle, to all (2) birds of the air, and to every (5) beast of the field. The Lord created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs [Heb. ‘tsala;’ side or rib] where he [Adam] names her “Woman” [‘Ishah’] because she was taken out of “Man” [‘Ish’].
24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
NOTE: Did Adam really say this? Nevertheless, this statement is quoted in the Gospels by Jesus (Cp. Matthew 19: 5; Mark 10: 7-8a) and the Apostle Paul (Cp. Ephesians 5: 31).
25
And they were both ‘naked,’ the man and his wife and they were not ‘ashamed.’
NOTE: Why is this point even mentioned??
3: 1
The ‘Serpent’ was more cunning [‘subtil’??] than any (5) beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
NOTE: Did Adam name the serpent (v. 20), and wouldn’t the classification necessarily be that of a (4) creeping thing?
3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the ‘midst’ of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”
NOTE: Several things are worth noting here, namely, that the “Tree of Life” was in the midst of the garden as well as the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” and there was no such prohibition against ‘touching’ the forbidden tree; although it is quite possible that the injunction was so dire that even to brush up against it was a violation of God’s Law as far as Adam and Eve were concerned. Also, there is quite a distinction between ‘lest you die’ as opposed to ‘you shall surely die;’ even if it is just a matter of semantics.
4-5
The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die [which is actually what the Lord God said, except for that little added word, "NOT"].” For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing ‘Good and Evil.’
6
So when the woman saw the tree was (a) good for food, and that it was (b) pleasant to the sight, and a tree (c) desirable to make one wise, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
NOTE: When the serpent was having this conversation with Eve, was Adam just standing there next to her and didn’t interrupt? After Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, were her eyes opened at that instant and why did she not react differently after becoming aware of her “nakedness” before Adam and the ‘Serpent’? Lastly, one of the qualities for which the Lord God did not imbue the trees with was (c)“desirable to make one wise.”
7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked [and they knew good and evil??]
NOTE: It seems the ‘Serpent’ was right after all.
8b
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden.
10-11
So he [Adam] said, “I heard Your Voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree which I commanded that you should not eat?”
20
And Adam called his wife’s name “Eve” [‘Life’] because she was the mother of all living (??).
NOTE: Who else was there besides the primordial human pair, the animals and vegetation?
21
The Lord made tunics [‘coats’??] of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
NOTE: What kind of animal was skinned and the fur used to cover their nakedness or was it ‘skin’ itself that Adam and Eve were clothed with? Adam and Eve were never told to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth [in this account].
22
The Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us (vs. 5b, 7), to know ‘Good and Evil.’ And now, lest he put out his hand and also take from the ‘Tree of Life’ and eat, and live forever.
NOTE: Why does it not say the man and woman or Adam and Eve has become like deity, as well as the next thing that the fallen couple wanted to do was to obtain immortality and was prevented from doing so?
23-24
The Lord God sent him [Adam] out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He [the Lord God] drove out the man.
NOTE: Nothing is mentioned about Eve being driven from the garden at this time.
QUESTION:
When the Lord God said in the very day that the forbidden tree was eaten from that Adam would die, what kind of “death” is it, or rather, what is the particular character or nature of this death? Adam and Eve did not die that ‘day’ in the physical sense because they had Cain, Abel, Seth, and Adam in fact lived about 950 years; although how long Eve lived is not mentioned in Scripture, which is surprising. Perhaps the death which Adam and Eve experienced had something to do with fear of God, separation and hiding from God, shame, and most importantly, the word "sin" was not used.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
PART II
In an earlier study (Part I), the synopsis of the Creation story seemed like an cataclysmic event of incomprehensible magnitude with: formless matter, order out of chaos, separation of Light from Darkness, the “Spirit” or ‘wind’ of God stirring up the unseen, invisible, and swirling cosmic energies, indefinite time periods called ‘Days’ or epochs, the creation of Heaven and Earth, vegetation, primeval life forms (fish, birds, cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the field); the creation of ‘Man’ (“them”) in God’s image and likeness; not a man called “Adam” and a woman who was his helper called “Eve,” but rather male and female who were told to replenish the entire Earth over which they have the dominion. This account in GENESIS should not be read as a continuous narrative but rather as an interwoven and sophisticated portrayal that might have had several authors, revisions, sources, and which may have been written at different time periods by Jewish scribes, including possibly, during the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity of the inhabitants living within the lands of Israel and Judah, respectively.
GENESIS 2: 4
The history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the ‘Day’ that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens:
NOTE: This is the ‘Title’ and in the following story, the ‘Creator’ is the Lord God (‘YHVH’) who creates everything in an indefinite period called ‘Day’ with the ‘Earth’ seeming to get preeminence because it is mentioned before the ‘heavens’ in the latter phrase.
5
Before any plant of the field or any herb had grown (??). It had not rained on the earth and there was no ‘man’ to till the ground.
NOTE: Man was given a very mundane occupation as opposed to having dominion over the Earth in the other version.
7
The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the ‘breath of life’ and man became a living ‘soul’ (Heb. “Nephesh;” the same word applied to animals??)
NOTE: This differs from being created in God’s image and likeness (Cp.1: 26-27)
8
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and in there He put the man.
9
The Lord God made every tree to grow out of the ground that is (a) pleasant to the sight, and (b) good for food. The ‘Tree of Life’ was also in the midst of the garden, and also the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.’
16
And the Lord God commanded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die [‘dying, you shall die’??].
19
Out of the ground the Lord God formed every (5) beast of the field, and every (2) bird of the air.
NOTE: (1) sea creatures and (4) creeping things are not mentioned yet as in the First Chapter.
20
So Adam [not the ‘man’??] gave names to all (3) cattle, to all (2) birds of the air, and to every (5) beast of the field. The Lord created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs [Heb. ‘tsala;’ side or rib] where he [Adam] names her “Woman” [‘Ishah’] because she was taken out of “Man” [‘Ish’].
24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
NOTE: Did Adam really say this? Nevertheless, this statement is quoted in the Gospels by Jesus (Cp. Matthew 19: 5; Mark 10: 7-8a) and the Apostle Paul (Cp. Ephesians 5: 31).
25
And they were both ‘naked,’ the man and his wife and they were not ‘ashamed.’
NOTE: Why is this point even mentioned??
3: 1
The ‘Serpent’ was more cunning [‘subtil’??] than any (5) beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
NOTE: Did Adam name the serpent (v. 20), and wouldn’t the classification necessarily be that of a (4) creeping thing?
3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the ‘midst’ of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”
NOTE: Several things are worth noting here, namely, that the “Tree of Life” was in the midst of the garden as well as the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” and there was no such prohibition against ‘touching’ the forbidden tree; although it is quite possible that the injunction was so dire that even to brush up against it was a violation of God’s Law as far as Adam and Eve were concerned. Also, there is quite a distinction between ‘lest you die’ as opposed to ‘you shall surely die;’ even if it is just a matter of semantics.
4-5
The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die [which is actually what the Lord God said, except for that little added word, "NOT"].” For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing ‘Good and Evil.’
6
So when the woman saw the tree was (a) good for food, and that it was (b) pleasant to the sight, and a tree (c) desirable to make one wise, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
NOTE: When the serpent was having this conversation with Eve, was Adam just standing there next to her and didn’t interrupt? After Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, were her eyes opened at that instant and why did she not react differently after becoming aware of her “nakedness” before Adam and the ‘Serpent’? Lastly, one of the qualities for which the Lord God did not imbue the trees with was (c)“desirable to make one wise.”
7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked [and they knew good and evil??]
NOTE: It seems the ‘Serpent’ was right after all.
8b
Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden.
10-11
So he [Adam] said, “I heard Your Voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree which I commanded that you should not eat?”
20
And Adam called his wife’s name “Eve” [‘Life’] because she was the mother of all living (??).
NOTE: Who else was there besides the primordial human pair, the animals and vegetation?
21
The Lord made tunics [‘coats’??] of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
NOTE: What kind of animal was skinned and the fur used to cover their nakedness or was it ‘skin’ itself that Adam and Eve were clothed with? Adam and Eve were never told to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth [in this account].
22
The Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us (vs. 5b, 7), to know ‘Good and Evil.’ And now, lest he put out his hand and also take from the ‘Tree of Life’ and eat, and live forever.
NOTE: Why does it not say the man and woman or Adam and Eve has become like deity, as well as the next thing that the fallen couple wanted to do was to obtain immortality and was prevented from doing so?
23-24
The Lord God sent him [Adam] out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He [the Lord God] drove out the man.
NOTE: Nothing is mentioned about Eve being driven from the garden at this time.
QUESTION:
When the Lord God said in the very day that the forbidden tree was eaten from that Adam would die, what kind of “death” is it, or rather, what is the particular character or nature of this death? Adam and Eve did not die that ‘day’ in the physical sense because they had Cain, Abel, Seth, and Adam in fact lived about 950 years; although how long Eve lived is not mentioned in Scripture, which is surprising. Perhaps the death which Adam and Eve experienced had something to do with fear of God, separation and hiding from God, shame, and most importantly, the word "sin" was not used.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 7, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Two Accounts of Creation (PART I)
PART I
Genesis 1: 1
In the beginning God (‘Elohim’) created the heavens and the earth:
2
The earth was without form and void (Cp. Jeremiah 4: 23), darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. NOTE: Like the Hindu deity ‘Vishnu’ as well as the existence of ‘matter’ without form; the Hindu ‘Absolute,’ Dark Matter and cosmic or ‘dark’ energy.
3
And God said, “Let Light become.”
4
God divided the Light from the Darkness.
5
The Light called ‘DAY’ and the Darkness called ‘NIGHT.’ Evening and morning was the FIRST DAY.
NOTE: The Days and Nights of Creation comparable to the Hindu religion version by the god ‘Brahma’??
6
God said, “Let there be a firmament (‘expanse’) in the midst of the waters, let it divide the waters from the waters.
7
God divided the waters under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.
8
God called the firmament [above] Heaven. Evening and morning was the SECOND DAY.
9
God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together in one place; let the dry land appear.
10
God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas.
11
God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, the fruit tree that yields fruit in itself.
NOTE: All of this before sunlight or rain??
13
Evening and morning was the THIRD DAY.
14
God said, “Let Light become in the firmament of the heavens to divide the Day from the Night, and let them (??) become for signs, seasons, days, and years.
NOTE: The chronology for the Earth seems to be a ‘Lunar’ (Night to Day) one, according to the cosmic cycle.
16
God made two great Lights: The greater Light to rule the Day and the lesser Light to rule the Night; He made the stars also.
17-18
God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the Day and the Night; and to divide the Light from the Darkness (v. 4).
19
The evening and morning was the FOURTH DAY.
20
God said, “Let the waters abound with (1) living creatures, (2) birds flying across the firmament of the heavens.
21
God created great (1) sea creatures [‘Leviathan’??], every (2) winged bird.
NOTE: It is to be stated that not all birds have wings or can fly.
23
Evening and morning was the FIFTH DAY.
24
God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creatures: (3) cattle, (4) creeping things and (5) beasts of the earth.
NOTE: Does this include the ‘Serpent’ (Cp. 2: 17-18)??
26
God said, “Let Us create ‘Man’ in Our Image, according to Our likeness; Let ‘them’
have dominion over (1) fish, (2) birds, (3) cattle, every (4) creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
NOTE: Man was not given dominion over the (5) beasts of the earth??
27
God created ‘Man’ in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created ‘them.’
28a
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful; fill (‘replenish;’ “KJV, ASV”) the earth and subdue it.
Replenish 2 a; to fill something that had been previously emptied.
29
God said to them, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed, every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
NOTE: The original diet of primordial humankind was that of being ‘omnivores.’
31
Then God saw everything that He had made; and indeed it was very good. The evening and morning was the SIXTH DAY.
Genesis 2: 1
Thus the Heavens and the Earth, and all the host of them were finished.
PART I
(End)
Postscript:
2: 2
God ended His work of the SEVENTH DAY AND RESTED FROM ALL His work which He had done.
3
God blessed the ‘seventh day’ and sanctified it because in “it” He rested from all His work which God created and made.
NOTE: There is no mention of a garden of Eden, talking Serpent, Tree of Life, Tree of Good and Evil, or anything about being ‘naked,’ sword-wielding cherubim, hearing the sound [‘Logos;’ “Word”] of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, or any curse, whatsoever.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 4, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Genesis 1: 1
In the beginning God (‘Elohim’) created the heavens and the earth:
2
The earth was without form and void (Cp. Jeremiah 4: 23), darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. NOTE: Like the Hindu deity ‘Vishnu’ as well as the existence of ‘matter’ without form; the Hindu ‘Absolute,’ Dark Matter and cosmic or ‘dark’ energy.
3
And God said, “Let Light become.”
4
God divided the Light from the Darkness.
5
The Light called ‘DAY’ and the Darkness called ‘NIGHT.’ Evening and morning was the FIRST DAY.
NOTE: The Days and Nights of Creation comparable to the Hindu religion version by the god ‘Brahma’??
6
God said, “Let there be a firmament (‘expanse’) in the midst of the waters, let it divide the waters from the waters.
7
God divided the waters under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.
8
God called the firmament [above] Heaven. Evening and morning was the SECOND DAY.
9
God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together in one place; let the dry land appear.
10
God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas.
11
God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, the fruit tree that yields fruit in itself.
NOTE: All of this before sunlight or rain??
13
Evening and morning was the THIRD DAY.
14
God said, “Let Light become in the firmament of the heavens to divide the Day from the Night, and let them (??) become for signs, seasons, days, and years.
NOTE: The chronology for the Earth seems to be a ‘Lunar’ (Night to Day) one, according to the cosmic cycle.
16
God made two great Lights: The greater Light to rule the Day and the lesser Light to rule the Night; He made the stars also.
17-18
God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the Day and the Night; and to divide the Light from the Darkness (v. 4).
19
The evening and morning was the FOURTH DAY.
20
God said, “Let the waters abound with (1) living creatures, (2) birds flying across the firmament of the heavens.
21
God created great (1) sea creatures [‘Leviathan’??], every (2) winged bird.
NOTE: It is to be stated that not all birds have wings or can fly.
23
Evening and morning was the FIFTH DAY.
24
God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creatures: (3) cattle, (4) creeping things and (5) beasts of the earth.
NOTE: Does this include the ‘Serpent’ (Cp. 2: 17-18)??
26
God said, “Let Us create ‘Man’ in Our Image, according to Our likeness; Let ‘them’
have dominion over (1) fish, (2) birds, (3) cattle, every (4) creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
NOTE: Man was not given dominion over the (5) beasts of the earth??
27
God created ‘Man’ in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created ‘them.’
28a
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful; fill (‘replenish;’ “KJV, ASV”) the earth and subdue it.
Replenish 2 a; to fill something that had been previously emptied.
29
God said to them, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed, every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
NOTE: The original diet of primordial humankind was that of being ‘omnivores.’
31
Then God saw everything that He had made; and indeed it was very good. The evening and morning was the SIXTH DAY.
Genesis 2: 1
Thus the Heavens and the Earth, and all the host of them were finished.
PART I
(End)
Postscript:
2: 2
God ended His work of the SEVENTH DAY AND RESTED FROM ALL His work which He had done.
3
God blessed the ‘seventh day’ and sanctified it because in “it” He rested from all His work which God created and made.
NOTE: There is no mention of a garden of Eden, talking Serpent, Tree of Life, Tree of Good and Evil, or anything about being ‘naked,’ sword-wielding cherubim, hearing the sound [‘Logos;’ “Word”] of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, or any curse, whatsoever.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 4, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Are Christian Religious Symbols a Form of Idolatry?
There is hardly a more universally recognizable sign associated with the Lord Jesus Christ than the ‘Cross.’ The sight of it evokes deep solemnity, reverence, guilt, and shame as believers the world over reflect on the agonizing suffering, shame, humiliation, and death by crucifixion that Jesus endured for sinful humanity. Be that as it may, is the most sacred symbol of ‘Christendom’ acceptable in the sight of God? The problem is, it doesn’t just stop with this one symbol because dozens of icons have been created by man’s imagination over the centuries to include animals, numbers, letters, and presumably inspired religious paintings and sculptures. The steeples and spires of Christian houses of worship and cathedrals are so lofty and stained-glass windows are adorned with ornate pictures of angels or a European concept of divinity, as to give witness to true holiness; but is there any Biblical guideline to such a practice, whether implied or directly stated?
Exodus 20: 22a(i), 23
Then the Lord said to Moses, “You shall not make anything to be with Me- gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.
Deuteronomy 4: 15-18
Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or any bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.
One of the drawbacks with the veneration of Christian iconography is that it may tend to draw attention away from the devotion and honor due solely to the ‘Creator’ by vicariously imbuing the object with a sort of “specialness” and rob God of the glory which He is due. Remember Exodus 20: 5a, where it reads: You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Were all these emblems not associated with God in some way or another, they would not hold the value that they do and not draw our attention, interest, nor would we cherish them the way that we do.
Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that God is invisible, transcendent, immortal and incorporeal, which poses difficulty for a human who is by nature physical and finite. Our mind cannot conceptualize the Divine nature (“immateriality”) in any objective and tangible way and it leaves us feeling unconnected and incomplete; especially considering the Scriptural revelation that God created ‘Man’ in His image and likeness. Although one can be critical of the pagan religions as being superstitious but are we any more enlightened than they were? Take as an example, the people’s EXHIBIT A against the ancients:
Numbers 21: 8
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
II Kings 18: 4
He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called[a] Or He called it Nehushtan. [b] Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for bronze and snake and unclean thing. ).
The Israelites had forgotten the true purpose and meaning of the brass snake over their subsequent generations and began to worship it as a ‘god.’ Of course it is easy to condemn the people of old for their ignorance and traditions while at the same time Christianity today is incorporated with pagan Western European, Anglo-Saxon, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, etc. religious symbols, practices or holidays and many believers don’t even realize it. If one really wants to see a symbol of God, then look in the mirror of the eyes of your neighbor and you will be able to see God very distinctly and clearly.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Exodus 20: 22a(i), 23
Then the Lord said to Moses, “You shall not make anything to be with Me- gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.
Deuteronomy 4: 15-18
Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or any bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.
One of the drawbacks with the veneration of Christian iconography is that it may tend to draw attention away from the devotion and honor due solely to the ‘Creator’ by vicariously imbuing the object with a sort of “specialness” and rob God of the glory which He is due. Remember Exodus 20: 5a, where it reads: You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Were all these emblems not associated with God in some way or another, they would not hold the value that they do and not draw our attention, interest, nor would we cherish them the way that we do.
Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that God is invisible, transcendent, immortal and incorporeal, which poses difficulty for a human who is by nature physical and finite. Our mind cannot conceptualize the Divine nature (“immateriality”) in any objective and tangible way and it leaves us feeling unconnected and incomplete; especially considering the Scriptural revelation that God created ‘Man’ in His image and likeness. Although one can be critical of the pagan religions as being superstitious but are we any more enlightened than they were? Take as an example, the people’s EXHIBIT A against the ancients:
Numbers 21: 8
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
II Kings 18: 4
He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called[a] Or He called it Nehushtan. [b] Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for bronze and snake and unclean thing. ).
The Israelites had forgotten the true purpose and meaning of the brass snake over their subsequent generations and began to worship it as a ‘god.’ Of course it is easy to condemn the people of old for their ignorance and traditions while at the same time Christianity today is incorporated with pagan Western European, Anglo-Saxon, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, etc. religious symbols, practices or holidays and many believers don’t even realize it. If one really wants to see a symbol of God, then look in the mirror of the eyes of your neighbor and you will be able to see God very distinctly and clearly.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Jesus Christ as the Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophesy?
Although orthodox and rabbinical Judaism as well as fundamental Christian believers accept the Old Testament as the sacred and inspired word of God, yet both religions interpret the prophetic utterances radically different. This conclusion is never more apparent when it pertains to those holy writings which depict the coming of the ‘Messiah’ or “Savior,” and the blessed hope which all of the followers of these ‘Faiths’ anticipate. For the Jews, it is the restoration of the Temple with its sacrifices, reestablishment of the Davidic Monarchy over a united Israel (Judah and the Lost Tribes of Israel); Israel living as an independent and separate nation within their own borders and on the land promised to them through the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and to be delivered from the yoke or control of foreign nations (Gentiles or “goyiim”) by a Mighty One or Savior, a descendant of the royal house of David, and Who is to be King and the Ruler over all Israel.
The Christian, however, looks forward to the return of the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the Son of God, Who will judge the good and evil deeds done in the earth, destroy the devil and the wicked angels, abolish Death & Hell, and take those faithful and martyred saints who have been faithful in keeping His commandments to go live with Him eternally in heaven. Jesus will resurrect those bodies that have been buried and turned to dust to receive their reward, and those who are appointed for salvation and in the kingdom of God will receive immortality and have their bodies transformed to be like that of our Savior just as the ones who are alive and will be changed from physical substance to spiritual substance in an instant.
One of the more intriguing and surprising things is the very few references in the New Testament outside of the Gospels, in which the Old Testament Scriptures as proof, specifically stating that Jesus is the highly exalted Son of God, His only-begotten who sits at His right hand [of power]. In searching the N.T. books from ACTS to REVELATIONS, only ACTS is the more comprehensive of any known canonical material sources in the ‘Church Age’ that mention Jesus Christ as revealed in the O.T. Prophets writings.
ACTS
2: 33a
Men and brethren let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He will raise up the Christ to sit on His throne (Cp. Psalms 132: 11); he foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, neither did His flesh see corruption (Cp. Psalms 16: 10). This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God.
34-36
For David did not ascend into heaven, but he says himself, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool
(Cp. Psalms 110: 1).“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
3: 18, 26
But those things which God foretold by the mouth of the prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has fulfilled. To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities (Cp. Isaiah 53: 5, 11).
8: 26-34
NOTE: The Holy Spirit led Philip toward the south along a desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza, where he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a treasurer under Queen Candace, who was a worshiper of God and was returning from Jerusalem. The eunuch was reading from the O.T. book of Isaiah while riding in his chariot where the Holy Spirit told Philip to join himself to this man’s chariot.
35
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at the same Scripture (Isaiah 53: 7b-8), preached Jesus to him.
NOTE: This is the ‘ONLY’ place in the entire New Testament where such an explicit example of using a passage from O.T. Scripture where someone explains that Jesus is whom the prophet is directly referring to, and on top of that, the person is baptized.
9: 20; 17: 2-3; 18: 5b, 19; 19: 1b, 8
Immediately he [Saul or ‘Paul’] preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures [Jewish O.T.], explaining and demonstrating that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ. Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. And he came to Ephesus, and left them [Aquila & Priscilla] there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
NOTE: It would have been helpful to know what O.T. Scriptures Paul used or did he expound on this great ‘Truth’ by logic and rhetorical skills of persuasive argumentation based upon teachings from the oral ‘Torah,’ which was considered just as authoritative as the written Law given to Moses, since he studied at the feet of the famous Jewish rabbi, Gamaliel (Cp. Acts 5: 34; 22: 3).
ROMANS
15: 12
And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.
NOTE: Isaiah actually says (11: 1, 10):
“A shoot will come forth from the stem of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”
HEBREWS
1: 1-3
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through who also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Cp. Acts 2: 35; Psalms 110: 1).
5-6
To which of the angels (??) did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You (Psalms 2: 7)? And again: [I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son].
NOTE: The bracketed quotation is not found anywhere in the Old Testament; as far as I have been able to determine.
8-9
But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness [‘iniquity’]; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your companions (??). {Psalms 45: 6-7}
10-12
You Lord, in the beginning laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands (Cp. Psalms 102: 25). They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.
13
But to which of the angels (??) has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” (Cp. Acts 2: 35 & Psalms 110: 1)
II PETER
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
(Cp. Psalms 118: 22)
A few things worth noting is that for the Jews it seems, perhaps, as though there is no concept of an afterlife and any type of bodily resurrection might seem rather odd because the O.T. Scriptures do not appear to pinpoint to such an event. In fact, death was something viewed as quite morbid and even the words used to describe it; ‘Sheol’ (the grave, pit, darkness) carried with it a sense of fear, dread, foreboding, terror, and despair.
Even King Solomon, one of the wisest men to have ever lived, reflected the contemporary philosophical perspective of ‘Life’ in this way: For what happens to the sons of men also happens to the animals; one thing befalls them [all]; as one dies, so does the other. Surely they have one breath; man has no advantage over animals. For all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all return to the dust. Who knows whether the spirit of the sons of men goes upward and whether the spirit of the animals goes downward to the earth?
To the believing Christian however, this perspective is rejected as absurd, ‘fatalistic,’ depressing, and it is totally contrary to the hope we have in Jesus; to wit, the resurrection of the body and bestowal of the gift of immortality, and to live in God’s presence forevermore. Not only that, but Christians believe that in death, one goes to a better place awaiting the Great Day of Judgment and in the meanwhile are in some non-physical existence where we are aware of the activities in the land of the living.
Lastly, one final point; the citations from the Old Testament that are used by the Gospel authors and sources, some of which are different in this study, such as (Psalms132: 11: 16: 10; 110: 1; Psalms 2: 7b; Isaiah 11: 1, 10; 45: 6-7; Psalms 102: 25-27). The most frequent references appear to be found anywhere are possibly those in Isaiah 50 & 53 and Psalms 22 & 118.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 25, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The Christian, however, looks forward to the return of the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the Son of God, Who will judge the good and evil deeds done in the earth, destroy the devil and the wicked angels, abolish Death & Hell, and take those faithful and martyred saints who have been faithful in keeping His commandments to go live with Him eternally in heaven. Jesus will resurrect those bodies that have been buried and turned to dust to receive their reward, and those who are appointed for salvation and in the kingdom of God will receive immortality and have their bodies transformed to be like that of our Savior just as the ones who are alive and will be changed from physical substance to spiritual substance in an instant.
One of the more intriguing and surprising things is the very few references in the New Testament outside of the Gospels, in which the Old Testament Scriptures as proof, specifically stating that Jesus is the highly exalted Son of God, His only-begotten who sits at His right hand [of power]. In searching the N.T. books from ACTS to REVELATIONS, only ACTS is the more comprehensive of any known canonical material sources in the ‘Church Age’ that mention Jesus Christ as revealed in the O.T. Prophets writings.
ACTS
2: 33a
Men and brethren let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He will raise up the Christ to sit on His throne (Cp. Psalms 132: 11); he foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, neither did His flesh see corruption (Cp. Psalms 16: 10). This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God.
34-36
For David did not ascend into heaven, but he says himself, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool
(Cp. Psalms 110: 1).“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
3: 18, 26
But those things which God foretold by the mouth of the prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has fulfilled. To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities (Cp. Isaiah 53: 5, 11).
8: 26-34
NOTE: The Holy Spirit led Philip toward the south along a desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza, where he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a treasurer under Queen Candace, who was a worshiper of God and was returning from Jerusalem. The eunuch was reading from the O.T. book of Isaiah while riding in his chariot where the Holy Spirit told Philip to join himself to this man’s chariot.
35
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at the same Scripture (Isaiah 53: 7b-8), preached Jesus to him.
NOTE: This is the ‘ONLY’ place in the entire New Testament where such an explicit example of using a passage from O.T. Scripture where someone explains that Jesus is whom the prophet is directly referring to, and on top of that, the person is baptized.
9: 20; 17: 2-3; 18: 5b, 19; 19: 1b, 8
Immediately he [Saul or ‘Paul’] preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures [Jewish O.T.], explaining and demonstrating that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ. Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. And he came to Ephesus, and left them [Aquila & Priscilla] there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
NOTE: It would have been helpful to know what O.T. Scriptures Paul used or did he expound on this great ‘Truth’ by logic and rhetorical skills of persuasive argumentation based upon teachings from the oral ‘Torah,’ which was considered just as authoritative as the written Law given to Moses, since he studied at the feet of the famous Jewish rabbi, Gamaliel (Cp. Acts 5: 34; 22: 3).
ROMANS
15: 12
And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.
NOTE: Isaiah actually says (11: 1, 10):
“A shoot will come forth from the stem of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”
HEBREWS
1: 1-3
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through who also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Cp. Acts 2: 35; Psalms 110: 1).
5-6
To which of the angels (??) did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You (Psalms 2: 7)? And again: [I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son].
NOTE: The bracketed quotation is not found anywhere in the Old Testament; as far as I have been able to determine.
8-9
But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness [‘iniquity’]; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your companions (??). {Psalms 45: 6-7}
10-12
You Lord, in the beginning laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands (Cp. Psalms 102: 25). They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.
13
But to which of the angels (??) has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” (Cp. Acts 2: 35 & Psalms 110: 1)
II PETER
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
(Cp. Psalms 118: 22)
A few things worth noting is that for the Jews it seems, perhaps, as though there is no concept of an afterlife and any type of bodily resurrection might seem rather odd because the O.T. Scriptures do not appear to pinpoint to such an event. In fact, death was something viewed as quite morbid and even the words used to describe it; ‘Sheol’ (the grave, pit, darkness) carried with it a sense of fear, dread, foreboding, terror, and despair.
Even King Solomon, one of the wisest men to have ever lived, reflected the contemporary philosophical perspective of ‘Life’ in this way: For what happens to the sons of men also happens to the animals; one thing befalls them [all]; as one dies, so does the other. Surely they have one breath; man has no advantage over animals. For all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all return to the dust. Who knows whether the spirit of the sons of men goes upward and whether the spirit of the animals goes downward to the earth?
To the believing Christian however, this perspective is rejected as absurd, ‘fatalistic,’ depressing, and it is totally contrary to the hope we have in Jesus; to wit, the resurrection of the body and bestowal of the gift of immortality, and to live in God’s presence forevermore. Not only that, but Christians believe that in death, one goes to a better place awaiting the Great Day of Judgment and in the meanwhile are in some non-physical existence where we are aware of the activities in the land of the living.
Lastly, one final point; the citations from the Old Testament that are used by the Gospel authors and sources, some of which are different in this study, such as (Psalms132: 11: 16: 10; 110: 1; Psalms 2: 7b; Isaiah 11: 1, 10; 45: 6-7; Psalms 102: 25-27). The most frequent references appear to be found anywhere are possibly those in Isaiah 50 & 53 and Psalms 22 & 118.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 25, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Jewish O.T. Prophesies of Jesus Christ found in the N.T. Gospels
It is an almost no-brainer for those believers of the Christian faith in the inerrancy of the Old Testament Scriptures, most specifically the Prophets, in foretelling the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; but the question is how did each of the Gospel sources view this grand and blessed event and what writings of the Prophets were utilized to attest to God’s promise of the anointed Messiah and descendant of David to sit on the throne and be Ruler over Israel.
The book of MATTHEW will be used as the basis for this study since it contains the most consistently relevant record of Messianic prophecies and a numbering system from 1 to 14 will be used to keep all Biblical citations in some kind of consistent order. The other references in MARK thru JOHN are listed in the order in which the events occur using their sources, but the numerical coding is still based on MATTHEW’S chronology.
MATTHEW
3: 3
(1) Isaiah 40: 3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4: 14-16
(2) Isaiah 9: 1b-2
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; By way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who walked in darkness saw a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a great light has shown.
12: 17-21
(3) Isaiah 42: 1-4
Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My Soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break; and a smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth [He will not fail or be discouraged], till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands [‘Gentiles’] shall wait for His law. In His name the Gentiles will trust.
21: 4-5
(4) Zechariah 9: 9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; [He is just and having salvation], lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
9
(5) Psalms 118: 26a
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord [Hosanna to the Son of David].
42
(6) Psalms 118: 22-23
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
(Cp. I Peter 2: 7). This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
26: 31, 56
(7) Zechariah 13: 7b
Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
57-63a
(8) Isaiah 53: 7-8a
He was oppressed and He was afflicted; Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth; He was taken from prison to judgment.
63b-65
(9) Daniel 7: 13-14
I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came before the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom; that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.
67-68; 27: 27-31
(10) Isaiah 50: 6
I gave My back to those who struck Me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
27: 34, 48
(11) Psalms 69: 21
They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
35
(12) Psalms 22: 18
They divide My garments among them. And My clothing they cast lots.
46
(13) Psalms 22: 1
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? [Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning].
60
(14) Isaiah 53: 9a
And they made His grave with the wicked- but with the rich at His death.
MARK
1: 3; 11: 9-10; 12: 10-11;
(1) Isaiah 40: 3; (5) Psalms 118: 26a; (6) Psalms 118: 22-23;
14: 27, 50; 60-61a; 14: 65 & 15: 17-20;
(7) Zechariah 13: 7;(9) Daniel 7: 13-14; (10) Isaiah 50: 6b;
15: 23, 36; 24; 34;
(11) Psalms 69: 21; (12) Psalms 22: 18; (13) Psalms 22: 1;
46
(14) Isaiah 53: 9a
LUKE
3: 4-6; 13: 35b & 19: 38; 20: 17;
(1) Isaiah 40: 3-5; (5) Psalms 118: 26a; (6) Psalms 118: 22;
22: 37
(14) ‘Isaiah 53: 9, 12b
22: 63-65; 66-71; 23: 24b;
(10) Isaiah 50: 6; (9) Daniel 7: 13-14; (12) Psalms 22: 18;
23: 35 (??)
Psalms 22: 17
I count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
36
(11) Psalms 69: 21
JOHN
1: 22-23
(1) Isaiah 40: 3
7: 41-42
*Micah 5: 2*
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from Everlasting.
12: 13; 14-15;
(5) Psalms 118: 25-26; (4) Zechariah 9: 9;
34
*Micah 4: 7b & Isaiah 9: 7*
So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. NOTE: This passage is a fusion of both references in Micah and Isaiah, and it is probably the only place here where such a technique is used in the New Testament Gospels in such a manner.
16: 32; 19: 3; 7-9;
(7) Zechariah 13: 7b; (10) Isaiah 50: 6b; (8) Isaiah 53: 7;
18
Isaiah 53: 12b (i)
And He was numbered with the transgressors (Cp. Luke 22: 37).
19: 24; 28-30;
(12) Psalms 22: 18; (11) Psalms 69: 2;
John 19: 36
Psalms 34: 20
He guards all His bones; not one of them is broken. NOTE: This is very similar to the quote found in ‘Psalms 22: 17a’.
37
Zechariah 12: 10b (i)??
They look and stare at me. They will look on me who they pierced.
NOTE: (Cp. ‘Luke 23: 36; Psalms 22: 17a’)
There are a few things worth noting, and that is, aside from the book of MATTHEW as the source, MARK excludes #’s 2, 3, 4, 8; LUKE doesn’t use #’s 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 13 and 14; JOHN omits #’s 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14. Additionally, of the major prophesies found in Isaiah, Psalms, Zechariah, and Daniel, LUKE has no references from Zechariah and JOHN doesn’t include any citations from Daniel, but he does quote the prophet ‘Micah’.
There is remarkable consistency in all the Gospel accounts and gives more weight to the author or sources which MATTHEW used because essentially all the other Significant prophesies about Jesus by MARK, LUKE, and JOHN are found in MATTHEW. Finally, MATTHEW quotes Isaiah 9: 1b and 42: 1-4 that are not used by anybody else. LUKE and JOHN are the only ones to use Isaiah 9: 7; 53: 12b(i), and JOHN exclusively quotes not only from the book of Micah (4: 7b; 5:2), but also Psalms 34: 20 and Zechariah 12: 10b; 13: 6.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
The book of MATTHEW will be used as the basis for this study since it contains the most consistently relevant record of Messianic prophecies and a numbering system from 1 to 14 will be used to keep all Biblical citations in some kind of consistent order. The other references in MARK thru JOHN are listed in the order in which the events occur using their sources, but the numerical coding is still based on MATTHEW’S chronology.
MATTHEW
3: 3
(1) Isaiah 40: 3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4: 14-16
(2) Isaiah 9: 1b-2
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; By way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who walked in darkness saw a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a great light has shown.
12: 17-21
(3) Isaiah 42: 1-4
Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My Soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break; and a smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth [He will not fail or be discouraged], till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands [‘Gentiles’] shall wait for His law. In His name the Gentiles will trust.
21: 4-5
(4) Zechariah 9: 9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; [He is just and having salvation], lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
9
(5) Psalms 118: 26a
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord [Hosanna to the Son of David].
42
(6) Psalms 118: 22-23
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
(Cp. I Peter 2: 7). This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
26: 31, 56
(7) Zechariah 13: 7b
Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
57-63a
(8) Isaiah 53: 7-8a
He was oppressed and He was afflicted; Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth; He was taken from prison to judgment.
63b-65
(9) Daniel 7: 13-14
I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came before the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom; that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.
67-68; 27: 27-31
(10) Isaiah 50: 6
I gave My back to those who struck Me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
27: 34, 48
(11) Psalms 69: 21
They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
35
(12) Psalms 22: 18
They divide My garments among them. And My clothing they cast lots.
46
(13) Psalms 22: 1
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? [Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning].
60
(14) Isaiah 53: 9a
And they made His grave with the wicked- but with the rich at His death.
MARK
1: 3; 11: 9-10; 12: 10-11;
(1) Isaiah 40: 3; (5) Psalms 118: 26a; (6) Psalms 118: 22-23;
14: 27, 50; 60-61a; 14: 65 & 15: 17-20;
(7) Zechariah 13: 7;(9) Daniel 7: 13-14; (10) Isaiah 50: 6b;
15: 23, 36; 24; 34;
(11) Psalms 69: 21; (12) Psalms 22: 18; (13) Psalms 22: 1;
46
(14) Isaiah 53: 9a
LUKE
3: 4-6; 13: 35b & 19: 38; 20: 17;
(1) Isaiah 40: 3-5; (5) Psalms 118: 26a; (6) Psalms 118: 22;
22: 37
(14) ‘Isaiah 53: 9, 12b
22: 63-65; 66-71; 23: 24b;
(10) Isaiah 50: 6; (9) Daniel 7: 13-14; (12) Psalms 22: 18;
23: 35 (??)
Psalms 22: 17
I count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
36
(11) Psalms 69: 21
JOHN
1: 22-23
(1) Isaiah 40: 3
7: 41-42
*Micah 5: 2*
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from Everlasting.
12: 13; 14-15;
(5) Psalms 118: 25-26; (4) Zechariah 9: 9;
34
*Micah 4: 7b & Isaiah 9: 7*
So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. NOTE: This passage is a fusion of both references in Micah and Isaiah, and it is probably the only place here where such a technique is used in the New Testament Gospels in such a manner.
16: 32; 19: 3; 7-9;
(7) Zechariah 13: 7b; (10) Isaiah 50: 6b; (8) Isaiah 53: 7;
18
Isaiah 53: 12b (i)
And He was numbered with the transgressors (Cp. Luke 22: 37).
19: 24; 28-30;
(12) Psalms 22: 18; (11) Psalms 69: 2;
John 19: 36
Psalms 34: 20
He guards all His bones; not one of them is broken. NOTE: This is very similar to the quote found in ‘Psalms 22: 17a’.
37
Zechariah 12: 10b (i)??
They look and stare at me. They will look on me who they pierced.
NOTE: (Cp. ‘Luke 23: 36; Psalms 22: 17a’)
There are a few things worth noting, and that is, aside from the book of MATTHEW as the source, MARK excludes #’s 2, 3, 4, 8; LUKE doesn’t use #’s 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 13 and 14; JOHN omits #’s 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14. Additionally, of the major prophesies found in Isaiah, Psalms, Zechariah, and Daniel, LUKE has no references from Zechariah and JOHN doesn’t include any citations from Daniel, but he does quote the prophet ‘Micah’.
There is remarkable consistency in all the Gospel accounts and gives more weight to the author or sources which MATTHEW used because essentially all the other Significant prophesies about Jesus by MARK, LUKE, and JOHN are found in MATTHEW. Finally, MATTHEW quotes Isaiah 9: 1b and 42: 1-4 that are not used by anybody else. LUKE and JOHN are the only ones to use Isaiah 9: 7; 53: 12b(i), and JOHN exclusively quotes not only from the book of Micah (4: 7b; 5:2), but also Psalms 34: 20 and Zechariah 12: 10b; 13: 6.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Chronology of the Parables of Jesus
In an earlier study to determine the narrative sources for the Gospels, Jesus’ Parables were not used; now they are. Again, it is necessary to reiterate the traditional teachings of Bible scholars and clergy in the Christian Church as to the gospel of MARK being the narrative source material for MATTHEW or LUKE, because it was supposedly the earliest account of the Life and teachings of Jesus recorded. In this lesson however, the abundance of evidence seems to favor the book of MATTHEW as having the greater compilation of the Parables of Jesus found anywhere else among the other Gospel authors. Additionally, one must keep in mind the particular audience to whom Jesus was expounding these obscure and deep truths concerning the kingdom of heaven; and not to always, as it were, to think that the specific teachings and life lessons which Jesus revealed as always applying to the Christian Church.
MATTHEW
(“The Multitudes”)
5: 3-12 “The Beatitudes;” 13-16 Salt and Light; 17-20 Christ Fulfils the Law; 21-26 Murder is in the Heart; 27-30 The Law of Adultery; 31-32 The Law of Marriage and Divorce; 33-37 The Law of Oaths; 38-42 The Law of Going the Extra Mile; 43-48 The Law of Love Your Enemies;
6: 1-4 Do Good to Please God; 5-15 “The Lord’s Prayer;” 16-18 The Law of Fasting; 19-21 Laying up Treasures in Heaven; 22-23 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 24 Serving God and Mammon [Riches]; 25-34 The Law regarding Worry;
7: 1-12 The Law against Judging One Another; 13-14 The Narrow Way; 15-20 Know them by their Fruits; 21-23 Jesus says, I Never Knew You”; 24-28 The House Built on the Rock;
11: 20-24 Jesus Pronounces Woes
(“The Pharisees”)
12: 34-40 A Kingdom Divided against Itself Cannot Stand; 31-32 The Unpardonable Sin; 33-37 A Tree is Known by Its Fruits;
(“The Scribes and Pharisees”)
12: 39-42 The Sign of Jonah; 43-45 The Return of an Unclean Spirit;
(“The Multitudes/The Twelve”)
13:3-9 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
13: 10-17 The Purpose of Parables; 18-23 The Purpose of Parables Explained;
(“The Multitude”)
13: 24-30 Parable of the Wheat and Tares; 31-32 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
33 Parable of the Leaven; 34-35 Parables mentioned in Prophesy;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
36-43 Parable of the Tares Explained; 44 Parable of the Hidden Treasure; 45-46 Parable of the Pearl of Great Price; 47-52 Parable of the Great Dragnet;
(“The Pharisees and Sadducees”)
16: 1-4 Seeking a Sign; the Sign of Jonah;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
18: 6-9 Jesus Warns of giving Offense; 10-14 Parable of the Lost Sheep; 15-16 A Sinning Brother; 21-35 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant;
20: 1-16 Parable of Workers in the Vineyard
(“The Pharisees/Chief priests/Elders”)
21: 28-32 Parable of the Two Sons; 33-44 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers
22: 1-14 Parable of the Wedding Feast;
23: 1-36 Woe on the Scribes and Pharisees
(“The Disciples/The Twelve”)
24: 32-35 Parable of the Fig Tree; 45-51 Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servant;
25: 1-13 Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins; 14-30 Parable of the Talents;
MARK
(“The Multitude”)
4: 2-9 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Twelve”)
4: 10-12 The Purpose of Parables; 13-20 Parable of the Sower Explained; 21-23 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 26-29 Parable of the Growing Seed;30-32 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
(“The Pharisees”)
8: 11-12 The Sign of Jonah (??)
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
9: 42-48 Jesus Warns of giving Offense; 49-50 tasteless Salt is Worthless;
(“The Multitudes/Pharisees”)
10: 1-12 The Law of Marriage and Divorce;
(“The Chief priests/Scribes/Elders”)
12: 1-12 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers;
(“Peter, James, John, and Andrew”)
13: 28-31 Parable of the Fig Tree;
LUKE
(“The Multitudes”)
6: 20-23 “The Beatitudes;” 24-26 Jesus Pronounces Woes; 27-36; The Law of Love Your Enemies; 37-42 The Law against Judging One Another; 43-45 A Tree is Known by its Fruits; 46-49 The House Built on the Rock;
(“The Multitudes”)
8: 4-8 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
8: 9 The Purpose of Parables; 11-15 Parable of the Sower Explained; 16-18 Parable of the Revealed Light;
(“The Seventy”)
10: 13-16 Woe to the Impertinent Cities [Jesus Pronounces Woes??]
(“A Certain Lawyer”)
10: 25-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan;
(“One of the Disciples”)
11: 1-4 “The Lord’s Prayer;” 5-8 A Friend Comes at Midnight; 9-13 Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking;
(“The Pharisees”)
11: 14-23 A Kingdom Divided against Itself Cannot Stand; 24-26 The Return of an Unclean Spirit;
(“The Multitude/Crowd??”)
11: 29-32 The Sign of Jonah; 33-36 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 42-53 Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees;
(“One in the Crowd”)
12: 13-21 Parable of the Rich Young Fool;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
12: 22-31 The Law regarding Worry; 32-34 Laying up Treasures in Heaven;
35-48 The Faithful and Evil Servant;
(“Some at the Synagogue)
13: 6-10 Parable of the Barren Fig Tree; 18-19 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
20-21Parable of the Leaven;
(“One in the Crowd”)
13: 22-30 The Narrow Way;
(“One of the invited guests of a Pharisee”)
14: 7-14 Parable of the Lowly Place; 15-25 Parable of the Great Supper;
(“The Multitudes”)
14: 25-33 Leaving All to Follow Christ; 34-35 Tasteless Salt is Worthless;
(“The Scribes and Pharisees”)
15: 1-7 Parable of the Lost Sheep; 8-10 Parable of the Lost Coin; 11-32 Parable of the Lost (‘Prodigal’) Son;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
16: 1-13 Parable of the Unjust Stewart;
(“The Pharisees”)
16: 18 The Law of Marriage and Divorce (??); 19-31 Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
17: 1-2 Jesus warns against giving Offense; 3-4 A Sinning Brother;
18: 1-8 Parable of the persistent Widow;
(“The Pharisees”)
18: 9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector;
(“The Crowd/Disciples in Jericho; 19: 7, 11??”)
19: 11-27 Parable of the Minas [‘Talents’??]
(“The Chief priests and Scribes”)
20: 9-19 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers”)
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
Parable of the Fig Tree;
JOHN
(“The Pharisees”)
10: 1-6 Jesus is the true Shepherd; 7-18 Jesus is the Good Shepherd;
(“Some Greeks, Andrew, and Phillip)
12: 20-26 The Fruitful Grain of Wheat;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
15: 1-8 Jesus is the True Vine;
SCORECARD:
Of LUKE’s 45 Parables, 28 of them are found in MATTHEW; 9 of MARK’s 10 Parables are recorded in MATTHEW; None of JOHN’s Parables are found in any of the Gospel books, and MATTHEW contains the most Parables of Jesus, with roughly 50 of them.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 19, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
MATTHEW
(“The Multitudes”)
5: 3-12 “The Beatitudes;” 13-16 Salt and Light; 17-20 Christ Fulfils the Law; 21-26 Murder is in the Heart; 27-30 The Law of Adultery; 31-32 The Law of Marriage and Divorce; 33-37 The Law of Oaths; 38-42 The Law of Going the Extra Mile; 43-48 The Law of Love Your Enemies;
6: 1-4 Do Good to Please God; 5-15 “The Lord’s Prayer;” 16-18 The Law of Fasting; 19-21 Laying up Treasures in Heaven; 22-23 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 24 Serving God and Mammon [Riches]; 25-34 The Law regarding Worry;
7: 1-12 The Law against Judging One Another; 13-14 The Narrow Way; 15-20 Know them by their Fruits; 21-23 Jesus says, I Never Knew You”; 24-28 The House Built on the Rock;
11: 20-24 Jesus Pronounces Woes
(“The Pharisees”)
12: 34-40 A Kingdom Divided against Itself Cannot Stand; 31-32 The Unpardonable Sin; 33-37 A Tree is Known by Its Fruits;
(“The Scribes and Pharisees”)
12: 39-42 The Sign of Jonah; 43-45 The Return of an Unclean Spirit;
(“The Multitudes/The Twelve”)
13:3-9 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
13: 10-17 The Purpose of Parables; 18-23 The Purpose of Parables Explained;
(“The Multitude”)
13: 24-30 Parable of the Wheat and Tares; 31-32 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
33 Parable of the Leaven; 34-35 Parables mentioned in Prophesy;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
36-43 Parable of the Tares Explained; 44 Parable of the Hidden Treasure; 45-46 Parable of the Pearl of Great Price; 47-52 Parable of the Great Dragnet;
(“The Pharisees and Sadducees”)
16: 1-4 Seeking a Sign; the Sign of Jonah;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
18: 6-9 Jesus Warns of giving Offense; 10-14 Parable of the Lost Sheep; 15-16 A Sinning Brother; 21-35 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant;
20: 1-16 Parable of Workers in the Vineyard
(“The Pharisees/Chief priests/Elders”)
21: 28-32 Parable of the Two Sons; 33-44 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers
22: 1-14 Parable of the Wedding Feast;
23: 1-36 Woe on the Scribes and Pharisees
(“The Disciples/The Twelve”)
24: 32-35 Parable of the Fig Tree; 45-51 Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servant;
25: 1-13 Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins; 14-30 Parable of the Talents;
MARK
(“The Multitude”)
4: 2-9 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Twelve”)
4: 10-12 The Purpose of Parables; 13-20 Parable of the Sower Explained; 21-23 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 26-29 Parable of the Growing Seed;30-32 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
(“The Pharisees”)
8: 11-12 The Sign of Jonah (??)
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
9: 42-48 Jesus Warns of giving Offense; 49-50 tasteless Salt is Worthless;
(“The Multitudes/Pharisees”)
10: 1-12 The Law of Marriage and Divorce;
(“The Chief priests/Scribes/Elders”)
12: 1-12 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers;
(“Peter, James, John, and Andrew”)
13: 28-31 Parable of the Fig Tree;
LUKE
(“The Multitudes”)
6: 20-23 “The Beatitudes;” 24-26 Jesus Pronounces Woes; 27-36; The Law of Love Your Enemies; 37-42 The Law against Judging One Another; 43-45 A Tree is Known by its Fruits; 46-49 The House Built on the Rock;
(“The Multitudes”)
8: 4-8 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
8: 9 The Purpose of Parables; 11-15 Parable of the Sower Explained; 16-18 Parable of the Revealed Light;
(“The Seventy”)
10: 13-16 Woe to the Impertinent Cities [Jesus Pronounces Woes??]
(“A Certain Lawyer”)
10: 25-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan;
(“One of the Disciples”)
11: 1-4 “The Lord’s Prayer;” 5-8 A Friend Comes at Midnight; 9-13 Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking;
(“The Pharisees”)
11: 14-23 A Kingdom Divided against Itself Cannot Stand; 24-26 The Return of an Unclean Spirit;
(“The Multitude/Crowd??”)
11: 29-32 The Sign of Jonah; 33-36 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 42-53 Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees;
(“One in the Crowd”)
12: 13-21 Parable of the Rich Young Fool;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
12: 22-31 The Law regarding Worry; 32-34 Laying up Treasures in Heaven;
35-48 The Faithful and Evil Servant;
(“Some at the Synagogue)
13: 6-10 Parable of the Barren Fig Tree; 18-19 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
20-21Parable of the Leaven;
(“One in the Crowd”)
13: 22-30 The Narrow Way;
(“One of the invited guests of a Pharisee”)
14: 7-14 Parable of the Lowly Place; 15-25 Parable of the Great Supper;
(“The Multitudes”)
14: 25-33 Leaving All to Follow Christ; 34-35 Tasteless Salt is Worthless;
(“The Scribes and Pharisees”)
15: 1-7 Parable of the Lost Sheep; 8-10 Parable of the Lost Coin; 11-32 Parable of the Lost (‘Prodigal’) Son;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
16: 1-13 Parable of the Unjust Stewart;
(“The Pharisees”)
16: 18 The Law of Marriage and Divorce (??); 19-31 Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
17: 1-2 Jesus warns against giving Offense; 3-4 A Sinning Brother;
18: 1-8 Parable of the persistent Widow;
(“The Pharisees”)
18: 9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector;
(“The Crowd/Disciples in Jericho; 19: 7, 11??”)
19: 11-27 Parable of the Minas [‘Talents’??]
(“The Chief priests and Scribes”)
20: 9-19 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers”)
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
Parable of the Fig Tree;
JOHN
(“The Pharisees”)
10: 1-6 Jesus is the true Shepherd; 7-18 Jesus is the Good Shepherd;
(“Some Greeks, Andrew, and Phillip)
12: 20-26 The Fruitful Grain of Wheat;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
15: 1-8 Jesus is the True Vine;
SCORECARD:
Of LUKE’s 45 Parables, 28 of them are found in MATTHEW; 9 of MARK’s 10 Parables are recorded in MATTHEW; None of JOHN’s Parables are found in any of the Gospel books, and MATTHEW contains the most Parables of Jesus, with roughly 50 of them.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 19, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How to Really Worship the Lord God
In most Christian worship services today there are instances of a lack of solemnity, reverence, or even joy; that is, unless one chooses to attend one of the few Pentecostal or Holiness Churches; and even among them, there may be a lot of enthusiastic activity and the outward appearance of being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, but is that singularly indicative of praise in worship acceptable to God? There are those who feel that certain liturgical elements draw them closer to God such as observance of the ‘Eucharist’ (“The Lord’s Supper”) or for others, it is the preaching of the Word of God with an emphasis on the “Passion of Christ” (His Crucifixion, Burial, and Resurrection). It seems from examining the sacred writings of the Jewish Old Testament that one can get a glimpse of the importance of singing praises as crucial in offering up to God the heartfelt expressions of thankfulness, reverential fear (“awe”) and joy that is acceptable to Him.
Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-7
Oh come; let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Oh come; Let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the sheep of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.
96: 1-4a, 6-9
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord, O families of peoples, bring an offering and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
98: 1a, 2, 3a, 4-6
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things. The Lord has made known His salvation. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with the trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
Praise 2: To glorify by the attribution of perfection.
Rejoice (‘joy’) 1 a: The emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.
100: 1-2
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before his presence with singing.
101: 1
I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
104: 33-34
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being (Cp. Psalms 146: 1-2). May my meditation (Cp. Psalms 119: 15) be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.
105: 1-2
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known is deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!
111: 1
Praise the Lord! I will praise The Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
149: 1-2a, 3
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their maker. Let them praise His name with the dance. Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
150: 1a, 3-6
Praise the Lord! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with the loud cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
It would seem that the Children of Israel offered up to God some very loud, lyric compositions with singing accompanied by shouting and musical instruments which would doubtless sound very strange to modern ears; let alone that the voices would have been in a Semitic tongue closer to Aramaic or Hebrew than in Anglo-Saxon English. The sounds may have been a combination of something akin to the diverse religious ceremonies and musical instruments of ancient Middle Eastern tribals or clans and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Whatever the case may be, the participants were wholly engaged in this endeavor because to them it was “a way of life,” and not just something to do or experience one or two days a week for a brief amount of time.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 16, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-7
Oh come; let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Oh come; Let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the sheep of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.
96: 1-4a, 6-9
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord, O families of peoples, bring an offering and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
98: 1a, 2, 3a, 4-6
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things. The Lord has made known His salvation. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with the trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
Praise 2: To glorify by the attribution of perfection.
Rejoice (‘joy’) 1 a: The emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.
100: 1-2
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before his presence with singing.
101: 1
I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
104: 33-34
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being (Cp. Psalms 146: 1-2). May my meditation (Cp. Psalms 119: 15) be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.
105: 1-2
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known is deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!
111: 1
Praise the Lord! I will praise The Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
149: 1-2a, 3
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their maker. Let them praise His name with the dance. Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
150: 1a, 3-6
Praise the Lord! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with the loud cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
It would seem that the Children of Israel offered up to God some very loud, lyric compositions with singing accompanied by shouting and musical instruments which would doubtless sound very strange to modern ears; let alone that the voices would have been in a Semitic tongue closer to Aramaic or Hebrew than in Anglo-Saxon English. The sounds may have been a combination of something akin to the diverse religious ceremonies and musical instruments of ancient Middle Eastern tribals or clans and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Whatever the case may be, the participants were wholly engaged in this endeavor because to them it was “a way of life,” and not just something to do or experience one or two days a week for a brief amount of time.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 16, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Calling Into Christian Ministry is Not an Occupation
This article is intended to show what preaching the Gospel is all about. Today, it seems, that those who enter the ministry pursue it as some sort of religious professional career with fringe benefits such as a 401-K Plan/Pension Annuity fund, Life Insurance, travel reimbursement, housing [‘parsonage’] allowance, vacation benefits, college tuition for children in some cases, stock options, royalties from book deals or sermons recorded on CD’s, and other amenities or perks; much like entertainment celebrities or Executives of FORTUNE 500 Companies.
Of course this rather extreme example pertains to just a few preachers of Mega-Churches attended by members who are affluent, college-educated professionals and business owners, mostly living in the residential communities of suburban America. Even among those who appear on the surface to be dedicated soldiers of the cross, and who do not fall into this category, nonetheless fail to grasp or even emulate the sacrifice like the ones who first held aloft the bloodstained banner of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Nazarene.
How many of the clergy, ministers of the Word of God have so upset people that they were brought before the Courts, denied certain legal protections guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States, abused while in custody or during interrogation, and sentenced to prison; all for preaching the Gospel? How has the “Good News” reached the ears, hearts, and minds of those who live in the communities and cities rampant with gang activity, violence, poverty, illiteracy, prostitution, drugs, despair, hopelessness, and a shrinking or almost non-existent economic base; what will the words of Jesus or the grace of God mean to them? In most Christian Church services there is way too much preaching to the choir (those who believe the way we do) and when there is a response to the Gospel invocation, in a few instances it may only be superficial and not a real deep commitment to living for God (Cp. Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23).
Many of those who preach do not want to face the challenges of struggle, deprivation, pain, isolation, anxiety even questioning the role of God in their lives as some of the greatest saints who ever lived have had to struggle with. These spoiled ecclesiastical clouds without moisture want to enjoy all the comforts of an affluent society and would not consent to living among those and proclaiming the message of salvation in the most impoverished towns on earth; but they eagerly bestow their blessings on others (missionaries) who feel guided by God to do so. How many applications have been filed for passports and travel visas to live in the most remote communities on planet earth by those of the true ‘Faith’?
There is a sense of national fear and vulnerability since September 11, 2001, and at present we live in what is called “A New Normal;” but is that really true? It seems that every strategy is defensive or responding after-the-fact and the
word “terrorism” has entered our vocabulary in ways never before conceived, almost to the level of ‘paranoia.’ It is time to seize the initiative and go on the offense because it states in II Corinthians 10: 4: The weapons we fight with are not weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. Even Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 16: 18b: Upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against It.
Acts 4: 1-3
Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day.
5: 17-18, 33, 40
Then the high priests rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. When they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
13: 50
But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
14: 5, 19b
And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers to abuse and stone them. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
16: 22-24
Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
18: 12, 17
When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.
24: 1-2a, 5
Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence [‘discovery’??] to the governor against Paul. And when he was called upon, Tertullus began his accusation [‘deliberation’??]
II Corinthians 1: 3-4a, 8-9a
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation (comfort) also abounds through Christ. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia; that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves.
II Corinthians 7: 4b-5
For I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
Hebrews 10: 34a
For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plunder of your goods.
13: 3, 23
Remember the prisoners as if chained with them-those who are mistreated-since you yourselves are also in the body. Know that our brother Timothy has been set free
[from ‘prison’??], with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.
COMMENT:
In numerous instances the New Testament Gospels as well as the Epistles mention about being brought before the rulers (both secular and religious), as well as betrayal by those within your own family, beatings, mistreatment in the local community or foreign lands, as well as imprisonment. The one thing that stands out in Paul’s letters is the mention of being a ‘prisoner.’ Today’s Christian Church talks about a “Prison Ministry” to bring the ‘Good News’ to felons who committed a civil crime against society based upon the Criminal Law Code, but in the First Century, the Christians were subjected to the cruelty of the ancient penal system simply because of their testimony and witness to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. How many members of the clergy can boast and glory in the Lord that they were arrested and incarcerated for the same? A final thought is summed up in II Corinthians 6: 3-5:
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed [‘ineffective’??]. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God; in much patience (endurance), in tribulations, in needs [‘deprivation’??], in distress, in stripes [beatings], in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, [and] in fasting [and ‘prayer’??]
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 6, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Of course this rather extreme example pertains to just a few preachers of Mega-Churches attended by members who are affluent, college-educated professionals and business owners, mostly living in the residential communities of suburban America. Even among those who appear on the surface to be dedicated soldiers of the cross, and who do not fall into this category, nonetheless fail to grasp or even emulate the sacrifice like the ones who first held aloft the bloodstained banner of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Nazarene.
How many of the clergy, ministers of the Word of God have so upset people that they were brought before the Courts, denied certain legal protections guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States, abused while in custody or during interrogation, and sentenced to prison; all for preaching the Gospel? How has the “Good News” reached the ears, hearts, and minds of those who live in the communities and cities rampant with gang activity, violence, poverty, illiteracy, prostitution, drugs, despair, hopelessness, and a shrinking or almost non-existent economic base; what will the words of Jesus or the grace of God mean to them? In most Christian Church services there is way too much preaching to the choir (those who believe the way we do) and when there is a response to the Gospel invocation, in a few instances it may only be superficial and not a real deep commitment to living for God (Cp. Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23).
Many of those who preach do not want to face the challenges of struggle, deprivation, pain, isolation, anxiety even questioning the role of God in their lives as some of the greatest saints who ever lived have had to struggle with. These spoiled ecclesiastical clouds without moisture want to enjoy all the comforts of an affluent society and would not consent to living among those and proclaiming the message of salvation in the most impoverished towns on earth; but they eagerly bestow their blessings on others (missionaries) who feel guided by God to do so. How many applications have been filed for passports and travel visas to live in the most remote communities on planet earth by those of the true ‘Faith’?
There is a sense of national fear and vulnerability since September 11, 2001, and at present we live in what is called “A New Normal;” but is that really true? It seems that every strategy is defensive or responding after-the-fact and the
word “terrorism” has entered our vocabulary in ways never before conceived, almost to the level of ‘paranoia.’ It is time to seize the initiative and go on the offense because it states in II Corinthians 10: 4: The weapons we fight with are not weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. Even Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 16: 18b: Upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against It.
Acts 4: 1-3
Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day.
5: 17-18, 33, 40
Then the high priests rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. When they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
13: 50
But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
14: 5, 19b
And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers to abuse and stone them. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
16: 22-24
Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
18: 12, 17
When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.
24: 1-2a, 5
Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence [‘discovery’??] to the governor against Paul. And when he was called upon, Tertullus began his accusation [‘deliberation’??]
II Corinthians 1: 3-4a, 8-9a
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation (comfort) also abounds through Christ. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia; that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves.
II Corinthians 7: 4b-5
For I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
Hebrews 10: 34a
For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plunder of your goods.
13: 3, 23
Remember the prisoners as if chained with them-those who are mistreated-since you yourselves are also in the body. Know that our brother Timothy has been set free
[from ‘prison’??], with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.
COMMENT:
In numerous instances the New Testament Gospels as well as the Epistles mention about being brought before the rulers (both secular and religious), as well as betrayal by those within your own family, beatings, mistreatment in the local community or foreign lands, as well as imprisonment. The one thing that stands out in Paul’s letters is the mention of being a ‘prisoner.’ Today’s Christian Church talks about a “Prison Ministry” to bring the ‘Good News’ to felons who committed a civil crime against society based upon the Criminal Law Code, but in the First Century, the Christians were subjected to the cruelty of the ancient penal system simply because of their testimony and witness to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. How many members of the clergy can boast and glory in the Lord that they were arrested and incarcerated for the same? A final thought is summed up in II Corinthians 6: 3-5:
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed [‘ineffective’??]. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God; in much patience (endurance), in tribulations, in needs [‘deprivation’??], in distress, in stripes [beatings], in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, [and] in fasting [and ‘prayer’??]
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 6, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Different Churches and Individuals of the Christian Movement
Acts 1: 15
1) *Jerusalem
23
Joseph called Barsabbas (“Justus”), Matthias (Cp. Luke 3: 24-25??)
2: 5
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
8-11
“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus (“Aquila”; Cp. 18: 2) and Asia, Phygia and Pamphylia (“Perga”), Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs; we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”
4: 36
Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was called Barnabas (“Son of Encouragement”) {Cp. 1: 23; 15: 22??}
5: 1; 9: 10
Ananias husband of Sapphira, Ananias a disciple in Damascus.
6: 1
Hellenistic Jews and native Hebrews
5
Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch
9
Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians and Alexandrians, some from Cilicia [“Tarsus”?? ], and Asia argued with Stephen
7: 58; 8: 1, 3
They began stoning Stephen and the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
8: 1
A great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they (??) scattered throughout the region of 1) Judea and 2) Samaria; except the apostles (??)
4-5, 12-13, 25
Those who were scattered went preaching the word; Philip proclaimed the word to 2) *the city of 2) Samaria [“Sebaste”] and the people believed and were baptized. Simon the magician, he who was called, the “Great Power of God,” became a believer also
40
Philip preached the gospel at Azotus and from there all the cities until he came to 3) Caesarea (“Galilee”).
9: 1, 10-11, 19
Synagogues of 4) Damascus (“Syria”); a certain disciple named Ananias; the house of Judas ( a disciple, the Galilean {Cp.5:37}, or Iscariot??)
30
The brethren in Jerusalem brought Saul down to 3) Caesarea [“Galilee”] and sent him away to Tarsus 5) [“Cilicia”]
31
The church throughout all 1) Judea and 3) Galilee and 2) Samaria had peace.
32, 35, 38, 43
Peter came down to the saints at 1a) Lydda, all who lived at Lydda and 1b) Sharon turned to the Lord, the disciples in 1c) Joppa send for Peter and many believed in the Lord
10: 1-2, 22, 24, 44-48
A man who lived in 3) Caesarea (“Galilee”), Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, who was a worshipper of God with his entire household and gave much alms to the Jewish people, became a believer along with his relatives and close friends.
11: 19-21
Those (??) who were persecuted in connection with Stephen came to 6) Phoenicia and 7) Cyprus and Antioch (“Syria”), speaking the word to no one except the Jews alone. Some of them (??) who were from Cyprus and Cyrene (Cp. 2: 10) who came to 7) Antioch (“Syria”) spoke to the Greeks also and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
22, 25
The church in Jerusalem send Barnabas off to Antioch, and he leaves for Tarsus (“Cilicia”) to look for Saul.
NOTE: It was probably smart for the Church to send Barnabas, since he was from Cyrene (Cp. 4: 36) and may better understand the Greeks; but they could have also sent Nicolas, who was actually from Antioch (Cp. 6: 5).
26
Barnabas and Saul spent an entire year in Antioch meeting with the church and the disciples were first called “Christians” in 8) Antioch.
12: 1-2
Herod laid hands on some in the church and he killed James, the brother of John with the sword (why??)
3, 12
Herod saw that it pleased the Jews and arrested Peter also.
After the angel let Peter out of jail he went to the house of Mary (??) the mother of John who was called Mark where many were gathered and praying.
*13: 1*
There were in the church at 8)Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called (“Niger”), Lucius (Cp. Romans 16: 21??) of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch (Cp. Luke 3: 1; Acts 12: 1-3??), and Saul.
NOTE: Saul was not even among the upper echelon or tier of prominent leaders in the Church at Antioch, so how did he become such an influential force in the Christian movement??
“FIRST EUROPEAN MISSION”
Acts 13: 2, 4-6, 9
The Holy Spirit set Barnabas and Saul apart and sent them on the
and Mark went along as their helper; they came to Salamis (island of “Cyprus”) and preached the word of God in the synagogue of the Jews and from there they went through the entire island (“Cyprus”) until they reached Paphos (island of “Cyprus”) . Saul was also called “Paul.”
13
Paul and his companions (who are these??) put out to sea from Paphos, John left them and returned to Jerusalem (why ??).
14-15
Arriving at Pisidian Antioch 9) [“Galatia”], on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them and asking if they had any words of exhortation.
48-49
The Gentiles began glorifying the word of God and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed 9) Pisidian Antioch [“Galatia”], and the word of the Lord was spread throughout the region.
14: 1
At 10) Iconium (“Galatia”) they entered a synagogue of the Jews and a great multitude believed, both Jews and Greeks
6-7, 19-20
They fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derbe (“Galatia”) preaching the gospel. The Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium, won over the crowds and stoned Paul, dragging his body out of the city [“Lystra”], supposing him dead. The disciples (??) stood around him and he arose and entered the city 11)[“Lystra”].
14: 20b -15: 1
Paul and Barnabas (not “we or they”??) went to 12) Derbe, preached the gospel and made many disciples *(Gaius; Cp. 20: 4; 19: 29b??, I Corinthians 1: 14)*
14: 23
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in every church (Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch; Cp 14: 21)
26-28
Paul and Barnabas returned back to 8) Antioch (“Syria”) where they had been commended to the work, and reported all the things that God had accomplished through them and about the window of faith that had been opened to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas spent a long time with the disciples.
“FIRST EUROPEAN MISSION COMPLETED”
“INTERVENING EVENT”
15: 1-3
Paul and Barnabas, along with certain others from Antioch went up to Jerusalem to settle the issue of Gentiles being required to observe the Law of Moses. On the way they passed through 6) Phoenicia and 2) Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles; bringing great joy to all the brethren.
22, 32
The Church at 1) Jerusalem along with the apostles and elders chose Judas called “Barsabbas” (Cp. 1: 23??) and Silas, leading men among the brethren who were also prophets to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch.
33-35
From Antioch, they were sent back to those who sent them (in Jerusalem), [but it seemed good to Silas to remain]. Paul and Barnabas stayed in 8) Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.
“SECOND EUROPEAN MISSION”
Acts 15:36-40
Paul told Barnabas about returning back and visiting the brethren in every city [in “Europe”] where they proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they were doing. Barnabas wanted to take Mark [his cousin; Cp. Colossians 4: 10), but Paul didn’t want to because he deserted them in Pamphylia (Cp. 13: 13). They had a major disagreement; Barnabas took mark and sailed to 7) Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and departed.
16: 1-2, 4-5
Paul was traveling through 8) Syria and 5) Cilicia (“Tarsus”) strengthening the churches and came to 12) Derbe and 11) Lystra where he found Timothy, the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. And they (??) were passing through and delivering the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentiles to observe (Cp. 15: 19-20).
12
And from there to Phillipi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we (??) were staying in this city for some days.
13-15, 27-33
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we (??) sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabric, a worshipper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized as well as a jailer and his household after Paul and Silas spoke the word to him [in 13) “Philippi”].
40
Afterwards they went out of the prison, entered the house of Lydia, saw the brethren [in 13) “Philippi”] and encouraged them then departed.
17: 1-2, 4
Now when they came to Thessalonica (Macedonia) where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths, reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Cp. 16: 2; II Timothy 1: 5; 3: 15). And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks (Aristarchus, Secundus; Cp 19: 29b; 20: 4) and a number of the leading women [in 14) “Thessalonica” of Macedonia].
8
And they stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. And when they had received a pledge [“bribe”] from Jason (Cp. Romans 16: 21) and the others, they released them.
10-12, 14
And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea (Macedonia); and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men (Sopater; Cp. 20: 4; Romans 16: 21) [in 15] “Berea” of Macedonia]. Silas and Timothy remained there.
15-16a
Now those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens (“Achaia”); and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens. . .
32-34
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” So Paul went out of their midst. But some of the men joined him and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them
[in 16) “Athens” of Achaia]. NOTE: There was no Jewish antagonism in Athens; and it appears no synagogue either??
18:1-2
After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth (“Greece”) And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome [when was this edict??], He came to them.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY NOTE:
Suetonius (Claudius 25) mentions a certain Chrestus and states, “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (impulsore Chrestus), he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome. Suetonius may have been speaking of Christians in Rome who were followers of Christ and were not distinguished from Jews. Tertullian says that the term Christianus was sometimes mispronounced Chrestianus. (Apol. 3)
18: 8-9, 11
And he departed from there and went to the house of a certain man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God whose house was next to the synagogue. And Crispus (Cp. I Corinthians 1: 14), the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household and many of the 17) Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent. And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
17
And they took hold of Sosthenes (Cp. I Corinthians 1: 1), the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. And Gallio proconsul of “Achaia” (18: 12) was not concerned about any of these things. NOTE: Was there more than one leader of the synagogue(Cp. 18:8??).
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY NOTE:
Seneca was brother of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia at the time when Paul (Saul of the Gospels) preached there, yet never mentions anything about Paul or Christ.
18:18-21
And Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for “Syria” and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea (”Greece”) he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow [Cp. 21: 21-24, 26??] And they came to Ephesus (“Asia”), and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. And when they had asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent [why not??]. But taking leave of them and saying, “I will return again to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
22
And when he had landed at 3) Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to 8) Antioch (“Syria”).
“SECOND EUROPEAN MISSION COMPLETED”
“THIRD EUROPEAN MISSION”
18: 23
And having spent some time there [“Antioch”??], he departed and passed successively through the Galatian region {#'s 9, 10, 11, 12} and 18) Phrygia [Colossae, Hierapolis, Laodicea, Miletus] [“Asia”]strengthening the disciples.(Cp. 16:6).
24-28
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandria by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go to Achaia (“Corinth”; Cp. 19:1), the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples [which churches??] to welcome him; and when he arrived, he helped greatly those who had believed through grace.
NOTE: Priscilla’s name is mentioned before her husband’s, so she must have been a woman of prominence.
19:1-2
And it came about while Apollos was at Corinth (“Greece”), Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus (“Asia”), and found some disciples. And he said unto them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said unto him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
8-10 And he entered the synagogue and continued and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of ‘the Way’ (“Ha-Derekh”) before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Tychicus, Trophimus; Cp. 20: 4??).
NOTE: Why is there persecution this time around and not previously??
19: 21-24, 26
Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia [Cp. 16:11, 12], saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” (why??) And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus (Cp. II Timothy 4: 20), he himself stayed in Asia for awhile. (Cp. 16: 6; 19: 27??) NOTE: Paul probably wrote the Galatian, Corinthian, and Roman letters at this time.
23, 24, 26-27, 29
And about that time there arose no small disturbance concerning ‘the Way’ (“Ha-Derekh”). For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.
29
And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
20:1, 4-5
And after the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he departed to go to Macedonia (“Philippi”). And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea (Cp. 17: 10-12), the son of Pyrrhus; and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians (Cp. 17: 1-2, 4), and Gaius of Derbe (Cp. 14: 20-21), and Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and was waiting for us (??) at Troas.
“THIRD MISSIONARY COMPLETED”
20: 6-7
And we (??) sailed from Phillipi (Cp. 16: 15, 29, 30-33) after the days of Unleavened Bread, and we came to them at 19) Troas (Cp. 16: 8) within five days; and there we stayed seven days. And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. NOTE: The first time “FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK” MENTIONED IN MEETING WITH DISCIPLES OR BELIEVERS. This is probably with Gentile believers exclusively because a synagogue is not mentioned, the Sabbath, nor is there any preaching or reasoning from the Old Testament Scriptures.
6-17 (Miletus ["ASIA"])
EVENT: Paul called together the elders of the church Ephesus [“Asia”] (Cp. 19: 1, 8-10; 20: 28-32) and admonished them to guard the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers. He also said that they would not see him again and reminded them that *for three years* he cried day and night warning them about the troubling times ahead for the church.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 2, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
1) *Jerusalem
23
Joseph called Barsabbas (“Justus”), Matthias (Cp. Luke 3: 24-25??)
2: 5
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
8-11
“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus (“Aquila”; Cp. 18: 2) and Asia, Phygia and Pamphylia (“Perga”), Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs; we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”
4: 36
Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was called Barnabas (“Son of Encouragement”) {Cp. 1: 23; 15: 22??}
5: 1; 9: 10
Ananias husband of Sapphira, Ananias a disciple in Damascus.
6: 1
Hellenistic Jews and native Hebrews
5
Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch
9
Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians and Alexandrians, some from Cilicia [“Tarsus”?? ], and Asia argued with Stephen
7: 58; 8: 1, 3
They began stoning Stephen and the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
8: 1
A great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they (??) scattered throughout the region of 1) Judea and 2) Samaria; except the apostles (??)
4-5, 12-13, 25
Those who were scattered went preaching the word; Philip proclaimed the word to 2) *the city of 2) Samaria [“Sebaste”] and the people believed and were baptized. Simon the magician, he who was called, the “Great Power of God,” became a believer also
40
Philip preached the gospel at Azotus and from there all the cities until he came to 3) Caesarea (“Galilee”).
9: 1, 10-11, 19
Synagogues of 4) Damascus (“Syria”); a certain disciple named Ananias; the house of Judas ( a disciple, the Galilean {Cp.5:37}, or Iscariot??)
30
The brethren in Jerusalem brought Saul down to 3) Caesarea [“Galilee”] and sent him away to Tarsus 5) [“Cilicia”]
31
The church throughout all 1) Judea and 3) Galilee and 2) Samaria had peace.
32, 35, 38, 43
Peter came down to the saints at 1a) Lydda, all who lived at Lydda and 1b) Sharon turned to the Lord, the disciples in 1c) Joppa send for Peter and many believed in the Lord
10: 1-2, 22, 24, 44-48
A man who lived in 3) Caesarea (“Galilee”), Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, who was a worshipper of God with his entire household and gave much alms to the Jewish people, became a believer along with his relatives and close friends.
11: 19-21
Those (??) who were persecuted in connection with Stephen came to 6) Phoenicia and 7) Cyprus and Antioch (“Syria”), speaking the word to no one except the Jews alone. Some of them (??) who were from Cyprus and Cyrene (Cp. 2: 10) who came to 7) Antioch (“Syria”) spoke to the Greeks also and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
22, 25
The church in Jerusalem send Barnabas off to Antioch, and he leaves for Tarsus (“Cilicia”) to look for Saul.
NOTE: It was probably smart for the Church to send Barnabas, since he was from Cyrene (Cp. 4: 36) and may better understand the Greeks; but they could have also sent Nicolas, who was actually from Antioch (Cp. 6: 5).
26
Barnabas and Saul spent an entire year in Antioch meeting with the church and the disciples were first called “Christians” in 8) Antioch.
12: 1-2
Herod laid hands on some in the church and he killed James, the brother of John with the sword (why??)
3, 12
Herod saw that it pleased the Jews and arrested Peter also.
After the angel let Peter out of jail he went to the house of Mary (??) the mother of John who was called Mark where many were gathered and praying.
*13: 1*
There were in the church at 8)Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called (“Niger”), Lucius (Cp. Romans 16: 21??) of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch (Cp. Luke 3: 1; Acts 12: 1-3??), and Saul.
NOTE: Saul was not even among the upper echelon or tier of prominent leaders in the Church at Antioch, so how did he become such an influential force in the Christian movement??
“FIRST EUROPEAN MISSION”
Acts 13: 2, 4-6, 9
The Holy Spirit set Barnabas and Saul apart and sent them on the
and Mark went along as their helper; they came to Salamis (island of “Cyprus”) and preached the word of God in the synagogue of the Jews and from there they went through the entire island (“Cyprus”) until they reached Paphos (island of “Cyprus”) . Saul was also called “Paul.”
13
Paul and his companions (who are these??) put out to sea from Paphos, John left them and returned to Jerusalem (why ??).
14-15
Arriving at Pisidian Antioch 9) [“Galatia”], on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them and asking if they had any words of exhortation.
48-49
The Gentiles began glorifying the word of God and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed 9) Pisidian Antioch [“Galatia”], and the word of the Lord was spread throughout the region.
14: 1
At 10) Iconium (“Galatia”) they entered a synagogue of the Jews and a great multitude believed, both Jews and Greeks
6-7, 19-20
They fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derbe (“Galatia”) preaching the gospel. The Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium, won over the crowds and stoned Paul, dragging his body out of the city [“Lystra”], supposing him dead. The disciples (??) stood around him and he arose and entered the city 11)[“Lystra”].
14: 20b -15: 1
Paul and Barnabas (not “we or they”??) went to 12) Derbe, preached the gospel and made many disciples *(Gaius; Cp. 20: 4; 19: 29b??, I Corinthians 1: 14)*
14: 23
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in every church (Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch; Cp 14: 21)
26-28
Paul and Barnabas returned back to 8) Antioch (“Syria”) where they had been commended to the work, and reported all the things that God had accomplished through them and about the window of faith that had been opened to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas spent a long time with the disciples.
“FIRST EUROPEAN MISSION COMPLETED”
“INTERVENING EVENT”
15: 1-3
Paul and Barnabas, along with certain others from Antioch went up to Jerusalem to settle the issue of Gentiles being required to observe the Law of Moses. On the way they passed through 6) Phoenicia and 2) Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles; bringing great joy to all the brethren.
22, 32
The Church at 1) Jerusalem along with the apostles and elders chose Judas called “Barsabbas” (Cp. 1: 23??) and Silas, leading men among the brethren who were also prophets to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch.
33-35
From Antioch, they were sent back to those who sent them (in Jerusalem), [but it seemed good to Silas to remain]. Paul and Barnabas stayed in 8) Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.
“SECOND EUROPEAN MISSION”
Acts 15:36-40
Paul told Barnabas about returning back and visiting the brethren in every city [in “Europe”] where they proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they were doing. Barnabas wanted to take Mark [his cousin; Cp. Colossians 4: 10), but Paul didn’t want to because he deserted them in Pamphylia (Cp. 13: 13). They had a major disagreement; Barnabas took mark and sailed to 7) Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and departed.
16: 1-2, 4-5
Paul was traveling through 8) Syria and 5) Cilicia (“Tarsus”) strengthening the churches and came to 12) Derbe and 11) Lystra where he found Timothy, the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. And they (??) were passing through and delivering the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentiles to observe (Cp. 15: 19-20).
12
And from there to Phillipi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we (??) were staying in this city for some days.
13-15, 27-33
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we (??) sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabric, a worshipper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized as well as a jailer and his household after Paul and Silas spoke the word to him [in 13) “Philippi”].
40
Afterwards they went out of the prison, entered the house of Lydia, saw the brethren [in 13) “Philippi”] and encouraged them then departed.
17: 1-2, 4
Now when they came to Thessalonica (Macedonia) where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths, reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Cp. 16: 2; II Timothy 1: 5; 3: 15). And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks (Aristarchus, Secundus; Cp 19: 29b; 20: 4) and a number of the leading women [in 14) “Thessalonica” of Macedonia].
8
And they stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. And when they had received a pledge [“bribe”] from Jason (Cp. Romans 16: 21) and the others, they released them.
10-12, 14
And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea (Macedonia); and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men (Sopater; Cp. 20: 4; Romans 16: 21) [in 15] “Berea” of Macedonia]. Silas and Timothy remained there.
15-16a
Now those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens (“Achaia”); and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens. . .
32-34
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” So Paul went out of their midst. But some of the men joined him and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them
[in 16) “Athens” of Achaia]. NOTE: There was no Jewish antagonism in Athens; and it appears no synagogue either??
18:1-2
After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth (“Greece”) And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome [when was this edict??], He came to them.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY NOTE:
Suetonius (Claudius 25) mentions a certain Chrestus and states, “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (impulsore Chrestus), he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome. Suetonius may have been speaking of Christians in Rome who were followers of Christ and were not distinguished from Jews. Tertullian says that the term Christianus was sometimes mispronounced Chrestianus. (Apol. 3)
18: 8-9, 11
And he departed from there and went to the house of a certain man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God whose house was next to the synagogue. And Crispus (Cp. I Corinthians 1: 14), the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household and many of the 17) Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent. And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
17
And they took hold of Sosthenes (Cp. I Corinthians 1: 1), the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. And Gallio proconsul of “Achaia” (18: 12) was not concerned about any of these things. NOTE: Was there more than one leader of the synagogue(Cp. 18:8??).
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY NOTE:
Seneca was brother of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia at the time when Paul (Saul of the Gospels) preached there, yet never mentions anything about Paul or Christ.
18:18-21
And Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for “Syria” and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea (”Greece”) he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow [Cp. 21: 21-24, 26??] And they came to Ephesus (“Asia”), and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. And when they had asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent [why not??]. But taking leave of them and saying, “I will return again to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
22
And when he had landed at 3) Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to 8) Antioch (“Syria”).
“SECOND EUROPEAN MISSION COMPLETED”
“THIRD EUROPEAN MISSION”
18: 23
And having spent some time there [“Antioch”??], he departed and passed successively through the Galatian region {#'s 9, 10, 11, 12} and 18) Phrygia [Colossae, Hierapolis, Laodicea, Miletus] [“Asia”]strengthening the disciples.(Cp. 16:6).
24-28
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandria by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go to Achaia (“Corinth”; Cp. 19:1), the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples [which churches??] to welcome him; and when he arrived, he helped greatly those who had believed through grace.
NOTE: Priscilla’s name is mentioned before her husband’s, so she must have been a woman of prominence.
19:1-2
And it came about while Apollos was at Corinth (“Greece”), Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus (“Asia”), and found some disciples. And he said unto them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said unto him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
8-10 And he entered the synagogue and continued and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of ‘the Way’ (“Ha-Derekh”) before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Tychicus, Trophimus; Cp. 20: 4??).
NOTE: Why is there persecution this time around and not previously??
19: 21-24, 26
Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia [Cp. 16:11, 12], saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” (why??) And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus (Cp. II Timothy 4: 20), he himself stayed in Asia for awhile. (Cp. 16: 6; 19: 27??) NOTE: Paul probably wrote the Galatian, Corinthian, and Roman letters at this time.
23, 24, 26-27, 29
And about that time there arose no small disturbance concerning ‘the Way’ (“Ha-Derekh”). For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.
29
And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
20:1, 4-5
And after the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he departed to go to Macedonia (“Philippi”). And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea (Cp. 17: 10-12), the son of Pyrrhus; and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians (Cp. 17: 1-2, 4), and Gaius of Derbe (Cp. 14: 20-21), and Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and was waiting for us (??) at Troas.
“THIRD MISSIONARY COMPLETED”
20: 6-7
And we (??) sailed from Phillipi (Cp. 16: 15, 29, 30-33) after the days of Unleavened Bread, and we came to them at 19) Troas (Cp. 16: 8) within five days; and there we stayed seven days. And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. NOTE: The first time “FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK” MENTIONED IN MEETING WITH DISCIPLES OR BELIEVERS. This is probably with Gentile believers exclusively because a synagogue is not mentioned, the Sabbath, nor is there any preaching or reasoning from the Old Testament Scriptures.
6-17 (Miletus ["ASIA"])
EVENT: Paul called together the elders of the church Ephesus [“Asia”] (Cp. 19: 1, 8-10; 20: 28-32) and admonished them to guard the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers. He also said that they would not see him again and reminded them that *for three years* he cried day and night warning them about the troubling times ahead for the church.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 2, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, January 26, 2009
Human Volition/Autonomy vs. God’s Sovereign Will
Several opinion polls have been taken over recent years regarding the viewpoint of the average American citizen pertaining to their view of the afterlife, and by an overwhelming majority, nearly three out of five believe in the existence of 'heaven.' Those same polls, however, by about roughly the same margin, reject the belief in a place called "hell." To the many respondents, it is inconceivable that a God of LOVE could actually create such an awful place, and not only that, but condemn someone to suffer in agony and torment for all eternity; to wit, how could the righteousness, justice, and holiness of God our heavenly Father who is ‘Love’ be satisfied with such an outcome since it states in I Timothy 2: 4, that it is God’s will for all men to be saved.
Romans 9: 14, 17-19
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in [against??] you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills, He hardens (Cp. Exodus 4: 21b; 8: 32). You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
This serves as a perfect introduction to the concept of freewill and predestination; that is the idea that humans have a ‘choice’ in their lives and social interactions independent of divine intervention, design, or effect in the decisions they make; and the consequences based upon acting or not acting upon the exercise of decisions independent of the influence of God, and the circumstances planned by Him in advance to bring about a certain desired outcome; whether good or bad.
Freewill 2: The freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or made by divine intervention [or will??].
Predestination 2: The doctrine that God in consequence of His foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation.
NOTE: The converse of this is that God does not guide those who are not destined for salvation and allows them to choose a path of living which leads to damnation.
Again, continuing in Romans 9: 21-23
Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known (Cp. 17b), endured with much longsuffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand [before the foundation of the world??] for glory.
Romans 8: 29
For whom He knew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Ephesians 1: 5, 11
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.
Proverbs 16: 4
The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom [evil; destruction??].
Isaiah 45: 9a, b
Woe to him who strives with His maker . . . Shall the clay say to him who forms it, what are you making?
64:8
But now, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You are our potter, and we are the work of Your hand.
Jeremiah 18: 1-6
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred [ruined; imperfect??] in the hands of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”
Some of the greatest thinkers, Philosophers, Intellectuals, and Theologians who ever lived, have debated and wrestled within their own conscience and spirit in an attempt to explain one of the most perplexing as well as fundamental questions of human existence.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Romans 9: 14, 17-19
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in [against??] you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills, He hardens (Cp. Exodus 4: 21b; 8: 32). You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
This serves as a perfect introduction to the concept of freewill and predestination; that is the idea that humans have a ‘choice’ in their lives and social interactions independent of divine intervention, design, or effect in the decisions they make; and the consequences based upon acting or not acting upon the exercise of decisions independent of the influence of God, and the circumstances planned by Him in advance to bring about a certain desired outcome; whether good or bad.
Freewill 2: The freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or made by divine intervention [or will??].
Predestination 2: The doctrine that God in consequence of His foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation.
NOTE: The converse of this is that God does not guide those who are not destined for salvation and allows them to choose a path of living which leads to damnation.
Again, continuing in Romans 9: 21-23
Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known (Cp. 17b), endured with much longsuffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand [before the foundation of the world??] for glory.
Romans 8: 29
For whom He knew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Ephesians 1: 5, 11
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.
Proverbs 16: 4
The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom [evil; destruction??].
Isaiah 45: 9a, b
Woe to him who strives with His maker . . . Shall the clay say to him who forms it, what are you making?
64:8
But now, O Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You are our potter, and we are the work of Your hand.
Jeremiah 18: 1-6
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred [ruined; imperfect??] in the hands of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”
Some of the greatest thinkers, Philosophers, Intellectuals, and Theologians who ever lived, have debated and wrestled within their own conscience and spirit in an attempt to explain one of the most perplexing as well as fundamental questions of human existence.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 26, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Taking the Issue of Sin Seriously, Part II
Most of the time when ‘sin’ is expounded upon and condemned by pronouncements of doom and hellfire by the clergy, missionaries and zealous believers alike, it usually has to do with those practices which are sometimes perceived as the most socially repulsive, heinous, and divisive such as abortion, incest or rape, homicide, and homosexuality (GLTB); to name a few. However, the sins in this study and for which most of the writings contained in the New Testament are those offenses which are practiced among Church-going, Bible-believing Christians.
I Corinthians 5: 9-10a, 11-13
I wrote to you in an epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean the sexually immoral people of this world . . .But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner-not even to eat [a common meal??] with such a person. For what have I to do with those who are outside [the body of Christ]? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person.
6: 9-11a
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists will inherit the kingdom of God, and such were some of you.
13b, 18
Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body (??), but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
I Corinthians 9: 27
But I discipline my body and bring it to subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
I Corinthians 12 20-21
For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, backbiting, whisperings [gossips??], conceits, tumults [fighting??]; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and the lewdness which they have practiced [are practicing??].
Wrath - a desire or intent to punish or revenge.
Romans 13: 13
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry, and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife or envy.
Revel; carouse: 2; to take intense pleasure or satisfaction.
Carouse 1: to drink liquor freely or loosely.
Lewd (evil, wicked, obscene, vulgar) 2 a; sexually unchaste or licentious.
Licentious 1: lacking legal or moral restraints; esp.: disregarding sexual restraints.
Galatians 5: 19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envies, envy, [murder], drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
NOTE: It is very doubtful that the Apostle Paul would have written this letter to the unbeliever but rather as correction and disciplinary action for those who are believers.
Ephesians 4: 29a, 31; 5: 3a-5
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. . . Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, loud quarreling [clamor], and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, nor foolish talking, nor course jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetousness man who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Wrath 1: strong vengeful anger or indignation.
Anger 1: a strong feeling or emotional state.
Malice 1: the desire to cause pain, misery, or distress to another.
Colossians 3: 5, 7-9a
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry; in which you once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourself are to put off all these; wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Blasphemy 1 a; the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.
I Thessalonians 4: 3-5a
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust.
Titus 3: 3
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
James 3: 14-15
But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
4: 1-4a
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members [body]? You lust and you do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
I Peter 2: 1
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles- When we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
To reiterate, all of these aforementioned scriptural references have to do with reminding the believer that they are a new creation in Christ and as a result are to put away from themselves the deeds of the flesh, the sinful acts of their former selves before receiving the remission of sins through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. To wit, the members of the Church, Christ’s body need to take a good look within her own house first before judging those who are outside. It’s like the lyrics in a song by the 1960’s Soul Music group, ‘The Temptations’: “If you’re living in a glass house, don’t throw no stones.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
I Corinthians 5: 9-10a, 11-13
I wrote to you in an epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean the sexually immoral people of this world . . .But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner-not even to eat [a common meal??] with such a person. For what have I to do with those who are outside [the body of Christ]? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person.
6: 9-11a
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists will inherit the kingdom of God, and such were some of you.
13b, 18
Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body (??), but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
I Corinthians 9: 27
But I discipline my body and bring it to subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
I Corinthians 12 20-21
For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, backbiting, whisperings [gossips??], conceits, tumults [fighting??]; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and the lewdness which they have practiced [are practicing??].
Wrath - a desire or intent to punish or revenge.
Romans 13: 13
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry, and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife or envy.
Revel; carouse: 2; to take intense pleasure or satisfaction.
Carouse 1: to drink liquor freely or loosely.
Lewd (evil, wicked, obscene, vulgar) 2 a; sexually unchaste or licentious.
Licentious 1: lacking legal or moral restraints; esp.: disregarding sexual restraints.
Galatians 5: 19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envies, envy, [murder], drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
NOTE: It is very doubtful that the Apostle Paul would have written this letter to the unbeliever but rather as correction and disciplinary action for those who are believers.
Ephesians 4: 29a, 31; 5: 3a-5
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. . . Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, loud quarreling [clamor], and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, nor foolish talking, nor course jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetousness man who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Wrath 1: strong vengeful anger or indignation.
Anger 1: a strong feeling or emotional state.
Malice 1: the desire to cause pain, misery, or distress to another.
Colossians 3: 5, 7-9a
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry; in which you once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourself are to put off all these; wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Blasphemy 1 a; the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God.
I Thessalonians 4: 3-5a
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust.
Titus 3: 3
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
James 3: 14-15
But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.
4: 1-4a
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members [body]? You lust and you do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
I Peter 2: 1
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles- When we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
To reiterate, all of these aforementioned scriptural references have to do with reminding the believer that they are a new creation in Christ and as a result are to put away from themselves the deeds of the flesh, the sinful acts of their former selves before receiving the remission of sins through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. To wit, the members of the Church, Christ’s body need to take a good look within her own house first before judging those who are outside. It’s like the lyrics in a song by the 1960’s Soul Music group, ‘The Temptations’: “If you’re living in a glass house, don’t throw no stones.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 21, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Some Faith Practices of the Early Christians
There are some Christian denominations who identify themselves as God’s Chosen/Elect people because of certain faith practices such as observance of the Jewish Sabbath and dietary laws, reverentially pronouncing the sacred Name of God (‘Jehovah’) and being His Witnesses (Cp. Isaiah 43: 10), and some claim ancestry from one of the Lost tribes of Israel (‘Nephi’) and practice “baptisms for the dead”
(Cp. I Corinthians 15: 29). Just a few comments are in order although this is not complete. Although the Prophet Isaiah did reference ancient Israel as Witnesses for the Lord (‘Yah’), Acts 14: 12 states, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no ‘other’ name under the heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The “Witnesses” the New Testament speaks about are those who witnessed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead (Cp. Acts 3: 15; 4: 33;
5: 31-32; 13: 30-31).
The rite of “baptisms for the dead” has no precedent in Scripture because there is no example of it but the rather awkward wording in I Corinthians 15: 29. The confusion, although not apparent at first, can be solved by a careful and prudent examination of the context, keeping in mind the emphasis on concern over there being no resurrection for the dead; which would include by extension, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. If that is the case and if someone is baptized into Christ believing in His resurrection as a prelude to their own and if this is not true, then the passage asks a really good question. So, keeping that thought in mind,
read Romans 6: 3-4a, 5; I Corinthians 15: 12-14, 17-18, 29; I Thessalonians 4: 13 for more clarification. Irrespective of the various points of view which are presented in this particular work, the following are some of the characteristics which the New Testament leaves as a footprint in the sands of time as to the traditions which the earliest believers engaged in which helped them grow in the most precious ‘Faith.’
Acts 1: 14
One accord, prayer, supplication.
2: 1
Gathered together in one place with one accord.
42
Apostle’s doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread (common meals), prayers.
44
All believers were together, had all things in common.
46
Continued daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread (common meal) from house to house and ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.
6: 1
Providing food distribution for widows.
6
Praying and the laying on of hands.
Romans 12: 12
Continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
I Corinthians 10: 14-21; 11: 17-34
(“The Lord’s Table”)The Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
16: 1-4; II Corinthians 8: 1-24; 9: 1-14
Special offering (‘gift’) for the saints in Jerusalem [Judea].
Colossians 3: 16
Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.
4: 2
Continue earnestly in praying, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Timothy 2: 1, 8 {esp. 2-4}
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and the giving of thanks be made for all men. I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CHUCH OFFICIALS:
Bishop/Overseer
I Timothy 3; 1-7
Deacons
I Timothy 3: 8-13
Elders
Titus 1: 5-9
I Timothy 5: 1-16
Taking care of the widows.
17-18
Supporting the Elders who labor in the word and doctrine.
THE RITE OF BAPTISM:
(References)
Acts 2: 37-38; 8: 5, 12, 35-36, 38-39; 9: 17-18; 10: 44-48; 15: 29-33; 16: 14-15;
18: 24-26; 19: 1-6; Romans 6: 3-7, 17-18; 10: 8-11; I Peter 3: 20-21
THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
(References)
Romans 12: 3-8; I Corinthians 1: 4-8; 12: 1-11, 27-31; 14: 1-33, 36-40;
Ephesians 4: 7-13; I Thessalonians 5: 19-20; I Peter 4: 10-11
I Timothy 4: 14
The laying on of hands.
5: 22
Do not lay hands [on anyone] hastily, nor share in other people’s sin; keep yourself pure.
James 5: 14-16
The Elders of the Church anointing the sick with oil [olive??] in the Name of the Lord.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
(Cp. I Corinthians 15: 29). Just a few comments are in order although this is not complete. Although the Prophet Isaiah did reference ancient Israel as Witnesses for the Lord (‘Yah’), Acts 14: 12 states, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no ‘other’ name under the heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The “Witnesses” the New Testament speaks about are those who witnessed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead (Cp. Acts 3: 15; 4: 33;
5: 31-32; 13: 30-31).
The rite of “baptisms for the dead” has no precedent in Scripture because there is no example of it but the rather awkward wording in I Corinthians 15: 29. The confusion, although not apparent at first, can be solved by a careful and prudent examination of the context, keeping in mind the emphasis on concern over there being no resurrection for the dead; which would include by extension, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. If that is the case and if someone is baptized into Christ believing in His resurrection as a prelude to their own and if this is not true, then the passage asks a really good question. So, keeping that thought in mind,
read Romans 6: 3-4a, 5; I Corinthians 15: 12-14, 17-18, 29; I Thessalonians 4: 13 for more clarification. Irrespective of the various points of view which are presented in this particular work, the following are some of the characteristics which the New Testament leaves as a footprint in the sands of time as to the traditions which the earliest believers engaged in which helped them grow in the most precious ‘Faith.’
Acts 1: 14
One accord, prayer, supplication.
2: 1
Gathered together in one place with one accord.
42
Apostle’s doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread (common meals), prayers.
44
All believers were together, had all things in common.
46
Continued daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread (common meal) from house to house and ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.
6: 1
Providing food distribution for widows.
6
Praying and the laying on of hands.
Romans 12: 12
Continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
I Corinthians 10: 14-21; 11: 17-34
(“The Lord’s Table”)The Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
16: 1-4; II Corinthians 8: 1-24; 9: 1-14
Special offering (‘gift’) for the saints in Jerusalem [Judea].
Colossians 3: 16
Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.
4: 2
Continue earnestly in praying, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Timothy 2: 1, 8 {esp. 2-4}
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and the giving of thanks be made for all men. I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CHUCH OFFICIALS:
Bishop/Overseer
I Timothy 3; 1-7
Deacons
I Timothy 3: 8-13
Elders
Titus 1: 5-9
I Timothy 5: 1-16
Taking care of the widows.
17-18
Supporting the Elders who labor in the word and doctrine.
THE RITE OF BAPTISM:
(References)
Acts 2: 37-38; 8: 5, 12, 35-36, 38-39; 9: 17-18; 10: 44-48; 15: 29-33; 16: 14-15;
18: 24-26; 19: 1-6; Romans 6: 3-7, 17-18; 10: 8-11; I Peter 3: 20-21
THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
(References)
Romans 12: 3-8; I Corinthians 1: 4-8; 12: 1-11, 27-31; 14: 1-33, 36-40;
Ephesians 4: 7-13; I Thessalonians 5: 19-20; I Peter 4: 10-11
I Timothy 4: 14
The laying on of hands.
5: 22
Do not lay hands [on anyone] hastily, nor share in other people’s sin; keep yourself pure.
James 5: 14-16
The Elders of the Church anointing the sick with oil [olive??] in the Name of the Lord.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Are You Offering Strange Fire to the Lord?
Exodus 19: 20-22
Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses,”Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.
20: 18-20
Now all the people witnessed the thundering, the lightening flashes, the sound of the trumpet (??), and the mountain smoking; and the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you so that you may not sin.
Consecrate 2 a: to make or declare sacred; esp.: to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony [or oath].
Leviticus 9: 23-24a
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the fat on the altar.
II Chronicles 5: 13-14
And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves. . .), indeed it came to pass when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and the cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
NOTE: This is very instructive because God was so pleased with the worship of adoration by the people that His cloud [‘Shekinah’] of glory saturated this holy place such that the services could not even continue.
Leviticus 10: 1-3
Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered [profane] fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’ “So Aaron held his peace.
Holy 1; exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
Glorify 1 a: to make glorious (marked by great splendor and beauty) by the bestowal of honor, praise, and admiration.
Acts 5: 1-3a, 4b-5, 9-10
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the land yourself? You have not lied to men but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So, great fear came upon all who heard these things. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
I Corinthians 3: 16-17
Do you not know that your body is the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are (Cp. Ephesians 2: 21-22).
Leviticus 11: 44a
For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.
19: 1-2
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
20: 7-8
Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
I Peter 1: 15-16
But as He who called you is holy, you must also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
I Peter 5: 9
You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ.
So what does all these Biblical references have to do with the worship practices and attitudes of believers in the Christian Church in modern times; everything! Jesus said in Matthew 18: 20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them.
It can be clearly seen, especially from citations taken from the Jewish Old Testament the important seriousness of God’s requirement to come before His Presence in reverential fear and praise. The priests were strictly admonished to live exemplary lives as examples of God’s holiness and represent Him before the people in the administration of sacrifices and offerings. Any violation of God’s laws and statutes were seen as impiety and the sin of rebellion in which His just punishments and judgments were swift and sure.
Today, however, it doesn’t seem as though the worship of God as the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and Creator of Heaven and earth is approached with the same degree of solemnity and reverence. Many parishioners treat the occasion as more of a religiously-theme social gathering full of singing performances, memorized verbal anecdotes, and oratorical pomposity or pious exuberance for our entertainment; but not out of godly fear. Although all of this may outwardly appear to encapsulate the essence of ‘pure’ worship, sadly, it is not it at all.
Think about it for a moment: Some of the faithful come habitually late to nearly every service when these same people arrive early enough and on time to catch a train, bus, airplane, or boat. Also, there area few who constantly talk socially with others, incessantly move about in the assembly, engage in other distracting activities, or entertain thoughts of being somewhere else; and yet, is this the best that we can offer up to God for all His goodness and blessings?
Are we like those rebellious and stiff-necked Children of Israel, who after being liberated from Egyptian slavery, it says in I Corinthians 10: 5-7: But with most of them God was not pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Coming to Church services isn’t about seeking to get something from God, but rather to offer up something to Him for all that He has done in our lives. In Hebrews 13: 15, it reads: Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses,”Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.
20: 18-20
Now all the people witnessed the thundering, the lightening flashes, the sound of the trumpet (??), and the mountain smoking; and the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you so that you may not sin.
Consecrate 2 a: to make or declare sacred; esp.: to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony [or oath].
Leviticus 9: 23-24a
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the fat on the altar.
II Chronicles 5: 13-14
And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves. . .), indeed it came to pass when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and the cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
NOTE: This is very instructive because God was so pleased with the worship of adoration by the people that His cloud [‘Shekinah’] of glory saturated this holy place such that the services could not even continue.
Leviticus 10: 1-3
Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered [profane] fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’ “So Aaron held his peace.
Holy 1; exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
Glorify 1 a: to make glorious (marked by great splendor and beauty) by the bestowal of honor, praise, and admiration.
Acts 5: 1-3a, 4b-5, 9-10
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the land yourself? You have not lied to men but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So, great fear came upon all who heard these things. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
I Corinthians 3: 16-17
Do you not know that your body is the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are (Cp. Ephesians 2: 21-22).
Leviticus 11: 44a
For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.
19: 1-2
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
20: 7-8
Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
I Peter 1: 15-16
But as He who called you is holy, you must also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
I Peter 5: 9
You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ.
So what does all these Biblical references have to do with the worship practices and attitudes of believers in the Christian Church in modern times; everything! Jesus said in Matthew 18: 20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them.
It can be clearly seen, especially from citations taken from the Jewish Old Testament the important seriousness of God’s requirement to come before His Presence in reverential fear and praise. The priests were strictly admonished to live exemplary lives as examples of God’s holiness and represent Him before the people in the administration of sacrifices and offerings. Any violation of God’s laws and statutes were seen as impiety and the sin of rebellion in which His just punishments and judgments were swift and sure.
Today, however, it doesn’t seem as though the worship of God as the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and Creator of Heaven and earth is approached with the same degree of solemnity and reverence. Many parishioners treat the occasion as more of a religiously-theme social gathering full of singing performances, memorized verbal anecdotes, and oratorical pomposity or pious exuberance for our entertainment; but not out of godly fear. Although all of this may outwardly appear to encapsulate the essence of ‘pure’ worship, sadly, it is not it at all.
Think about it for a moment: Some of the faithful come habitually late to nearly every service when these same people arrive early enough and on time to catch a train, bus, airplane, or boat. Also, there area few who constantly talk socially with others, incessantly move about in the assembly, engage in other distracting activities, or entertain thoughts of being somewhere else; and yet, is this the best that we can offer up to God for all His goodness and blessings?
Are we like those rebellious and stiff-necked Children of Israel, who after being liberated from Egyptian slavery, it says in I Corinthians 10: 5-7: But with most of them God was not pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Coming to Church services isn’t about seeking to get something from God, but rather to offer up something to Him for all that He has done in our lives. In Hebrews 13: 15, it reads: Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 20, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Taking the Issue of Sin Seriously
American society is one that takes political correctness to new heights, as perhaps unlike any other country in the entire modern world. It seems we wear our feelings on our shoulders and become very restless as well as sensitive to criticism or when someone challenges our most cherished traditions, beliefs, history, and social practices. We pride ourselves in our independence, system of justice, rights of freedom of the press and free speech, and moral responsibility; but where are we as a people when it comes to ‘sin’? The Wisdom of Solomon says in Proverbs 14: 34, Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.
Of course, the usual response to this important issue is met with scorn, suspicion, and in some instances, violence. It is one of those ‘mind your own business’ if you know what’s good for you social withdrawal mechanisms. No one wants to talk about it, and those who do run the risk of being labeled ‘demagogues,’ narrow-minded, or accused of fostering hate-speech; which can lead to criminal charges of attempting to promote a “hate crime.” Nobody wants to hurt another person’s feelings or make them feel ashamed or embarrassed so the topic is essentially VERBOTEN (Ger. ‘forbidden’). Maybe this is why the ‘OBITUARY’ section in most newspapers is written in such a way where all the deceased are treated with dignity and respect, even though some of them might have been quite the rascal and hell-raiser when they were alive.
Has the Christian Church abdicated her responsibility to take a firm stand against behaviors (not individuals) which are contrary to God’s commandments? Of course, taking on this potentially controversial subject might just make the community of faith a religious ‘pariah.’ So then, appeasement is the more prudent course of action than face the sobering reality of the effect of sin on families, communities, and the entire nation. Sin is a spiritual condition and not a moral malaise or social aberration that the APA, JAMA, and AMA can merely just explain away based upon clinical studies and scientific research.
Even moral reasoning or rationalization is nothing new because Proverbs 21: 2a states: “Every way of man is right in his own eyes.” But the folly of it is also captured in Proverbs 14: 12“There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.” Our weakness and reluctance to challenge sin in the body of Christ is appalling, and consequently we tolerate, or more accurately, approve the appointment of clergy and other officials to minister ‘spiritual’ things to the flock who themselves are guilty of shameful deeds or thoughts.
The question is: from what perspective should ‘sin’ be viewed?
Romans 3: 23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
And now, how does all this relate to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 9: 26b, 27
But now, once at the end of the ages, He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the Judgment.
John 7: 24
Therefore I say to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
Acts 4: 12
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven among men by which we must be saved.
NOTE: Salvation does not come from being a disciple of Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Wayne Dyer, J.Z. Knight (RAMTHA), Madame Helen Blavatsky, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Rav Michael Berg, the CHANGE-YOUR-LIFE Church of “O," and a host of others.
Some might reason that the Biblical pronouncements of doom and gloom are from a more religiously suspicious, less enlightened age because surely the God who is ‘Love’ would not pronounce such a dire fate as eternal torment upon broken, imperfect, weak, and flawed humanity.
John 5: 40; 6: 46
“But you are not willing to come to me that you might have ‘Life.’ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has Everlasting Life.”
II Thessalonians 1: 7b-9
The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of is power.
Hebrews 10: 31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
I Corinthians 5: 10-11b
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
And what of those individuals who may consider themselves charitable, socially conscientious, morally excellent, religious, and there are even some who appear to have special spiritual gifts? Well, Jesus answers them in Matthew 7: 21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to me in the day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness!”
One of the overriding admonitions spoken by Jesus is in the warning of His sudden appearing as ‘A thief in the night,’ which is echoed throughout all the books of the entire New Testament; in one way or another. It seems that many people aren’t too bothered or concerned and go about their daily routine as to not give it a second thought. The few that have a slight touch of conscience will justify their actions based upon the circumstances at the time and deal with the consequences later; still others deem themselves ‘untouchable’ and sin with impunity.
II Peter 3: 3-4, 9
Knowing this first: that, scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The assurance of Jesus’ return is underscored in the following:
John 5: 28-29
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.”
The final words of prophesy from the Lord Jesus to humanity is found in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 20: 11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne of God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the ‘Book of Life’. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged each according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
There are those few Christian apologists who explain that REVELATION is a book of symbols and is one of the most Jewish books in the New Testament along with, not surprisingly, HEBREWS. And like most literature, certain writing techniques such as metaphor and simile are intended to convey a message that is not always apparent to the reader. Within the body of this work are elements of the Prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel and certainly the Gospels; which should reinforce the need for everyone to examine themselves and ask, if when the Lord returns, will they be ready to meet Him?
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 13, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Of course, the usual response to this important issue is met with scorn, suspicion, and in some instances, violence. It is one of those ‘mind your own business’ if you know what’s good for you social withdrawal mechanisms. No one wants to talk about it, and those who do run the risk of being labeled ‘demagogues,’ narrow-minded, or accused of fostering hate-speech; which can lead to criminal charges of attempting to promote a “hate crime.” Nobody wants to hurt another person’s feelings or make them feel ashamed or embarrassed so the topic is essentially VERBOTEN (Ger. ‘forbidden’). Maybe this is why the ‘OBITUARY’ section in most newspapers is written in such a way where all the deceased are treated with dignity and respect, even though some of them might have been quite the rascal and hell-raiser when they were alive.
Has the Christian Church abdicated her responsibility to take a firm stand against behaviors (not individuals) which are contrary to God’s commandments? Of course, taking on this potentially controversial subject might just make the community of faith a religious ‘pariah.’ So then, appeasement is the more prudent course of action than face the sobering reality of the effect of sin on families, communities, and the entire nation. Sin is a spiritual condition and not a moral malaise or social aberration that the APA, JAMA, and AMA can merely just explain away based upon clinical studies and scientific research.
Even moral reasoning or rationalization is nothing new because Proverbs 21: 2a states: “Every way of man is right in his own eyes.” But the folly of it is also captured in Proverbs 14: 12“There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.” Our weakness and reluctance to challenge sin in the body of Christ is appalling, and consequently we tolerate, or more accurately, approve the appointment of clergy and other officials to minister ‘spiritual’ things to the flock who themselves are guilty of shameful deeds or thoughts.
The question is: from what perspective should ‘sin’ be viewed?
Romans 3: 23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
And now, how does all this relate to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 9: 26b, 27
But now, once at the end of the ages, He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the Judgment.
John 7: 24
Therefore I say to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
Acts 4: 12
Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven among men by which we must be saved.
NOTE: Salvation does not come from being a disciple of Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Wayne Dyer, J.Z. Knight (RAMTHA), Madame Helen Blavatsky, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Rav Michael Berg, the CHANGE-YOUR-LIFE Church of “O," and a host of others.
Some might reason that the Biblical pronouncements of doom and gloom are from a more religiously suspicious, less enlightened age because surely the God who is ‘Love’ would not pronounce such a dire fate as eternal torment upon broken, imperfect, weak, and flawed humanity.
John 5: 40; 6: 46
“But you are not willing to come to me that you might have ‘Life.’ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has Everlasting Life.”
II Thessalonians 1: 7b-9
The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of is power.
Hebrews 10: 31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
I Corinthians 5: 10-11b
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
And what of those individuals who may consider themselves charitable, socially conscientious, morally excellent, religious, and there are even some who appear to have special spiritual gifts? Well, Jesus answers them in Matthew 7: 21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to me in the day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness!”
One of the overriding admonitions spoken by Jesus is in the warning of His sudden appearing as ‘A thief in the night,’ which is echoed throughout all the books of the entire New Testament; in one way or another. It seems that many people aren’t too bothered or concerned and go about their daily routine as to not give it a second thought. The few that have a slight touch of conscience will justify their actions based upon the circumstances at the time and deal with the consequences later; still others deem themselves ‘untouchable’ and sin with impunity.
II Peter 3: 3-4, 9
Knowing this first: that, scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The assurance of Jesus’ return is underscored in the following:
John 5: 28-29
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.”
The final words of prophesy from the Lord Jesus to humanity is found in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 20: 11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne of God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the ‘Book of Life’. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged each according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
There are those few Christian apologists who explain that REVELATION is a book of symbols and is one of the most Jewish books in the New Testament along with, not surprisingly, HEBREWS. And like most literature, certain writing techniques such as metaphor and simile are intended to convey a message that is not always apparent to the reader. Within the body of this work are elements of the Prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel and certainly the Gospels; which should reinforce the need for everyone to examine themselves and ask, if when the Lord returns, will they be ready to meet Him?
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 13, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, January 12, 2009
Where will God’s Elect/Chosen Spend Eternity in the Afterlife?
The hope of all the faithful Christian believers is to live forever with God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy angels in the heavenly mansions. Many of the liturgical imagery inspired in portraits and in the composition of songs whose lyrics touch deep within the soul, conjure up scenes of the celestial splendor and unspeakable joy, but is that really what the Scriptures teach? As the old saying goes, “Let us speak where the Bible speaks and let us be silent where the Bible is silent.” The following is a list of references for thoughtful prayer and reflection:
Colossians 1: 5a
Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven.
I Peter 1: 4
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
II Corinthians 5: 2b
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.
Hebrews 12: 23
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in
heaven. . .
NOTE: None of the preceding passages says that believers will go to live in heaven, but rather that heaven is the source or place of their citizenship and reward.
I Thessalonians 4: 16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with “them” in the clouds to meet the lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
NOTE: A couple of things should receive further consideration, namely, who are ‘them’ and verse seventeen doesn’t say that ‘we’ shall go be with the Lord in heaven but rather, “we will always be with the Lord.”
I Corinthians 15: 23
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
Revelations 14: 1, 4
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
Revelation 7:1a, 2a, 3-4
After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east (??) having the seal of the Living God, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants (prophets??; Revelation 22: 6, 8b-9a) of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.
Matthew 24:31
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
II Thessalonians 2: 1
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him. . .
NOTE: Some believers think that God’s people, the political, religious and national state of Israel is no longer a concern but rather Christ’s Church; however, is that true?
Romans 11: 1, 5, 25-26a, 28-29
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to grace. For I do not desire brethren, that you should be ignorant of this ‘mystery,’ lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in. And so all Israel shall be saved. . . Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers (Cp. Genesis 12: 3b; 22: 18; 26: 4; 28: 14). For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Hebrews 6:13-17, 18
For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could not swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. . .
Ephesians 3: 1, 3-4, 6
I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles-how that by revelation He made known to me the ‘mystery’ (as I have written briefly already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the ‘mystery’ of Christ) that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.
NOTE: Now that the aforementioned references clearly indicate that Israel is God’s special concern and that along with the Gentile believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are heirs and partakers of the promises to Abraham, but exactly what does this look like?
II Corinthians 11: 2
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy: For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Revelation 19: 7-9
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
NOTE: The final piece of this theological puzzle has to do with where the heirs of the ‘Promise’ or the Lord’s bride will live for endless ages.
Revelation 20:11
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them (Cp. Isaiah 34: 4a; II Peter 3:10-11a, 12b).
Revelation 21: 1-3
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
9-10, 12, 14
Then one of the angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away ‘in the Spirit’ to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Also she had a great high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
There are some believers in the body of Christ who believed the redeemed saints will enjoy the blissful, idyllic life and social as well as conjugal relationships in a restored and perfected Garden of Eden, which Adam and Eve forfeited (Cp. Genesis 1: 27-28; 3: 22-24), but such is not the case according to the words of Jesus:
Matthew 22: 29-30; Mark 12: 24-25
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels [of God] in heaven.
Revelation 5: 10b
And we [they??] shall reign on the earth.
Regardless of the many disapproving DISPENSATIONAL viewpoints and theological hand wringing that this study may provoke among some of the more religiously conservative, the Apostle Peter seems to sum up our hope the best in II Peter 3: 13:
Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 12, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Colossians 1: 5a
Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven.
I Peter 1: 4
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
II Corinthians 5: 2b
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.
Hebrews 12: 23
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in
heaven. . .
NOTE: None of the preceding passages says that believers will go to live in heaven, but rather that heaven is the source or place of their citizenship and reward.
I Thessalonians 4: 16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with “them” in the clouds to meet the lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
NOTE: A couple of things should receive further consideration, namely, who are ‘them’ and verse seventeen doesn’t say that ‘we’ shall go be with the Lord in heaven but rather, “we will always be with the Lord.”
I Corinthians 15: 23
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
Revelations 14: 1, 4
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
Revelation 7:1a, 2a, 3-4
After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east (??) having the seal of the Living God, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants (prophets??; Revelation 22: 6, 8b-9a) of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.
Matthew 24:31
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
II Thessalonians 2: 1
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him. . .
NOTE: Some believers think that God’s people, the political, religious and national state of Israel is no longer a concern but rather Christ’s Church; however, is that true?
Romans 11: 1, 5, 25-26a, 28-29
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to grace. For I do not desire brethren, that you should be ignorant of this ‘mystery,’ lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in. And so all Israel shall be saved. . . Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers (Cp. Genesis 12: 3b; 22: 18; 26: 4; 28: 14). For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Hebrews 6:13-17, 18
For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could not swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. . .
Ephesians 3: 1, 3-4, 6
I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles-how that by revelation He made known to me the ‘mystery’ (as I have written briefly already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the ‘mystery’ of Christ) that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.
NOTE: Now that the aforementioned references clearly indicate that Israel is God’s special concern and that along with the Gentile believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are heirs and partakers of the promises to Abraham, but exactly what does this look like?
II Corinthians 11: 2
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy: For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Revelation 19: 7-9
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
NOTE: The final piece of this theological puzzle has to do with where the heirs of the ‘Promise’ or the Lord’s bride will live for endless ages.
Revelation 20:11
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them (Cp. Isaiah 34: 4a; II Peter 3:10-11a, 12b).
Revelation 21: 1-3
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
9-10, 12, 14
Then one of the angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away ‘in the Spirit’ to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Also she had a great high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
There are some believers in the body of Christ who believed the redeemed saints will enjoy the blissful, idyllic life and social as well as conjugal relationships in a restored and perfected Garden of Eden, which Adam and Eve forfeited (Cp. Genesis 1: 27-28; 3: 22-24), but such is not the case according to the words of Jesus:
Matthew 22: 29-30; Mark 12: 24-25
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels [of God] in heaven.
Revelation 5: 10b
And we [they??] shall reign on the earth.
Regardless of the many disapproving DISPENSATIONAL viewpoints and theological hand wringing that this study may provoke among some of the more religiously conservative, the Apostle Peter seems to sum up our hope the best in II Peter 3: 13:
Nevertheless, we according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 12, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Sign of the Times and End of the Age
Perhaps one of the most intriguing narratives in the Synoptic (side by side) Gospels contained in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is the ‘End of the World.’ Each writer has their own individual perspective gleaned from the sources which were used to compile and reference this unique event in which each one of them conveyed to a particular audience. In most instances there is agreement with the other accounts and as it shall be shown, there is a widely divergent viewpoint as to what the Lord Jesus Christ actually said.
To set the stage for this momentous discussion, Jesus had just wrapped up teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem, and His disciples had commented about the beautiful stones and buildings of the temple, to which Jesus replied, ‘There will not be one stone left standing on top of another.” The disciples asked Him privately by the Mount of Olivet, “What was going to be the Sign of the Times and the End of the Age?” (Cp. Matthew 24: 3; Mark 13: 3; Luke 21: 5). This occasion was about two days before the Passover (Cp. Matthew 26: 1-2; Mark 14: 1; Luke 22: 1??)
All three authors start off with "THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE"
(Cp. Matthew 24: 1-2; Mark 13: 1-2; Luke 21: 5-6)
NOTE: Luke does not mention about the Gospel being preached to the entire world. (Cp. Matthew 24: 14: Mark 13: 10)
Matthew 24: 26-28
“Therefore, if they say to you, Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man be, “For wherever the carcass is, then the eagles will be gathered together (Cp. Revelations 19: 17-18??).
NOTE: Omitted in Mark and Luke.
Luke 21: 18-19
“But not a hair of your head shall be lost.“By y our patience possess your souls.”
NOTE: Matthew and Luke do not mention this.
22
For these are “the Days of Vengeance,” that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
NOTE: Instead of that phrase, Matthew and Mark use the term, the Abomination of Desolation spoken by the Prophet Daniel (Cp. Matthew 24: 15; Mark 13: 14; Daniel 11: 31; 12: 11). It seems more likely that the source for Luke’s use here is taken from the Prophet Isaiah (61: 2b; 34: 8-15), and possibly Malachi 4: 1, 3??
Luke 21: 24
And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be carried away captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the “Times of the Gentiles” are fulfilled. (Cp. Revelations 11: 2??)
NOTE: Excluded by Matthew and Mark.
Matthew 24: 29-31; Mark 13: 24-27; Luke 21: 25-28
"THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN"
NOTE: Luke account differs in that he does not mention anything about His (Christ’s) angels gathering the ‘elect’ from the four corners of the earth.
Matthew 24: 32-35; Mark 13: 28-31; Luke 21: 29-33
"THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE"
Matthew 36-44; Mark 13: 32-37
"NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR"
NOTE: Matthew includes “The days of Noah” (37-39) and “Two men working in a field”
(40-41); Mark uses “A man going into a far country”(34).
NOTE: Luke omits this.
Matthew 24: 45-51
"THE FAITHFUL SERVANT AND THE EVIL SERVANT"
25: 1-13
"THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS"
14-30
"THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS"
31-46
"THE SON OF MAN WILL JUDGE THE NATIONS"
NOTE: Mark and Luke do not include these.
Luke 21: 34-36
“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkedness, and the cares of this life, and that ‘Day’ comes on you unexpectedly. “For it will come as a snare on all them who dwell on the earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
NOTE: This is not included in the other Gospel books of Matthew and Mark but interestingly, Luke uses the word ‘snare’ whereas in Jesus’ other warnings about His Second Coming, He uses the phrase, returning as “A Thief in the Night” or coming suddenly, when people are caught unaware and unprepared.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 8, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
To set the stage for this momentous discussion, Jesus had just wrapped up teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem, and His disciples had commented about the beautiful stones and buildings of the temple, to which Jesus replied, ‘There will not be one stone left standing on top of another.” The disciples asked Him privately by the Mount of Olivet, “What was going to be the Sign of the Times and the End of the Age?” (Cp. Matthew 24: 3; Mark 13: 3; Luke 21: 5). This occasion was about two days before the Passover (Cp. Matthew 26: 1-2; Mark 14: 1; Luke 22: 1??)
All three authors start off with "THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE"
(Cp. Matthew 24: 1-2; Mark 13: 1-2; Luke 21: 5-6)
NOTE: Luke does not mention about the Gospel being preached to the entire world. (Cp. Matthew 24: 14: Mark 13: 10)
Matthew 24: 26-28
“Therefore, if they say to you, Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man be, “For wherever the carcass is, then the eagles will be gathered together (Cp. Revelations 19: 17-18??).
NOTE: Omitted in Mark and Luke.
Luke 21: 18-19
“But not a hair of your head shall be lost.“By y our patience possess your souls.”
NOTE: Matthew and Luke do not mention this.
22
For these are “the Days of Vengeance,” that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
NOTE: Instead of that phrase, Matthew and Mark use the term, the Abomination of Desolation spoken by the Prophet Daniel (Cp. Matthew 24: 15; Mark 13: 14; Daniel 11: 31; 12: 11). It seems more likely that the source for Luke’s use here is taken from the Prophet Isaiah (61: 2b; 34: 8-15), and possibly Malachi 4: 1, 3??
Luke 21: 24
And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be carried away captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the “Times of the Gentiles” are fulfilled. (Cp. Revelations 11: 2??)
NOTE: Excluded by Matthew and Mark.
Matthew 24: 29-31; Mark 13: 24-27; Luke 21: 25-28
"THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN"
NOTE: Luke account differs in that he does not mention anything about His (Christ’s) angels gathering the ‘elect’ from the four corners of the earth.
Matthew 24: 32-35; Mark 13: 28-31; Luke 21: 29-33
"THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE"
Matthew 36-44; Mark 13: 32-37
"NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR"
NOTE: Matthew includes “The days of Noah” (37-39) and “Two men working in a field”
(40-41); Mark uses “A man going into a far country”(34).
NOTE: Luke omits this.
Matthew 24: 45-51
"THE FAITHFUL SERVANT AND THE EVIL SERVANT"
25: 1-13
"THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS"
14-30
"THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS"
31-46
"THE SON OF MAN WILL JUDGE THE NATIONS"
NOTE: Mark and Luke do not include these.
Luke 21: 34-36
“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkedness, and the cares of this life, and that ‘Day’ comes on you unexpectedly. “For it will come as a snare on all them who dwell on the earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
NOTE: This is not included in the other Gospel books of Matthew and Mark but interestingly, Luke uses the word ‘snare’ whereas in Jesus’ other warnings about His Second Coming, He uses the phrase, returning as “A Thief in the Night” or coming suddenly, when people are caught unaware and unprepared.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 8, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
Have the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Ceased?
There are many Bible scholars, clergy, as well as believers in the Christian Church who claim that the extraordinary manifestation of spiritual gifts ceased in the first century with the death of the last Apostle; and even a few others will concede that this phenomenon ended with the completion of the New Testament canon in later generations. All of this may sound plausible on the surface, especially by those of the ‘Faith’ who have not personally experienced this unique demonstration of the working of the Holy Spirit. Tradition is not always the custodian of ‘truth’ so it is imperative to search the Scriptures for the internal evidence and biblical narrative to either prove or disprove this important matter of faith practice and eternal salvation.
A disciple in Damascus ["Syria"] named Ananias went to Saul and laid hands on him that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit(Cp. Acts 9: 10-11, 17).
Romans 1: 7, 11
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. For I long to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift, so that you may be established.
12: 6a
Having then gifts, differing, according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them;
15: 18-19a
For I will not dare speak those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word or deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God. . .
I Corinthians 12: 1, 4-5, 7, 11, 28, 31a
Now concerning Spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. But the manifestation of the Spirit given to each one for the profit of all. And God has appointed these in the church: first Apostles, second Prophets, third Teachers, after that, miracles, then gifts of healing, helps [interpretations of tongues, etc.??], Administrations, varieties of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. But earnestly desire the best gifts.
13: 8-10, 12a
Love never fails. But whether there are prophesies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
COMMENTARY:
The preceding text contrasts things done in part [temporary, impermanent] as a prelude to something perfect and lasting; as well as the time frame of ‘now’ versus ‘then.’ So what is this special ‘something’ that when it arrives, all these others things (“gifts of the Spirit”) will no longer be necessary? The following are suggested:
Hebrews 6: 4b-5
. . . Having tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and powers of the age to come.
Romans 8: 19b, 21b, 23b
. . . The revealing of the sons of God
. . . The glorious liberty of the children of God
. . . Eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body
I Corinthians 1: 4-7
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in every thing by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
I Corinthians 14: 1, 5, 22-25, 39
Pursue Love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless indeed he interprets, so that the church may receive edification. Therefore, tongues are for a ‘sign,’ not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe. Therefore if the whole Church comes together in one place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in [your midst] those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus, the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
Galatians 3: 5a
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you. . .
Ephesians 4: 7-8, 11-13
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” [Psalms 68: 18; not quoted perfectly??]. And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of the ‘faith’ and the knowledge of the Son of God.
4: 30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the “Day of Redemption.”
The Apostle Paul also admonished the Church in I Thessalonians 5: 19-20: “Do not quench [resist??] The Spirit. Do not despise prophesies.” Even Timothy, Paul’s fellow-worker and son in the Gospel received his spiritual gift through prophesy and the laying on of hands by the eldership (I Timothy 4: 6, 14; I Thessalonians 3: 1).
The Apostle Peter wrote: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good Shepherds of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks let him speak as the oracle [“mouthpiece”] of God. If anyone ministers [serves??] let him do it with the ability that God supply, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 4: 10-11)
So then, to sum it all up:
The Holy Spirit distributes gifts to members of Christ’s body as He chooses, as a sign to unbelievers of God’s presence and to confirm the Gospel record as well as to edify the Church. This supernatural administration is a taste of God’s goodness and demonstration of His power in the lives of the believers to be fruitful, until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to judge the good and the bad. There is no Scriptural reason to surmise that these wondrous blessings have been suspended, and certainly no one in the Household of God wants to appear to have a form of godliness, but deny its power (II Timothy 3: 5a). Lastly, the Apostle Paul wrote: “The kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (Cp. I Corinthians 4: 19-20)
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 5, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
A disciple in Damascus ["Syria"] named Ananias went to Saul and laid hands on him that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit(Cp. Acts 9: 10-11, 17).
Romans 1: 7, 11
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. For I long to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift, so that you may be established.
12: 6a
Having then gifts, differing, according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them;
15: 18-19a
For I will not dare speak those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word or deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God. . .
I Corinthians 12: 1, 4-5, 7, 11, 28, 31a
Now concerning Spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. But the manifestation of the Spirit given to each one for the profit of all. And God has appointed these in the church: first Apostles, second Prophets, third Teachers, after that, miracles, then gifts of healing, helps [interpretations of tongues, etc.??], Administrations, varieties of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. But earnestly desire the best gifts.
13: 8-10, 12a
Love never fails. But whether there are prophesies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
COMMENTARY:
The preceding text contrasts things done in part [temporary, impermanent] as a prelude to something perfect and lasting; as well as the time frame of ‘now’ versus ‘then.’ So what is this special ‘something’ that when it arrives, all these others things (“gifts of the Spirit”) will no longer be necessary? The following are suggested:
Hebrews 6: 4b-5
. . . Having tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and powers of the age to come.
Romans 8: 19b, 21b, 23b
. . . The revealing of the sons of God
. . . The glorious liberty of the children of God
. . . Eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body
I Corinthians 1: 4-7
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in every thing by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
I Corinthians 14: 1, 5, 22-25, 39
Pursue Love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless indeed he interprets, so that the church may receive edification. Therefore, tongues are for a ‘sign,’ not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe. Therefore if the whole Church comes together in one place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in [your midst] those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus, the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
Galatians 3: 5a
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you. . .
Ephesians 4: 7-8, 11-13
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” [Psalms 68: 18; not quoted perfectly??]. And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of the ‘faith’ and the knowledge of the Son of God.
4: 30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the “Day of Redemption.”
The Apostle Paul also admonished the Church in I Thessalonians 5: 19-20: “Do not quench [resist??] The Spirit. Do not despise prophesies.” Even Timothy, Paul’s fellow-worker and son in the Gospel received his spiritual gift through prophesy and the laying on of hands by the eldership (I Timothy 4: 6, 14; I Thessalonians 3: 1).
The Apostle Peter wrote: “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good Shepherds of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks let him speak as the oracle [“mouthpiece”] of God. If anyone ministers [serves??] let him do it with the ability that God supply, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 4: 10-11)
So then, to sum it all up:
The Holy Spirit distributes gifts to members of Christ’s body as He chooses, as a sign to unbelievers of God’s presence and to confirm the Gospel record as well as to edify the Church. This supernatural administration is a taste of God’s goodness and demonstration of His power in the lives of the believers to be fruitful, until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to judge the good and the bad. There is no Scriptural reason to surmise that these wondrous blessings have been suspended, and certainly no one in the Household of God wants to appear to have a form of godliness, but deny its power (II Timothy 3: 5a). Lastly, the Apostle Paul wrote: “The kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (Cp. I Corinthians 4: 19-20)
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 5, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
What does it mean to be “Born Again”?
One of the most widely used and popular terms among fundamental or Evangelical Christians is that they have been ‘born again.’ This religious mantra is taken from John 3: 3, where a ruler of the Jews and teacher came to see Jesus at night while He was in Jerusalem and He told him rather emphatically that “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is very unusual because there doesn’t seem to be an intervening event to this unexpected meeting. Even more curious is the rather abrupt, dramatic, and enigmatic statement by Jesus to Nicodemus. There is no parable or explanation that would help anyone to understand His meaning. The importance is underscored by Jesus’ repetition of the phrase and use of the word “must,” which occurs here and again only [??] in Hebrews 11: 6.
In order to help look for clues to solve this puzzle, one must go back again to John 3: 3-7(esp. verse 8), where Jesus mentioned that a person born of the Spirit can disappear and reappear like the wind and is intangible; possibly even passing through solid objects [like Jesus did after His resurrection]. Of course, Jesus may have had a symbolic or spiritual meaning in mind because certainly none of the Apostles and disciples demonstrated this unique ability. Interestingly, only John’s writings contain such deep spiritual principles like describing the scene of the crucifixion where Jesus’ side was pierced and from it came “blood and water”
(19: 34; 7: 37-39; Isaiah 44: 3). Not surprisingly, this same theme (‘water and blood”) is taken up again in I John 5; 6-8.
There are however, a few citations about this phenomenon that should further help our understanding, with the first found in I Peter 1: 22-23: ‘Since you have purified your souls in 1) obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love for the brethren, love one another with a pure heart fervently, 2) having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, 2a) through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. A couple of things have received the notations of 1, 2, and 2a, which are indispensible and need to be kept in mind in conjunction with other following passages in this study.
NOTE: This is the ONLY other place in the Scriptures where the exact words, “born again,” like in John 3: 3-7, are used in this context.
Romans 6: 17
But God be thanked that you were the slaves of sin, yet you 1) obeyed from the heart
2a) that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
Putting it all together so far leaves the complex question: How does one ‘obey the truth through the Spirit’, and is one ‘born again through the word of God’ by ‘obeying from the heart that form of doctrine’? In Romans 10: 8-10, it says, “But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart
{that is, 2a)} the word of faith which we preach): that 1a) if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For 1) with the heart one believes unto righteousness and
1a) with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
I Corinthians 10: 1-2, 4
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all of our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ.
I Corinthians 12: 13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free; all have been made to drink into one Spirit (Cp. 10: 4;
I Peter 1: 22).
So, the most reasonable evidence and necessary inference declare that to be “born again” has to do with obeying the Spirit as a result of believing in the word of God, whereby one believes in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. As a result of this, one confesses with their mouth what their heart believes. This is not the final piece of the puzzle because baptism is the last requirement as evidenced in Acts 8: 32-37; I Corinthians 12: 13 and I Peter 3: 20-21.
There are some Christian denominations who teach that a person must pray “The Sinner’s Prayer,” but no example of this practice is found in the Scriptures. It does mention in John 9: 31, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He will hear him.” The prerequisite, then, is ‘obedience’ not ‘prayer;’ as King Saul found out in I Samuel 15: 22-23a.
As in all things it is prudent to sincerely and carefully reflect upon God’s word. The Apostle Paul writes in II Timothy 2: 15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 27, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
In order to help look for clues to solve this puzzle, one must go back again to John 3: 3-7(esp. verse 8), where Jesus mentioned that a person born of the Spirit can disappear and reappear like the wind and is intangible; possibly even passing through solid objects [like Jesus did after His resurrection]. Of course, Jesus may have had a symbolic or spiritual meaning in mind because certainly none of the Apostles and disciples demonstrated this unique ability. Interestingly, only John’s writings contain such deep spiritual principles like describing the scene of the crucifixion where Jesus’ side was pierced and from it came “blood and water”
(19: 34; 7: 37-39; Isaiah 44: 3). Not surprisingly, this same theme (‘water and blood”) is taken up again in I John 5; 6-8.
There are however, a few citations about this phenomenon that should further help our understanding, with the first found in I Peter 1: 22-23: ‘Since you have purified your souls in 1) obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love for the brethren, love one another with a pure heart fervently, 2) having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, 2a) through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. A couple of things have received the notations of 1, 2, and 2a, which are indispensible and need to be kept in mind in conjunction with other following passages in this study.
NOTE: This is the ONLY other place in the Scriptures where the exact words, “born again,” like in John 3: 3-7, are used in this context.
Romans 6: 17
But God be thanked that you were the slaves of sin, yet you 1) obeyed from the heart
2a) that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
Putting it all together so far leaves the complex question: How does one ‘obey the truth through the Spirit’, and is one ‘born again through the word of God’ by ‘obeying from the heart that form of doctrine’? In Romans 10: 8-10, it says, “But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart
{that is, 2a)} the word of faith which we preach): that 1a) if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For 1) with the heart one believes unto righteousness and
1a) with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
I Corinthians 10: 1-2, 4
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all of our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ.
I Corinthians 12: 13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free; all have been made to drink into one Spirit (Cp. 10: 4;
I Peter 1: 22).
So, the most reasonable evidence and necessary inference declare that to be “born again” has to do with obeying the Spirit as a result of believing in the word of God, whereby one believes in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. As a result of this, one confesses with their mouth what their heart believes. This is not the final piece of the puzzle because baptism is the last requirement as evidenced in Acts 8: 32-37; I Corinthians 12: 13 and I Peter 3: 20-21.
There are some Christian denominations who teach that a person must pray “The Sinner’s Prayer,” but no example of this practice is found in the Scriptures. It does mention in John 9: 31, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He will hear him.” The prerequisite, then, is ‘obedience’ not ‘prayer;’ as King Saul found out in I Samuel 15: 22-23a.
As in all things it is prudent to sincerely and carefully reflect upon God’s word. The Apostle Paul writes in II Timothy 2: 15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 27, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Saturday, October 25, 2008
"Now is the Time"
The stunning news since September 2008 has shaken peoples’ confidence in the financial markets and in the belief that the government has any solution to an economy that is in a “Recession.” This unprecedented business cycle hasn’t been seen since around 1974 and it appears that the continuing circumstances may turn out to be as dire as the “Great Depression” of 1929. In fact, some prominent economists are predicting a protracted and lengthy recovery period which may well last for three years; with the earliest sign of a bottoming out to occur around the third quarter in 2009. The unemployment rate is at the highest rate it has been in years and with businesses continually laying off workers, people are frustrated, angry, uncertain, and desperate for answers because everything seems so bleak; This is where the Church must come in.
The problem facing America isn’t strictly financial mismanagement, corporate greed, or political incompetence, but rather a ‘spiritual malaise’ brought about by an erosion of spiritual, ethical and moral values. What has replaced this vacuum is a focus on materialism, hedonism, narcissism, and all the distractions of entertainment brought about by the “toys of technology.” This pronouncement is not against those of the ‘world’ but rather, against those of us who are ‘believers.’ Instead of converting the world, it seems that the world has converted us. Not only that, but the Church is involved in endorsing political parties and candidates even though we espouse allegiance to the kingdom [government] of God; as if the answer to our dilemma comes from a human source.
The reason that America is hurting so much right now is due to the unfaithfulness of the Children of God in her midst, thereby His wrath and judgment is being poured out on the nation. It is indeed surprising that the Christian Church is not addressing this serious issue more forcefully and shouting it from the rooftops. By the mere fact that believers hope for a political solution is even more incriminating evidence of our spiritual blindness and sin before the Great Judge of the earth (Psalms 94: 2). Remember in Genesis 18: 32 that God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if He could have found just "ten" righteous people. What needs to be done is for all the Churches and believers in the One God and Creator of the universe is to convene a moratorium, laying aside petty doctrinal disagreements, traditions, and faith practices to enjoin all of us to ask of our God and Father to forgive us and heal our souls and the nation.
It is now time for believers of all ‘faiths’ or a common faith [in the One God] to lead this country back to its founding principles. The book of II Chronicles 7: 14, states: “If My people who are called by My Name [Israel, in this case], will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In Jonah 3: 1-10; 4: 11, the prophet was sent to utter a dire warning of impending doom to the 120, 000 people of the wicked city of Nineveh. The people, from the smallest to the greatest, including the king himself, took this unwelcome news so seriously that they repented, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes. Not only that, but the king decreed that each individual should make supplication to God separately to atone for the sin that each one has committed; besides those of the entire nation.
We should commit ourselves to a period of repentance, fasting, and prayer; seeking God’s face and forgiveness, denying ourselves for a time the pleasures and indulgences that distract us from hearing that “still small voice” like that which came to the prophet Samuel. (I Samuel 3: 1-10). And just like in the days of the patriarch Noah and his family, the whole world is in trouble and we are all in the same boat; more or less. All of us will either drown together or all of us will be saved; the choice is left up to each individual.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
October 25, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
The problem facing America isn’t strictly financial mismanagement, corporate greed, or political incompetence, but rather a ‘spiritual malaise’ brought about by an erosion of spiritual, ethical and moral values. What has replaced this vacuum is a focus on materialism, hedonism, narcissism, and all the distractions of entertainment brought about by the “toys of technology.” This pronouncement is not against those of the ‘world’ but rather, against those of us who are ‘believers.’ Instead of converting the world, it seems that the world has converted us. Not only that, but the Church is involved in endorsing political parties and candidates even though we espouse allegiance to the kingdom [government] of God; as if the answer to our dilemma comes from a human source.
The reason that America is hurting so much right now is due to the unfaithfulness of the Children of God in her midst, thereby His wrath and judgment is being poured out on the nation. It is indeed surprising that the Christian Church is not addressing this serious issue more forcefully and shouting it from the rooftops. By the mere fact that believers hope for a political solution is even more incriminating evidence of our spiritual blindness and sin before the Great Judge of the earth (Psalms 94: 2). Remember in Genesis 18: 32 that God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if He could have found just "ten" righteous people. What needs to be done is for all the Churches and believers in the One God and Creator of the universe is to convene a moratorium, laying aside petty doctrinal disagreements, traditions, and faith practices to enjoin all of us to ask of our God and Father to forgive us and heal our souls and the nation.
It is now time for believers of all ‘faiths’ or a common faith [in the One God] to lead this country back to its founding principles. The book of II Chronicles 7: 14, states: “If My people who are called by My Name [Israel, in this case], will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In Jonah 3: 1-10; 4: 11, the prophet was sent to utter a dire warning of impending doom to the 120, 000 people of the wicked city of Nineveh. The people, from the smallest to the greatest, including the king himself, took this unwelcome news so seriously that they repented, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes. Not only that, but the king decreed that each individual should make supplication to God separately to atone for the sin that each one has committed; besides those of the entire nation.
We should commit ourselves to a period of repentance, fasting, and prayer; seeking God’s face and forgiveness, denying ourselves for a time the pleasures and indulgences that distract us from hearing that “still small voice” like that which came to the prophet Samuel. (I Samuel 3: 1-10). And just like in the days of the patriarch Noah and his family, the whole world is in trouble and we are all in the same boat; more or less. All of us will either drown together or all of us will be saved; the choice is left up to each individual.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
October 25, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Early Followers of Jesus: Radical Zealots or Religiously Pacifist Missionaries??
The first image which usually comes to mind of the early believers of Jesus are those of an ascetic order, rejecting material things, committed to a simple life dressed in beggars clothes and living a life of self-denial or poverty; much like that of Siddhartha Buddha or St. Francis of Assisi. It would seem that a disciple who listened to the teachings of Jesus Christ the Nazarene would be the epitome of ‘Passive Resistance,’ especially while hearing, “If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other one also.”
These first converts were identified as “Galileans” (Acts 2: 7), no doubt due to the region where they came from; along with their master and teacher. Next, they are recorded as belonging to “The Way” (‘ha Derekh’), as mentioned in Acts 9: 1-2;
19: 9, 23; 24: 14. The name “Nazarenes” is mentioned in Acts 24: 5. All of the aforementioned names are associated with the Jewish followers that believed in Jesus as the promised ‘Messiah’ that was foretold in their sacred Scriptures. The name that is commonly attached to the Christian Movement was given to the Gentile converts in the city of Antioch, in Syria (Acts 11: 9b, 20-23, 25-26). The name “Christian” was also used by King Agrippa, perhaps derisively, in Acts 26: 28.
The Apostles were thought to be part of a subversive religious/political organization because they disobeyed the edicts of the Jewish religious authorities, and their teaching and miracles might have a profound impact on the psyche of the common people, possibly leading to more civil unrest, rebellion, and rioting among those who were no doubt fed up with the Roman occupation of their homeland. A well respected Jewish Doctor of Laws and teacher named Gamaliel addressed the Jewish Supreme Court (“Sanhedrin”) regarding the proper course of action to take against these men who defied their orders. He reiterated to the Council of the fate which befell earlier ‘Messianic Movements’(??) or uprisings, such as with Theudas and Judas of Galilee; whose followers were defeated or killed, the leaders were also either killed or escaped and their rebellion was crushed (Acts. 5: 34-39).
The Apostle Paul, who later became associated with this same Movement since his conversion to the ‘Faith’ after persecuting these same believers as Saul, was being held in protective custody after an uproar, or more specifically, after accusations of causing a riot in Jerusalem, the commander of the Roman garrison [Ft. Anatolia??] named Lysias Claudius (Acts 23: 26), mistook Paul as the Egyptian leader of the “Assassins” (Acts 21: 38). This idea of a sort of radical, ‘jihadist’ or separatist group was argued by Tertullus, an orator who represented the high priest and elders in their legal complaint and petition against the Apostle Paul before the Roman Governor Felix at Caesarea. Tertullus, with the eloquence of a skillful lawyer tries to make the case against Paul that he is the ringleader of a [religious] ‘sect’ which causes dissent [“sedition”] among the Jews around the world (Acts 24: 5).
Again, this same concern [as far as the new Movement being an unlawful ‘sect’] was expressed by the Jewish leaders in faraway Rome when Paul met with them while under house arrest (Acts 28: 17-22). WEBSTERS defines “sect’ as 1 a: a dissenting or schismatic religious body; esp. one regarded as extreme or heretical. This new religion was not traditional or ancient, with no past historical record or its own sacred text, and it used the Jewish sacred Scriptures but interpreted it in a radically different way that not only bypassed the Jewish Laws and traditions, but became superior to it and equated the later writings (“epistles/letters”) of the Apostles and other followers as inspired; on equal footing with the law of Moses, the Prophets, and other Jewish sacred text.
Interestingly, while Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world (John 18: 36), but He also said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11: 12; Luke 16: 16), and “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10: 34, 35-39). Indeed, it seems that some of the first disciples of the Lord may not have been ‘peaceniks’ after all, especially when you consider the likes of Simon the Zealot (Luke 6: 15); James, the brother of John, both of whom Jesus referred to as “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3: 17); which seems appropriate considering the event in Luke 9: 51-56, where they wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village.
Later, in the book of Acts, it seems that James might not have met his end peaceably as he was killed with the sword of King Herod (Acts 21: 1-2). According to John's Gospel, the Apostle Peter wielded a sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest in the garden of Gethsemane (Cp. 18: 1-10). Even the Apostle Paul wrote, “If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12: 18). Sometimes it is a fine line we walk between being like the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, MLK, or instead as a fighting Shaolin monk or one of the royal order of the Knights of Templar.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 21, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
These first converts were identified as “Galileans” (Acts 2: 7), no doubt due to the region where they came from; along with their master and teacher. Next, they are recorded as belonging to “The Way” (‘ha Derekh’), as mentioned in Acts 9: 1-2;
19: 9, 23; 24: 14. The name “Nazarenes” is mentioned in Acts 24: 5. All of the aforementioned names are associated with the Jewish followers that believed in Jesus as the promised ‘Messiah’ that was foretold in their sacred Scriptures. The name that is commonly attached to the Christian Movement was given to the Gentile converts in the city of Antioch, in Syria (Acts 11: 9b, 20-23, 25-26). The name “Christian” was also used by King Agrippa, perhaps derisively, in Acts 26: 28.
The Apostles were thought to be part of a subversive religious/political organization because they disobeyed the edicts of the Jewish religious authorities, and their teaching and miracles might have a profound impact on the psyche of the common people, possibly leading to more civil unrest, rebellion, and rioting among those who were no doubt fed up with the Roman occupation of their homeland. A well respected Jewish Doctor of Laws and teacher named Gamaliel addressed the Jewish Supreme Court (“Sanhedrin”) regarding the proper course of action to take against these men who defied their orders. He reiterated to the Council of the fate which befell earlier ‘Messianic Movements’(??) or uprisings, such as with Theudas and Judas of Galilee; whose followers were defeated or killed, the leaders were also either killed or escaped and their rebellion was crushed (Acts. 5: 34-39).
The Apostle Paul, who later became associated with this same Movement since his conversion to the ‘Faith’ after persecuting these same believers as Saul, was being held in protective custody after an uproar, or more specifically, after accusations of causing a riot in Jerusalem, the commander of the Roman garrison [Ft. Anatolia??] named Lysias Claudius (Acts 23: 26), mistook Paul as the Egyptian leader of the “Assassins” (Acts 21: 38). This idea of a sort of radical, ‘jihadist’ or separatist group was argued by Tertullus, an orator who represented the high priest and elders in their legal complaint and petition against the Apostle Paul before the Roman Governor Felix at Caesarea. Tertullus, with the eloquence of a skillful lawyer tries to make the case against Paul that he is the ringleader of a [religious] ‘sect’ which causes dissent [“sedition”] among the Jews around the world (Acts 24: 5).
Again, this same concern [as far as the new Movement being an unlawful ‘sect’] was expressed by the Jewish leaders in faraway Rome when Paul met with them while under house arrest (Acts 28: 17-22). WEBSTERS defines “sect’ as 1 a: a dissenting or schismatic religious body; esp. one regarded as extreme or heretical. This new religion was not traditional or ancient, with no past historical record or its own sacred text, and it used the Jewish sacred Scriptures but interpreted it in a radically different way that not only bypassed the Jewish Laws and traditions, but became superior to it and equated the later writings (“epistles/letters”) of the Apostles and other followers as inspired; on equal footing with the law of Moses, the Prophets, and other Jewish sacred text.
Interestingly, while Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, He said, “My kingdom is not of this world (John 18: 36), but He also said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11: 12; Luke 16: 16), and “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10: 34, 35-39). Indeed, it seems that some of the first disciples of the Lord may not have been ‘peaceniks’ after all, especially when you consider the likes of Simon the Zealot (Luke 6: 15); James, the brother of John, both of whom Jesus referred to as “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3: 17); which seems appropriate considering the event in Luke 9: 51-56, where they wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village.
Later, in the book of Acts, it seems that James might not have met his end peaceably as he was killed with the sword of King Herod (Acts 21: 1-2). According to John's Gospel, the Apostle Peter wielded a sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest in the garden of Gethsemane (Cp. 18: 1-10). Even the Apostle Paul wrote, “If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12: 18). Sometimes it is a fine line we walk between being like the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, MLK, or instead as a fighting Shaolin monk or one of the royal order of the Knights of Templar.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 21, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, October 20, 2008
Christian Preachers Out of Touch with True Stewardship
The Apostle wrote in I Corinthians 2: 2, “For I determined to know anything but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In Mark 16: 15-16, Jesus said, “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not will be condemned.” Also, in Luke 24: 46-48, “And He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and that repentance and remission from sins should be proclaimed to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.
In these aforementioned Biblical citations is the cornerstone of the Christian message with the imperative to go out and proclaim this ‘fact’ personally to those that need to hear it. The book of Acts contains abundant narratives to the commitment of the saints who first planted the spiritual seed which has germinated into one of the modern world’s major religions. The following is a list of passages which highlight how the early Church began and which still should be seen done today in the same way.
2: 23-24, 32 (esp. 38)
3: 15, 18-19
4: 10b, (esp. 12)
5: 3-32, (esp. 40)
8: 5, 12, 27-28, (esp. 32-38)
9: 20, 22, 27b
10: 37-38a, 30-41, 43, 47
13: 22b-24, 26-28, 30-33, 37, (esp. 38)
NOTE: verse 32 uses glad tidings, which is what the word “Gospel” means.
16: 31-33
17: 2-3, 17, 18b, 19b-20, 22-26, 29, (esp. 30), 31
18: 1, 28
19: 1-5
24: 14b, 15, 21
26: 6-8, 16-18, (esp. 20 [“Gospel”], 22-23
28: 23b??
Several things are evident at this point, namely, the gospel (“Good News”) reveal Jesus as the promised Messiah in fulfillment of Jewish sacred writings (Old Testament). Additionally, it appears that the rite of baptism is necessary to be administered for the remission of sins.
Galatians 3: 26-28
For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1: 24-25
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.
Ephesians 1: 22-23
And He [God the Father] put all things under His [Jesus’] feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Colossians 3: 15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called into one body; and be thankful.
Romans 12: 4-5
For as we have many members in one body, but not all members have the same function [physically speaking], so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individual members of one another.
What has been learned up to this point is that baptism unites a person with Christ’s body, Christ’s body is the Church, and that the many individual members belong to Christ’s “one” body. To be sure, there are hundreds of Christian Churches with differing faith practices, and a few of them have experienced phenomenal growth under the teachings of a very dynamic, inspirational, eloquent, knowledgeable, and charismatic speaker who has taken the body of believers to new spiritual heights.
Sometimes it is almost indistinguishable that indeed, if the parishioners are drawn strictly to the gospel message or the messenger. Personal attachments to a particular religious leader is nothing new because the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1: 11-13, For it has been declared to me concerning you my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are divisions among you. Now this I say, that each of you says, “I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ.” “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?”
II Corinthians 3: 5
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave [a certain gift or ability] to each one.
I Corinthians 3: 21a, 22: 4; 6
Therefore let no one boast in men. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. Now these things, brethren, have I figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
Obviously, to hold one brother or sister in the fold in greater esteem above the other isn’t necessarily such a bad thing on the surface but it can lead to partisan and divisive policies that are at the root cause of a sectarian spirit which results in the many denominations of today. There doesn’t seem to be an effort to reconcile doctrinal differences since the start of the Reformation Movement in Europe up until the Restoration Movement in America.
With the populism and growth of Liberation Theology, praying the Sinners Prayer, the Prosperity Gospel, or the Social Gospel (Tyler Perry at the pulpit), the traditional evangelizing amid sermons of “hell-fire and brimstone” have been replaced with the delicacy of political correctness as to not offend the sensibilities of the hearers and it seems, at the expense of getting back to the biblical basics; and some may question whether it is even possible. However, the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1: 10, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment.
Not only must the teaching be brought back into line with the Biblical standard but the character and behavior that the Preacher, Minister, Bishop, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, or Elder displays before the Church must be scrutinized as well as the responsibility and integrity of each member needs closer examination. For the Church official, can such a person really say that he or she follows the example of the Apostle Paul in Acts 20: 33-35: I have coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided fro my necessities, and for those with me. I have shown you in every way that by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than receive.”
I Corinthians 4: 11-13
To the present hour we both hunger and thirst and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now.
I Corinthians 2: 4a
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom. . .
II Corinthians 4: 1-2a, 5
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake.
Also, let it not be said about the clergy as in Micah 3: 11a
Her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money.
And the Apostle Paul sarcastically addresses the average Church members in II Corinthians 11: 1, 3-4, which he writes, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly; and indeed you do bear with me. But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted [been taught] you may well put up with it.
It is a sobering admonition to be on guard against errors creeping in among the body of believers that can appear so innocuous at first and for those whose charge it is to proclaim the Gospel of the Son of God, it is not for sunshine soldiers. Jesus gave the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28: 19, He did not say go ‘On the Radio,’ On Television,’ ‘On the Internet,’ or ‘On the New York Times Bestseller List.’ Jesus said one time when teaching about the sacrifice of discipleship that if anyone putting his hand to the plow then looks back, is not worthy for the kingdom of God. Lastly, it states in I Corinthians 4: 1-2, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 21, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
In these aforementioned Biblical citations is the cornerstone of the Christian message with the imperative to go out and proclaim this ‘fact’ personally to those that need to hear it. The book of Acts contains abundant narratives to the commitment of the saints who first planted the spiritual seed which has germinated into one of the modern world’s major religions. The following is a list of passages which highlight how the early Church began and which still should be seen done today in the same way.
2: 23-24, 32 (esp. 38)
3: 15, 18-19
4: 10b, (esp. 12)
5: 3-32, (esp. 40)
8: 5, 12, 27-28, (esp. 32-38)
9: 20, 22, 27b
10: 37-38a, 30-41, 43, 47
13: 22b-24, 26-28, 30-33, 37, (esp. 38)
NOTE: verse 32 uses glad tidings, which is what the word “Gospel” means.
16: 31-33
17: 2-3, 17, 18b, 19b-20, 22-26, 29, (esp. 30), 31
18: 1, 28
19: 1-5
24: 14b, 15, 21
26: 6-8, 16-18, (esp. 20 [“Gospel”], 22-23
28: 23b??
Several things are evident at this point, namely, the gospel (“Good News”) reveal Jesus as the promised Messiah in fulfillment of Jewish sacred writings (Old Testament). Additionally, it appears that the rite of baptism is necessary to be administered for the remission of sins.
Galatians 3: 26-28
For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1: 24-25
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.
Ephesians 1: 22-23
And He [God the Father] put all things under His [Jesus’] feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Colossians 3: 15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called into one body; and be thankful.
Romans 12: 4-5
For as we have many members in one body, but not all members have the same function [physically speaking], so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individual members of one another.
What has been learned up to this point is that baptism unites a person with Christ’s body, Christ’s body is the Church, and that the many individual members belong to Christ’s “one” body. To be sure, there are hundreds of Christian Churches with differing faith practices, and a few of them have experienced phenomenal growth under the teachings of a very dynamic, inspirational, eloquent, knowledgeable, and charismatic speaker who has taken the body of believers to new spiritual heights.
Sometimes it is almost indistinguishable that indeed, if the parishioners are drawn strictly to the gospel message or the messenger. Personal attachments to a particular religious leader is nothing new because the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1: 11-13, For it has been declared to me concerning you my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are divisions among you. Now this I say, that each of you says, “I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ.” “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?”
II Corinthians 3: 5
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave [a certain gift or ability] to each one.
I Corinthians 3: 21a, 22: 4; 6
Therefore let no one boast in men. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. Now these things, brethren, have I figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
Obviously, to hold one brother or sister in the fold in greater esteem above the other isn’t necessarily such a bad thing on the surface but it can lead to partisan and divisive policies that are at the root cause of a sectarian spirit which results in the many denominations of today. There doesn’t seem to be an effort to reconcile doctrinal differences since the start of the Reformation Movement in Europe up until the Restoration Movement in America.
With the populism and growth of Liberation Theology, praying the Sinners Prayer, the Prosperity Gospel, or the Social Gospel (Tyler Perry at the pulpit), the traditional evangelizing amid sermons of “hell-fire and brimstone” have been replaced with the delicacy of political correctness as to not offend the sensibilities of the hearers and it seems, at the expense of getting back to the biblical basics; and some may question whether it is even possible. However, the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1: 10, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment.
Not only must the teaching be brought back into line with the Biblical standard but the character and behavior that the Preacher, Minister, Bishop, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, or Elder displays before the Church must be scrutinized as well as the responsibility and integrity of each member needs closer examination. For the Church official, can such a person really say that he or she follows the example of the Apostle Paul in Acts 20: 33-35: I have coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided fro my necessities, and for those with me. I have shown you in every way that by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than receive.”
I Corinthians 4: 11-13
To the present hour we both hunger and thirst and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now.
I Corinthians 2: 4a
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom. . .
II Corinthians 4: 1-2a, 5
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake.
Also, let it not be said about the clergy as in Micah 3: 11a
Her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money.
And the Apostle Paul sarcastically addresses the average Church members in II Corinthians 11: 1, 3-4, which he writes, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly; and indeed you do bear with me. But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted [been taught] you may well put up with it.
It is a sobering admonition to be on guard against errors creeping in among the body of believers that can appear so innocuous at first and for those whose charge it is to proclaim the Gospel of the Son of God, it is not for sunshine soldiers. Jesus gave the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28: 19, He did not say go ‘On the Radio,’ On Television,’ ‘On the Internet,’ or ‘On the New York Times Bestseller List.’ Jesus said one time when teaching about the sacrifice of discipleship that if anyone putting his hand to the plow then looks back, is not worthy for the kingdom of God. Lastly, it states in I Corinthians 4: 1-2, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 21, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, September 19, 2008
Examining the Scriptures
There is a traditional teaching among some, if not many Christian scholars that the New Testament Gospels MATTHEW and MARK are more closely related to each other than LUKE or JOHN. In fact, it is believed that MARK is the earliest written, and is the source material found in MATTHEW. It is therefore prudent as well as necessary to make a side by side comparison using biblical references to ascertain the facts as the internal evidence brings to light. A compilation of the significant events during the earthly ministry and life of Jesus Christ the Nazarene are utilized as a challenge to or confirmation of the accepted viewpoint.
After a rather exhaustive examination of the Christian Bible, some surprising new findings are postulated. The first thing which comes to mind is the Old Testament Messianic prophecies which find their fulfillment in the New Testament Gospels. NOTE: Only the ‘Synoptic Gospels’ (MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE are included in this study. Also, the parables are excluded as it was deemed unnecessary.
In the book of MATTHEW there are 31 Messianic references; MARK has 8 references; and LUKE has 12 references. Next, the significant events in the life and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ from His Nativity to the Resurrection are catalogued. MATTHEW cites 63 references; MARK cites 54 references; and LUKE cites 69 references.
ADDITIONALLY:
a) Scriptural references found in MATTHEW but omitted in MARK=13
b) Scriptural references found in MARK but omitted in MATTHEW=7
c) Scriptural references found in MATTHEW but omitted in LUKE=3
d) Scriptural references found in MARK but omitted in LUKE=3
e) Scriptural references found in LUKE but omitted in MATTHEW=9
f) Scriptural references found in LUKE but omitted in MARK=16
g) Scriptural references included in both MATTHEW and MARK=47
h) Scriptural references included in both MATTHEW and LUKE=58
i) Scriptural references included in both MARK and LUKE=50
j) Scriptural references included in MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE=43
This study is very interesting and clearly shows that there are certain discrepancies and possibly the gospel of LUKE is the source material for MATTHEW and/or MARK. LUKE has more information than any of the gospel authors and if MARK was the source, then why does the book contain fewer references that are contained in the others (MATTHEW, LUKE)? Not only that, but as item i) indicates, 50 references of the total number of 54 listed in MARK are found in LUKE. In fact, as item h) shows, 58 significant events of the total 63 in MATTHEW are found in LUKE also; this coincides quite nicely with items c) and d).
As far as MARK being the source for MATTHEW, items a) and b) would seem to refute that because nearly twice as many citations found in MATTHEW are absent in MARK, which if MARK were the source, it should be the opposite. How relevant or significant all this information is, remains undecided at this point, but as the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (Cp. II Timothy 2: 15)
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 19 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
After a rather exhaustive examination of the Christian Bible, some surprising new findings are postulated. The first thing which comes to mind is the Old Testament Messianic prophecies which find their fulfillment in the New Testament Gospels. NOTE: Only the ‘Synoptic Gospels’ (MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE are included in this study. Also, the parables are excluded as it was deemed unnecessary.
In the book of MATTHEW there are 31 Messianic references; MARK has 8 references; and LUKE has 12 references. Next, the significant events in the life and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ from His Nativity to the Resurrection are catalogued. MATTHEW cites 63 references; MARK cites 54 references; and LUKE cites 69 references.
ADDITIONALLY:
a) Scriptural references found in MATTHEW but omitted in MARK=13
b) Scriptural references found in MARK but omitted in MATTHEW=7
c) Scriptural references found in MATTHEW but omitted in LUKE=3
d) Scriptural references found in MARK but omitted in LUKE=3
e) Scriptural references found in LUKE but omitted in MATTHEW=9
f) Scriptural references found in LUKE but omitted in MARK=16
g) Scriptural references included in both MATTHEW and MARK=47
h) Scriptural references included in both MATTHEW and LUKE=58
i) Scriptural references included in both MARK and LUKE=50
j) Scriptural references included in MATTHEW, MARK, and LUKE=43
This study is very interesting and clearly shows that there are certain discrepancies and possibly the gospel of LUKE is the source material for MATTHEW and/or MARK. LUKE has more information than any of the gospel authors and if MARK was the source, then why does the book contain fewer references that are contained in the others (MATTHEW, LUKE)? Not only that, but as item i) indicates, 50 references of the total number of 54 listed in MARK are found in LUKE. In fact, as item h) shows, 58 significant events of the total 63 in MATTHEW are found in LUKE also; this coincides quite nicely with items c) and d).
As far as MARK being the source for MATTHEW, items a) and b) would seem to refute that because nearly twice as many citations found in MATTHEW are absent in MARK, which if MARK were the source, it should be the opposite. How relevant or significant all this information is, remains undecided at this point, but as the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (Cp. II Timothy 2: 15)
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 19 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Taking another Look at the Genealogy of Jesus Christ: Part I
It is generally accepted by tradition that the Biblical account of events are factually correct, even when the information is either not available or in some cases contradictory. One of the more noticeable cases, and often overlooked is regarding Matthew’s account of Jesus’ lineage; which serves as a continuing challenge for this ongoing study.
Matthew 1: 12-16
And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel; and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel; and to Zerubbabel was born Abiud; and to Abiud, Eliakim; and to Eliakim, Azor; and to Azor was born Zadok; and to Zadok, Achim; and to Achim, Eliud; and to Eliud was born Eleazar; and to Eleazar, Matthan; and to Matthan, Jacob; and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called the “Christ.”
"JECONIAH"
I Chronicles 3: 16-20
And the sons of Jehoiakim [“Eliakim”] were Jeconiah his son, and the sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner [during the “Babylonian captivity”], were Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. And the sons of Pedadiah [“Shealtiel”; Matthew 1: 12??] were Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shemolith was their sister; and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushabhesed, five (??)[by “Shimei”, verse 19??].
Matthew’s account has some significant inconsistencies which have been previously noted, but in addition to those listed above, there are others. Abiud, Azor, Achim, Matthan, Jacob son of Mattan, and Joseph son of Jacob are not mentioned in any genealogical record or Scriptural reference; except here in this account.
"ELIAKIM"
There are 2 Eliakim’s; one is a son of Hilkiah (Cp. II Kings 18: 18) and the other Eliakim is the king of Judah, whose name was changed to “Jehoiakim” by Necho king of Egypt (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 4).
"ZADOK"
As for Zadok, it is a little difficult to pinpoint his ancestry because it is so varied. He is the son of Ahitub (Cp. I Chronicles 6: 6-9, 11-15; Ezra 7: 1-5), the son of Meraioth (Cp. Ezra 9: 11), the son of Baana (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 4, 6), and the son of Immer (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 29)
"ELEAZAR"
Eleazar is interesting because according to I Chronicles 6: 4, he begat Phinehas, but I Chronicles 23: 22a; 24: 28 states that he died having no sons but only daughters. Ezra 7: 5 and I Chronicles 9: 20 mentions that Phinehas is the son of Eleazar. He is also mentioned as the son of Dodo the Ahohite in I Chronicles 11: 12, and as the son of Mahli(Cp. I Chronicles 23: 21; 24: 28).
"MATTAN"
Mattan is mentioned as a priest of Baal who was killed during the purge of Jehoiada(Cp. II Chronicles 23: 17; II Kings 11: 18) or the father of Shepthatiah
(Cp. Jeremiah 38: 1).
NOTE: Presumably this Mattan is Matthan?
"JOSEPH"
Joseph is the son of Bani(I Chronicles 25: 2; Ezra 10: 42)or the son of Shebaniah
(Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14).
To sum it all up, the difficulty in getting an accurate genealogical record is the fact that ancestors are sometimes referred to as sons or children and not necessarily be an immediate family member or biological kin. Also there is the Jewish custom of ‘Levirate’ marriage where the nearest male relative [a brother, uncle, etc.] will continue to carry on the family name if a married man dies before having a son. In this way the deceased man’s name continues on throughout subsequent generations. Names are given to children in some cases because they are popular or because they have political or religious significance. The author of Matthew may have had access to sources or documents that have since been long lost in time and the association of these names with the Lord Jesus Christ may have more to do with certain ‘Messianic’ expectations than to a natural bloodline.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Matthew 1: 12-16
And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel; and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel; and to Zerubbabel was born Abiud; and to Abiud, Eliakim; and to Eliakim, Azor; and to Azor was born Zadok; and to Zadok, Achim; and to Achim, Eliud; and to Eliud was born Eleazar; and to Eleazar, Matthan; and to Matthan, Jacob; and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called the “Christ.”
"JECONIAH"
I Chronicles 3: 16-20
And the sons of Jehoiakim [“Eliakim”] were Jeconiah his son, and the sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner [during the “Babylonian captivity”], were Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. And the sons of Pedadiah [“Shealtiel”; Matthew 1: 12??] were Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shemolith was their sister; and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushabhesed, five (??)[by “Shimei”, verse 19??].
Matthew’s account has some significant inconsistencies which have been previously noted, but in addition to those listed above, there are others. Abiud, Azor, Achim, Matthan, Jacob son of Mattan, and Joseph son of Jacob are not mentioned in any genealogical record or Scriptural reference; except here in this account.
"ELIAKIM"
There are 2 Eliakim’s; one is a son of Hilkiah (Cp. II Kings 18: 18) and the other Eliakim is the king of Judah, whose name was changed to “Jehoiakim” by Necho king of Egypt (Cp. II Chronicles 36: 4).
"ZADOK"
As for Zadok, it is a little difficult to pinpoint his ancestry because it is so varied. He is the son of Ahitub (Cp. I Chronicles 6: 6-9, 11-15; Ezra 7: 1-5), the son of Meraioth (Cp. Ezra 9: 11), the son of Baana (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 4, 6), and the son of Immer (Cp. Nehemiah 3: 29)
"ELEAZAR"
Eleazar is interesting because according to I Chronicles 6: 4, he begat Phinehas, but I Chronicles 23: 22a; 24: 28 states that he died having no sons but only daughters. Ezra 7: 5 and I Chronicles 9: 20 mentions that Phinehas is the son of Eleazar. He is also mentioned as the son of Dodo the Ahohite in I Chronicles 11: 12, and as the son of Mahli(Cp. I Chronicles 23: 21; 24: 28).
"MATTAN"
Mattan is mentioned as a priest of Baal who was killed during the purge of Jehoiada(Cp. II Chronicles 23: 17; II Kings 11: 18) or the father of Shepthatiah
(Cp. Jeremiah 38: 1).
NOTE: Presumably this Mattan is Matthan?
"JOSEPH"
Joseph is the son of Bani(I Chronicles 25: 2; Ezra 10: 42)or the son of Shebaniah
(Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14).
To sum it all up, the difficulty in getting an accurate genealogical record is the fact that ancestors are sometimes referred to as sons or children and not necessarily be an immediate family member or biological kin. Also there is the Jewish custom of ‘Levirate’ marriage where the nearest male relative [a brother, uncle, etc.] will continue to carry on the family name if a married man dies before having a son. In this way the deceased man’s name continues on throughout subsequent generations. Names are given to children in some cases because they are popular or because they have political or religious significance. The author of Matthew may have had access to sources or documents that have since been long lost in time and the association of these names with the Lord Jesus Christ may have more to do with certain ‘Messianic’ expectations than to a natural bloodline.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Some Interesting and Puzzling O.T. Biblical Passages
Genesis 2: 8
And the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden. . .
NOTE: Scholars have been trying for millennia to discover the location of mythical ‘Eden’ and perhaps a passage in the Old Testament holds a clue.
II Kings 19: 12b refers to the people of Eden who were in Telassar.
3: 23-24
The Lord God drove the man (‘Adam’) out of the Garden of Eden. . .
NOTE: The text doesn’t mention about ‘Eve’ being driven out of the Garden
5: 2
He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them ‘Man’ (“ADAM”) in the day when they were created
9: 24-25
Noah knew what his youngest son (??) did to him and cursed his descendant (Canaan) with servitude to his brothers. . .
NOTE: Ham was not the ‘youngest’ son (Cp. 5: 32; 6: 10; 7: 13; 9: 18)
11: 2
And it came about as they journeyed east; they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. NOTE: Who are they??
15: 18
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt [“Nile”] as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: NOTE: No explanation as to why at this time
17: 17
Abraham laughed in his heart when God told him about bearing a son in his old age.
18: 11
Sarah laughed in her heart when she overheard the Lord tell Abraham about having a son in an old advanced age, at which time she had to give an account for her inner thoughts, but Abraham didn’t (Cp. 18: 12-15??)
NOTE: It’s almost like 2 different versions of the same event woven together.
20: 2-3
Abimelech king of Gerar (land of Judah) took Sarah and God appeared to him in a dream and told him that he was a dead man for taking her because she was married.
NOTE: How feasible is it that a king would be attracted to a woman ninety years old (Cp. 17: 17); unless she really, really didn’t look her age?
20: 12
Sarah is Abraham’s sister; the daughter of his father but not from his birth mother, which would make Sarah his half-sister. NOTE: Why is this not mentioned before? (Cp. 11: 26-29)
22: 2, 19-20, 23
And He [God] said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. NOTE: Guess who was living in the wilderness of Beersheba or is it Paran (Hagar; Cp. 21: 14-21??)
23: 2
And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
NOTE: Why did Abraham live in Beersheba and Sarah in Hebron; was it over Abraham taking Isaac to offer him as a burnt sacrifice on one of the mountains of Moriah??
24: 4, 10
Abraham’s country, and his relatives lived in Mesopotamia (‘Ur of the Chaldeans;’ Cp. 11: 28; 12: 1) NOTE: Interesting that the ancestor of the Jewish people is an Iraqi??
26: 7-33
NOTE: Isaac’s encounter with Abimelech almost identical to that of his father Abraham, and not only that, but it is forty years later at least (Cp. 20: 1-18??)
Exodus 4: 20, 24-26
Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin (which one; Cp. 18: 3??) and threw it a Moses' feet, and she said, "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me". So He let him alone (??). At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision. NOTE: This is a most unusual and difficult passage to understand why the Lord tried to kill Moses. Also, his wife knew about the rite of circumcision and he didn’t at this time? Lastly, they had two sons but only one was mentioned as circumcised.
14: 21-22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so that the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
NOTE: This is quite a different version from Cecile B. DeMille’s movie “The Ten Commandments.”
19: 20-21, 24; 24: 9-11
Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heaven in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
22: 16-17
“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. “If her father absolutely refuses to give her [in marriage] to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.”
NOTE: This is probably the nearest equivalent to modern-day ‘dating’ or pre-marital sex
Numbers 12: 1-3
Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth). NOTE: What was the real issue regarding Moses marrying a Cushite woman and where is Zipporah, his Midianite wife? Also, Moses is the unlikely author of this particular statement, let alone the rest of the book.
22: 9-10, 12
Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Nippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me. . . And God said to Balaam, “Do not go up with them; you shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.”
22: 20-22, 34-35
And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do. So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry he was going (??), and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Go with the men, but you speak the word which I shall tell you (??).” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
26: 11
The sons of Korah, however, did not die (Numbers 16: 24, 32-33??).
31:14-18
And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. And Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live?" “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately".
NOTE: Kill every woman who is not a virgin?? Moses commanded, "But all the girls who have not known man intimately, keep alive for yourselves". (interesting??)
Deuteronomy
10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (‘Bezalel’ made it; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
10: 6-9
(Now the sons of Israel set out from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died and there he was buried and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place. From there they set out to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. [NOTE: This account is a slightly abbreviated version and not entirely consistent with the passages in [Numbers 20: 20-28; 33: 30-39??] At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him.)
29: 27
‘Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’ NOTE: Very significant because it seems to suggest a later period for the writing during either the Babylonian or Assyrian captivity.
Joshua 5: 13-15
Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with a sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No, rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” And the captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy (Cp. Genesis 3: 2-5).” And Joshua did so.
10:11-12
And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon".
10.13-14
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. "Is it not written in the book of Jashar?" And the sun
stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. "And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel".
Judges 1: 16
The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father [‘brother’]-in-law (??).
NOTE: Moses’ father-in-law was Midianite (Cp. Exodus 2: 16, 18; 3: 1; Numbers 10: 29); the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law (Cp. Numbers 10: 29??) were undoubtedly Kenites (Cp. Judges 4: 11) NOTE: Reuel or Jethro was not previously mentioned as having a son, only 7 daughters (Cp. Exodus 2: 16, 20??)
13.17-18
Then Minoah said to the angel of the Lord, “what is your NAME, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?" But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my NAME, seeing it is incomprehensible". (very interesting??)
18: 1
In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites were seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. NOTE: This contradicts the account in Joshua 19: 40-48
I Samuel 3: 1
Word from the Lord was rare in those days and visions were infrequent.
NOTE: This is an interesting statement.
6: 18
Even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they sat the ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
NOTE: Another statement in which the event seems as contemporary. Also, is the large “stone of Abel” part of the famous ‘Kaaba’ stone revered by Muslims the world over and around which is built Islam’s holiest shrine?
6: 15, 19
The Levites took down the ark of the Lord. Some of the men of Beth-Shemesh (territory and tribe of Judah) looked into the ark of the Lord and He struck down
50, 070 men of the people. NOTE: This is like what happened to those Nazi soldiers and Professor of Antiquities from Germany in the “Indiana Jones” movie.
15: 35b
And the Lord repented creating man and that He had made Saul king over Israel Cp. Genesis 6: 6; I Samuel 15: 11).
NOTE: One of the few instances in all sacred Scripture where God regrets something.
Jeremiah 43.12
"He will shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis (Heb. Beth-shemesh, the house of the Sun-god), which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire". NOTE: Shemesh must have been a minor god because the Great Sun god of the Egyptians is RA; not to mention other gods and goddesses.
44.15-18
Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you". "We will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring libations to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our princes and our kings did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and we were well off, and saw no misfortune". "But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring libations to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine". NOTE: This is quite surprising as this seems to be a more powerful deity than the usual Ashtoreth or Asherim because neither is referred to in such a reverential manner.
Isaiah 20: 18-25
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of Hosts (YHVH Sabaoth); one will be called the city of Destruction (Arab). In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and a witness to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria-A blessing in the middle of the land, whom the Lord shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My People, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 19, 2008
And the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden. . .
NOTE: Scholars have been trying for millennia to discover the location of mythical ‘Eden’ and perhaps a passage in the Old Testament holds a clue.
II Kings 19: 12b refers to the people of Eden who were in Telassar.
3: 23-24
The Lord God drove the man (‘Adam’) out of the Garden of Eden. . .
NOTE: The text doesn’t mention about ‘Eve’ being driven out of the Garden
5: 2
He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them ‘Man’ (“ADAM”) in the day when they were created
9: 24-25
Noah knew what his youngest son (??) did to him and cursed his descendant (Canaan) with servitude to his brothers. . .
NOTE: Ham was not the ‘youngest’ son (Cp. 5: 32; 6: 10; 7: 13; 9: 18)
11: 2
And it came about as they journeyed east; they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. NOTE: Who are they??
15: 18
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt [“Nile”] as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: NOTE: No explanation as to why at this time
17: 17
Abraham laughed in his heart when God told him about bearing a son in his old age.
18: 11
Sarah laughed in her heart when she overheard the Lord tell Abraham about having a son in an old advanced age, at which time she had to give an account for her inner thoughts, but Abraham didn’t (Cp. 18: 12-15??)
NOTE: It’s almost like 2 different versions of the same event woven together.
20: 2-3
Abimelech king of Gerar (land of Judah) took Sarah and God appeared to him in a dream and told him that he was a dead man for taking her because she was married.
NOTE: How feasible is it that a king would be attracted to a woman ninety years old (Cp. 17: 17); unless she really, really didn’t look her age?
20: 12
Sarah is Abraham’s sister; the daughter of his father but not from his birth mother, which would make Sarah his half-sister. NOTE: Why is this not mentioned before? (Cp. 11: 26-29)
22: 2, 19-20, 23
And He [God] said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. NOTE: Guess who was living in the wilderness of Beersheba or is it Paran (Hagar; Cp. 21: 14-21??)
23: 2
And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
NOTE: Why did Abraham live in Beersheba and Sarah in Hebron; was it over Abraham taking Isaac to offer him as a burnt sacrifice on one of the mountains of Moriah??
24: 4, 10
Abraham’s country, and his relatives lived in Mesopotamia (‘Ur of the Chaldeans;’ Cp. 11: 28; 12: 1) NOTE: Interesting that the ancestor of the Jewish people is an Iraqi??
26: 7-33
NOTE: Isaac’s encounter with Abimelech almost identical to that of his father Abraham, and not only that, but it is forty years later at least (Cp. 20: 1-18??)
Exodus 4: 20, 24-26
Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin (which one; Cp. 18: 3??) and threw it a Moses' feet, and she said, "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me". So He let him alone (??). At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision. NOTE: This is a most unusual and difficult passage to understand why the Lord tried to kill Moses. Also, his wife knew about the rite of circumcision and he didn’t at this time? Lastly, they had two sons but only one was mentioned as circumcised.
14: 21-22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so that the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
NOTE: This is quite a different version from Cecile B. DeMille’s movie “The Ten Commandments.”
19: 20-21, 24; 24: 9-11
Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heaven in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
22: 16-17
“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. “If her father absolutely refuses to give her [in marriage] to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.”
NOTE: This is probably the nearest equivalent to modern-day ‘dating’ or pre-marital sex
Numbers 12: 1-3
Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth). NOTE: What was the real issue regarding Moses marrying a Cushite woman and where is Zipporah, his Midianite wife? Also, Moses is the unlikely author of this particular statement, let alone the rest of the book.
22: 9-10, 12
Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Nippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me. . . And God said to Balaam, “Do not go up with them; you shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.”
22: 20-22, 34-35
And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do. So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry he was going (??), and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Go with the men, but you speak the word which I shall tell you (??).” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
26: 11
The sons of Korah, however, did not die (Numbers 16: 24, 32-33??).
31:14-18
And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. And Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live?" “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately".
NOTE: Kill every woman who is not a virgin?? Moses commanded, "But all the girls who have not known man intimately, keep alive for yourselves". (interesting??)
Deuteronomy
10: 1-5
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself. ‘And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood (‘Bezalel’ made it; Cp. Exodus 35: 30, 31, 37: 1??) and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. “And he wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me. “Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord had commanded me.”
10: 6-9
(Now the sons of Israel set out from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died and there he was buried and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place. From there they set out to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. [NOTE: This account is a slightly abbreviated version and not entirely consistent with the passages in [Numbers 20: 20-28; 33: 30-39??] At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him.)
29: 27
‘Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’ NOTE: Very significant because it seems to suggest a later period for the writing during either the Babylonian or Assyrian captivity.
Joshua 5: 13-15
Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with a sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No, rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” And the captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy (Cp. Genesis 3: 2-5).” And Joshua did so.
10:11-12
And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon".
10.13-14
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. "Is it not written in the book of Jashar?" And the sun
stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. "And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel".
Judges 1: 16
The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father [‘brother’]-in-law (??).
NOTE: Moses’ father-in-law was Midianite (Cp. Exodus 2: 16, 18; 3: 1; Numbers 10: 29); the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law (Cp. Numbers 10: 29??) were undoubtedly Kenites (Cp. Judges 4: 11) NOTE: Reuel or Jethro was not previously mentioned as having a son, only 7 daughters (Cp. Exodus 2: 16, 20??)
13.17-18
Then Minoah said to the angel of the Lord, “what is your NAME, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?" But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my NAME, seeing it is incomprehensible". (very interesting??)
18: 1
In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites were seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. NOTE: This contradicts the account in Joshua 19: 40-48
I Samuel 3: 1
Word from the Lord was rare in those days and visions were infrequent.
NOTE: This is an interesting statement.
6: 18
Even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they sat the ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
NOTE: Another statement in which the event seems as contemporary. Also, is the large “stone of Abel” part of the famous ‘Kaaba’ stone revered by Muslims the world over and around which is built Islam’s holiest shrine?
6: 15, 19
The Levites took down the ark of the Lord. Some of the men of Beth-Shemesh (territory and tribe of Judah) looked into the ark of the Lord and He struck down
50, 070 men of the people. NOTE: This is like what happened to those Nazi soldiers and Professor of Antiquities from Germany in the “Indiana Jones” movie.
15: 35b
And the Lord repented creating man and that He had made Saul king over Israel Cp. Genesis 6: 6; I Samuel 15: 11).
NOTE: One of the few instances in all sacred Scripture where God regrets something.
Jeremiah 43.12
"He will shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis (Heb. Beth-shemesh, the house of the Sun-god), which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire". NOTE: Shemesh must have been a minor god because the Great Sun god of the Egyptians is RA; not to mention other gods and goddesses.
44.15-18
Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you". "We will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring libations to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our princes and our kings did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and we were well off, and saw no misfortune". "But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring libations to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine". NOTE: This is quite surprising as this seems to be a more powerful deity than the usual Ashtoreth or Asherim because neither is referred to in such a reverential manner.
Isaiah 20: 18-25
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of Hosts (YHVH Sabaoth); one will be called the city of Destruction (Arab). In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and a witness to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria-A blessing in the middle of the land, whom the Lord shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My People, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
April 19, 2008
Sources and Authors of the Old Testament??
It is commonly accepted that Moses wrote the first five books called the ‘Torah,’ which means Law, but it is highly improbable that he wrote all of them; especially in the end of Numbers where it mentions how humble Moses was and in Deuteronomy, which mentions Moses' death. It is difficult to know who the author is in many cases because it is unknown and the title of a given book only refers to the individual as the main subject; in many cases. In Psalms 68: 11 it reads, “The Lord gave the word and great is the company of them that published it,” and so with this in mind an attempt will be made to search for the internal evidence of who the biographer is or what source(s) supply the material for much of the Old Testament Canon.
One name which stands out quite prominently is Zadok the priest, who first appears in I kings 1: 8, 39 and all the way to Ezra 7: 1-5. There is a Zadok mentioned in Nehemiah 3: 6 (“Zadok son of Baana”) and Nehemiah 3: 29 (“Zadok son of Immer).
I Chronicles 29: 29
The acts of David are written in the book of Samuel the seer, the book of Gad the seer, and in the book of Nathan the seer.
NOTE: The prophet Samuel anointed David King, replacing Saul and Nathan and Gad were seers of King David at one time or another.
II Chronicles 9: 29
The acts of Solomon are written in the book of Nathan the prophet, the prophesy of Ahijah the Shilohnite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer.
12: 15
The acts of Rehoboam are written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer concerning genealogies.
13: 22
The acts of Abijah and his sayings are written in the annals of Iddo the prophet.
20: 34
The acts of Jehoshaphat are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer (Cp. 19: 2).
26: 32
The acts of Uzziah, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote (Cp. Isaiah 1: 1).
32: 30
The acts of Hezekiah are written in the visions of Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz (Cp. Isaiah 1: 1)
33: 1a, 19b
The rest of the acts of Manasseh before he was humbled, indeed are they not written in the acts of the Hozai (“seers”).
36: 12-23
The prophet Jeremiah is the source for much regarding Zedekiah and the Babylonian captivity under King Nebuchadnezzar.
The seer Iddo is just as prominent a figure and perhaps more important than Zadok the priest; and he is mentioned in II Chronicles 13: 22b; Ezra 5: 1; 6: 14; 8: 17; Nehemiah 12: 14, 16. Iddo is one of the returning exiles (Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14) and the individual who keeps track of genealogies (Cp. II Chronicles 12: 15), which is crucial in maintaining the ritual purity of the Levites and priests, especially. Even some of the writings of Jeremiah the prophet were performed by Baruch the scribe (Cp. Jeremiah 36: 4, 17-18, 32: 45: 1). And lastly, Ezra was a scribe as well as a priest and wielded quite a lot of power among the people by the authority of Xerxes king of Persia (Cp. Ezra 7: 11-26) and doubtless influenced the religion of the returning captives, the native Jewish remnants, as well as the foreign immigrants in the cities throughout Judea.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
One name which stands out quite prominently is Zadok the priest, who first appears in I kings 1: 8, 39 and all the way to Ezra 7: 1-5. There is a Zadok mentioned in Nehemiah 3: 6 (“Zadok son of Baana”) and Nehemiah 3: 29 (“Zadok son of Immer).
I Chronicles 29: 29
The acts of David are written in the book of Samuel the seer, the book of Gad the seer, and in the book of Nathan the seer.
NOTE: The prophet Samuel anointed David King, replacing Saul and Nathan and Gad were seers of King David at one time or another.
II Chronicles 9: 29
The acts of Solomon are written in the book of Nathan the prophet, the prophesy of Ahijah the Shilohnite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer.
12: 15
The acts of Rehoboam are written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer concerning genealogies.
13: 22
The acts of Abijah and his sayings are written in the annals of Iddo the prophet.
20: 34
The acts of Jehoshaphat are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer (Cp. 19: 2).
26: 32
The acts of Uzziah, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote (Cp. Isaiah 1: 1).
32: 30
The acts of Hezekiah are written in the visions of Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz (Cp. Isaiah 1: 1)
33: 1a, 19b
The rest of the acts of Manasseh before he was humbled, indeed are they not written in the acts of the Hozai (“seers”).
36: 12-23
The prophet Jeremiah is the source for much regarding Zedekiah and the Babylonian captivity under King Nebuchadnezzar.
The seer Iddo is just as prominent a figure and perhaps more important than Zadok the priest; and he is mentioned in II Chronicles 13: 22b; Ezra 5: 1; 6: 14; 8: 17; Nehemiah 12: 14, 16. Iddo is one of the returning exiles (Cp. Nehemiah 12: 14) and the individual who keeps track of genealogies (Cp. II Chronicles 12: 15), which is crucial in maintaining the ritual purity of the Levites and priests, especially. Even some of the writings of Jeremiah the prophet were performed by Baruch the scribe (Cp. Jeremiah 36: 4, 17-18, 32: 45: 1). And lastly, Ezra was a scribe as well as a priest and wielded quite a lot of power among the people by the authority of Xerxes king of Persia (Cp. Ezra 7: 11-26) and doubtless influenced the religion of the returning captives, the native Jewish remnants, as well as the foreign immigrants in the cities throughout Judea.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Monday, August 11, 2008
What the Bible Teaches on Marriage and Divorce
One of the more interesting controversial issues facing the Christian is that of divorce and remarriage, and surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t offer a lot of specific guidelines to this complex and often contentious social experience. What needs to be kept in mind is that Christianity inherited a Jewish cultural as well as theological perspective imprinted upon a non-Jewish world. In a patriarchal society where the ‘man’ was more valued because he controlled the factors of production, religious and social laws, and inheritance of property was through the lineage of the male, it is not surprising that a woman would not have the same rights and be esteemed as much. Even when it comes to the order of ‘creation,’ the “Woman” was created from the “Man (Cp. Genesis 2: 7, 18, 21-23),” but since that one unique and special act, the woman is the one from whom all subsequent human life springs from. Throughout the entire history of the Jewish people, and even before they were a nation as such, a woman’s body and reproductive rights were controlled by a male-dominated society; and strict requirements pertaining to a woman’s virginity, chastity, and purity was strictly enforced. There were harsh penalties for a woman [punishment, usually ‘death’ by stoning], and possible social stigma or isolation for violating this taboo. It doesn’t seem that the man’s behavior in this matter was quite as demanding, closely watched or regulated, or even as much of a concern.
Exodus 22: 16-17
And if a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay the money equal to the dowry of virgins.
Leviticus 21: 1a, 7, 13-15
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them. . . They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he [the priest] is holy to his God. ‘And he shall take a wife in her virginity. “A widow or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather, he is to marry a virgin of his own people; that he may not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.”
Deuteronomy 22: 28-29
If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her [“rapes her”] and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.
NOTE: Can the woman divorce her husband??
Deuteronomy 22: 13-19
If a man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her and charges her with shameful deeds (“harlotry;” Cp. 22: 20-21), and publicly defames her, and says, “I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,” then the girl’s father and her mother shall take and bring the evidence of the girl’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. And the girl’s father shall say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.” And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl’s father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.
NOTE: The issue of blood resulting from penetrating the ‘hymen’ of the female is collected and brought to the elders (“men”) for examination; talk about humiliation, outrage, embarrassment, and a few other thoughts on the matter.
Deuteronomy 22: 20-21
But if the charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel, by playing the harlot in her father’s house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
NOTE: What if the circumstances were like in Exodus 22: 16-17??
Deuteronomy 24: 1-2
When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her from his house, and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife.
Matthew 19: 3-11
And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE THE FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH’? “Consequently they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE HER?” He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives [for any reason]; but from the beginning it had not been this way. “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality [adultery], and marries another woman commits adultery. The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.”
Mark 10: 10-12
And in the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. And He said to them, “”Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her [his wife]; and if she herself [a wife] divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery [against him].
The aforementioned passages in Matthew and repeated in Mark has been used by the Christian Church to condemn divorce and remarriage of a formerly married spouse, but the circumstances, tradition, history, and context must be carefully read before fully understanding the meaning of a Biblical text. The background of this event is that the Pharisees weren’t interested in spiritual enlightenment or guidance but rather were seeking an opportunity to ‘trap’ Jesus, and they cleverly and rightly asked about divorcing the woman “for any reason;” since this is essentially what the Jewish men had been doing to their wives by their harsh treatment for centuries, no doubt. And even Jesus’ statement cannot be fully appreciated without reading Deuteronomy 24: 1-2 for some perspective. Jesus answered more than what the Pharisees really wanted to know and by His edict, helped the woman gain a little bit more dignity and protection as well as challenge this nonsense where men were almost getting away with murder when it came to the shameful treatment of a woman.
The part that many people don’t realize is that Jesus is saying that in the way divorce was practiced [“for any reason”] isn’t justified and if someone else marries anyone who leaves a marriage under such circumstances when that person is still ‘bound’ [married]; and therefore, if the individual remarries, this is tantamount to committing adultery, and it is in point-of-fact. However, this may be not the definitive and only answer to the marriage/divorce question, but rather a direct answer to a specific trick question from a sect of Jewish leaders who did not even exist in the times of Moses and the giving of the Law. The following passages by the apostle Paul expands more on this question, is more widely applicable, invaluable, as well as relevant to the circumstances in which other guidelines on this subject are desperately needed and appreciated.
I Corinthians 7: 10-11
But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not send his wife away.
NOTE: the verse in parenthesis is an editor’s comment and should be taken as that.
25, 27-28a
Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek to be bound. But if you should marry, you have not sinned (after being released??); and if a virgin should marry, she has not sinned.
39-40
A wife is bound as long as her husband lives but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Romans 7: 1-3
Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she be joined to another man
(Cp. Matthew 19: 5-6).
Even the apostle Paul, whose writings compromise most of the New Testament Church’s teachings, was in his own words, brought up in the strictest sect of Judaism, a “Pharisee of Pharisees” (Cp. Acts 26: 4-5; Philippians 3: 5), was not without some bias when it came to his attitude about the rights of men and women. If in this study with the myriads of complex social, psychological, and financial problems among other considerations that married couples face is such that infidelity is the ‘only’ legitimate reason for a man or woman to legally or obtain a spiritually sanctioned divorce [outside of secretly praying that the other spouse ‘drop dead’], is quite disheartening; and perhaps the disciples were quite astute when they said, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” In certain instances, a growing number of the leadership in Protestant Churches are reluctantly acquiescing to allow and Biblically authorize ‘divorce’ (similar to the Catholic Church’s rite of ‘annulment’), but usually with some counseling and admonition against remarriage. This may have the impact of seeming to condemn ‘remarriage’ and thereby subject one to a life of loneliness, bitterness, solitude, indolence, and may make the person socially inhibited, withdrawn, and suspicious; at least on the negative side. However, there are those rare individuals endowed with the special gift of God who can live a life of ‘celibacy,’ devoting themselves to the things of God while enjoying a full, healthy, vibrant, and purposeful life filled with fun, social philanthropy and activism.
The one thing to keep in mind is the principle found in Genesis 2: 18, which applies to most of us, and that is, The Lord said, “It is not good that the man should be alone. . .” To reinforce that point, the lyrics of a popular ‘Rock and Roll’ song from the 1970’s included the lyrics which go something like this, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever use. . .” and it is inconceivable that ‘the God Who is Love’ would deny to anyone the right to find and experience the most beautiful and cherished of human expressions in a lifelong ‘covenant’ relationship with another person. It doesn’t seem consistent with God’s nature and the fulfillment of human happiness and a stable society that just because of our imperfections and the limitation of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being-ness, and in some cases due to circumstances beyond our control or influence, that anyone should be prohibited from finding that one ‘special’ person of our heart’s desire who can truly make us very, very, happy.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 9, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Exodus 22: 16-17
And if a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay the money equal to the dowry of virgins.
Leviticus 21: 1a, 7, 13-15
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them. . . They shall not take a woman who is profaned by harlotry, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he [the priest] is holy to his God. ‘And he shall take a wife in her virginity. “A widow or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather, he is to marry a virgin of his own people; that he may not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.”
Deuteronomy 22: 28-29
If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her [“rapes her”] and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.
NOTE: Can the woman divorce her husband??
Deuteronomy 22: 13-19
If a man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her and charges her with shameful deeds (“harlotry;” Cp. 22: 20-21), and publicly defames her, and says, “I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,” then the girl’s father and her mother shall take and bring the evidence of the girl’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. And the girl’s father shall say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.” And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl’s father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.
NOTE: The issue of blood resulting from penetrating the ‘hymen’ of the female is collected and brought to the elders (“men”) for examination; talk about humiliation, outrage, embarrassment, and a few other thoughts on the matter.
Deuteronomy 22: 20-21
But if the charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel, by playing the harlot in her father’s house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
NOTE: What if the circumstances were like in Exodus 22: 16-17??
Deuteronomy 24: 1-2
When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her from his house, and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife.
Matthew 19: 3-11
And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE THE FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH’? “Consequently they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.” They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE AND DIVORCE HER?” He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives [for any reason]; but from the beginning it had not been this way. “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality [adultery], and marries another woman commits adultery. The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.”
Mark 10: 10-12
And in the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. And He said to them, “”Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her [his wife]; and if she herself [a wife] divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery [against him].
The aforementioned passages in Matthew and repeated in Mark has been used by the Christian Church to condemn divorce and remarriage of a formerly married spouse, but the circumstances, tradition, history, and context must be carefully read before fully understanding the meaning of a Biblical text. The background of this event is that the Pharisees weren’t interested in spiritual enlightenment or guidance but rather were seeking an opportunity to ‘trap’ Jesus, and they cleverly and rightly asked about divorcing the woman “for any reason;” since this is essentially what the Jewish men had been doing to their wives by their harsh treatment for centuries, no doubt. And even Jesus’ statement cannot be fully appreciated without reading Deuteronomy 24: 1-2 for some perspective. Jesus answered more than what the Pharisees really wanted to know and by His edict, helped the woman gain a little bit more dignity and protection as well as challenge this nonsense where men were almost getting away with murder when it came to the shameful treatment of a woman.
The part that many people don’t realize is that Jesus is saying that in the way divorce was practiced [“for any reason”] isn’t justified and if someone else marries anyone who leaves a marriage under such circumstances when that person is still ‘bound’ [married]; and therefore, if the individual remarries, this is tantamount to committing adultery, and it is in point-of-fact. However, this may be not the definitive and only answer to the marriage/divorce question, but rather a direct answer to a specific trick question from a sect of Jewish leaders who did not even exist in the times of Moses and the giving of the Law. The following passages by the apostle Paul expands more on this question, is more widely applicable, invaluable, as well as relevant to the circumstances in which other guidelines on this subject are desperately needed and appreciated.
I Corinthians 7: 10-11
But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not send his wife away.
NOTE: the verse in parenthesis is an editor’s comment and should be taken as that.
25, 27-28a
Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek to be bound. But if you should marry, you have not sinned (after being released??); and if a virgin should marry, she has not sinned.
39-40
A wife is bound as long as her husband lives but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Romans 7: 1-3
Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she be joined to another man
(Cp. Matthew 19: 5-6).
Even the apostle Paul, whose writings compromise most of the New Testament Church’s teachings, was in his own words, brought up in the strictest sect of Judaism, a “Pharisee of Pharisees” (Cp. Acts 26: 4-5; Philippians 3: 5), was not without some bias when it came to his attitude about the rights of men and women. If in this study with the myriads of complex social, psychological, and financial problems among other considerations that married couples face is such that infidelity is the ‘only’ legitimate reason for a man or woman to legally or obtain a spiritually sanctioned divorce [outside of secretly praying that the other spouse ‘drop dead’], is quite disheartening; and perhaps the disciples were quite astute when they said, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” In certain instances, a growing number of the leadership in Protestant Churches are reluctantly acquiescing to allow and Biblically authorize ‘divorce’ (similar to the Catholic Church’s rite of ‘annulment’), but usually with some counseling and admonition against remarriage. This may have the impact of seeming to condemn ‘remarriage’ and thereby subject one to a life of loneliness, bitterness, solitude, indolence, and may make the person socially inhibited, withdrawn, and suspicious; at least on the negative side. However, there are those rare individuals endowed with the special gift of God who can live a life of ‘celibacy,’ devoting themselves to the things of God while enjoying a full, healthy, vibrant, and purposeful life filled with fun, social philanthropy and activism.
The one thing to keep in mind is the principle found in Genesis 2: 18, which applies to most of us, and that is, The Lord said, “It is not good that the man should be alone. . .” To reinforce that point, the lyrics of a popular ‘Rock and Roll’ song from the 1970’s included the lyrics which go something like this, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever use. . .” and it is inconceivable that ‘the God Who is Love’ would deny to anyone the right to find and experience the most beautiful and cherished of human expressions in a lifelong ‘covenant’ relationship with another person. It doesn’t seem consistent with God’s nature and the fulfillment of human happiness and a stable society that just because of our imperfections and the limitation of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being-ness, and in some cases due to circumstances beyond our control or influence, that anyone should be prohibited from finding that one ‘special’ person of our heart’s desire who can truly make us very, very, happy.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 9, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
Friday, August 8, 2008
“WHAT IF” Jesus Christ Applied for American Citizenship?
If the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth were to have lived in modern times, it would have been quite interesting to see Him fill out documentation and be interviewed by the INS officials to become an American citizen. There would certainly have to be a few questions which need clarification, for starters, namely, where He is from. He was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, had a home in Capernaum, and to top it off, He existed in ‘heaven’ before He was born. It gets even more interesting because Jesus says God is His Father, and in fact nowhere in the entire New Testament does Jesus even mention Joseph. Jesus talks with His mother and brothers but not Joseph. Jesus is mentioned to have sisters and even Joseph is included by those with whom He grew up, but there is no personal conversation involving them and Him.
Mary, His mother became pregnant but it wasn’t by Joseph but by the Holy Spirit of God, Who overshadowed Mary and Jesus was formed inside her womb. And when it was almost time for Mary to give birth to Jesus, she and Joseph make this arduous and dangerous trip, at least for Mary, from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for a census. Mary gives birth to Jesus in a cave or in the section of a house where animals are kept and after He is born, wraps Him in some swaddling cloths and places Him in a feeding trough which is used by animals. This act would certainly have alarmed DSHS as well as the medical community because this would have placed the infant Jesus in jeopardy for exposure to animal diseases and as a newborn with a weakened immune system He would have been susceptible to infections, viruses, germs, parasites, etc. Besides, who would have administered the PKT test and inoculated Jesus from all the childhood diseases, and did Joseph circumcised Jesus? Not only would Jesus have been susceptible to infection but certainly mother Mary for sure. There were no pre-natal visits and screening for STD’s or birth defects for Mary as well as check her blood pressure, or dilation of her uterus, and no fetal sonogram or check of her amniotic fluid.
Another incident in Jesus life at around the age of twelve when He and the family were traveling to Jerusalem for a feast and on the way back Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was in the company of their relatives and it wasn’t until three days later that they discovered He wasn’t with them and they became worried because they lost track of Him and backtracked to Jerusalem where they found Him in the temple having a discussion with the teachers of the Law. Their seemingly irresponsible act or neglect would have prompted a visit from DSHS and possibly the police in this country. The Gospels do not mention Jesus going to school but rather that He never had an education, which means that Mary and Joseph would have violated ‘truancy laws’ by not admitting Him in public school; unless He was home-schooled.
Jesus practiced medicine without a medical degree, taught religion with a theology degree, and Jesus didn’t work but rather was supported by some of His female followers or disciples out of their own private finances. Jesus usually referred to Himself by the enigmatic name, “Son of Man” and He was accused of having lost His mind and even His own people wanted to come and take custody of Him. The relationship between Jesus and His mother and siblings may not have been nurturing and it would no doubt be considered ‘dysfunctional.’ Jesus told a crowd to eat His flesh and drink His blood and one could accuse Him of ‘cannibalism’ and Jesus made a chord and whipped some of the moneychangers in the temple and overturned their tables; thereby creating a civil disturbance as well as the charge of assault, but in His defense He said, “ZEAL FOR MY FATHER’S HOUSE CONSUMED ME.”
Jesus had a little brush with the Courts, both Jewish and Gentile, where in the latter He was unjustly condemned and sentenced to death by a weak and vacillating Roman Governor and brutalized by officers of the Jewish Supreme Court and soldiers of the Roman Praetorium. Jesus wasn’t ‘Mirandized’ and appeared before the bar of justice without legal counsel, which is a violation of the Constitution. Lastly, Jesus was executed by Capital Punishment without the advocacy of social activists demonstrating this form of barbarism or ‘state-sponsored terrorism’ but after He died, Jesus rose again from the dead three days later. There is no death certificate signed by the ‘Coroner’ or Medical Examiner (ME), nor is there any forensic evidence to support His fantastic claim. This is the written statement of Jesus Christ and a thorough background check including interviewing the residents of the places He lived, court records, oral and written histories are not able to verify with absolute certainty the truthfulness of these facts.
So here it is, an applicant with no birth record or genealogy or affidavit signed by witnesses, no formal education, no work history, uncertain paternity, questions of residency, dysfunctional family background, alleged psychological problems, anti-social tendencies, practicing medicine and teaching without a license, was found guilty and executed after a judicial hearing (both religious and secular), and claim to have died and come back to life again; without providing verifiable scientific proof. Therefore, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Lord of lords and King of kings, the Alpha and Omega, your request for citizenship is hereby denied forthwith; and Lord forgive us and have mercy on our souls.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 8, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Mary, His mother became pregnant but it wasn’t by Joseph but by the Holy Spirit of God, Who overshadowed Mary and Jesus was formed inside her womb. And when it was almost time for Mary to give birth to Jesus, she and Joseph make this arduous and dangerous trip, at least for Mary, from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for a census. Mary gives birth to Jesus in a cave or in the section of a house where animals are kept and after He is born, wraps Him in some swaddling cloths and places Him in a feeding trough which is used by animals. This act would certainly have alarmed DSHS as well as the medical community because this would have placed the infant Jesus in jeopardy for exposure to animal diseases and as a newborn with a weakened immune system He would have been susceptible to infections, viruses, germs, parasites, etc. Besides, who would have administered the PKT test and inoculated Jesus from all the childhood diseases, and did Joseph circumcised Jesus? Not only would Jesus have been susceptible to infection but certainly mother Mary for sure. There were no pre-natal visits and screening for STD’s or birth defects for Mary as well as check her blood pressure, or dilation of her uterus, and no fetal sonogram or check of her amniotic fluid.
Another incident in Jesus life at around the age of twelve when He and the family were traveling to Jerusalem for a feast and on the way back Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was in the company of their relatives and it wasn’t until three days later that they discovered He wasn’t with them and they became worried because they lost track of Him and backtracked to Jerusalem where they found Him in the temple having a discussion with the teachers of the Law. Their seemingly irresponsible act or neglect would have prompted a visit from DSHS and possibly the police in this country. The Gospels do not mention Jesus going to school but rather that He never had an education, which means that Mary and Joseph would have violated ‘truancy laws’ by not admitting Him in public school; unless He was home-schooled.
Jesus practiced medicine without a medical degree, taught religion with a theology degree, and Jesus didn’t work but rather was supported by some of His female followers or disciples out of their own private finances. Jesus usually referred to Himself by the enigmatic name, “Son of Man” and He was accused of having lost His mind and even His own people wanted to come and take custody of Him. The relationship between Jesus and His mother and siblings may not have been nurturing and it would no doubt be considered ‘dysfunctional.’ Jesus told a crowd to eat His flesh and drink His blood and one could accuse Him of ‘cannibalism’ and Jesus made a chord and whipped some of the moneychangers in the temple and overturned their tables; thereby creating a civil disturbance as well as the charge of assault, but in His defense He said, “ZEAL FOR MY FATHER’S HOUSE CONSUMED ME.”
Jesus had a little brush with the Courts, both Jewish and Gentile, where in the latter He was unjustly condemned and sentenced to death by a weak and vacillating Roman Governor and brutalized by officers of the Jewish Supreme Court and soldiers of the Roman Praetorium. Jesus wasn’t ‘Mirandized’ and appeared before the bar of justice without legal counsel, which is a violation of the Constitution. Lastly, Jesus was executed by Capital Punishment without the advocacy of social activists demonstrating this form of barbarism or ‘state-sponsored terrorism’ but after He died, Jesus rose again from the dead three days later. There is no death certificate signed by the ‘Coroner’ or Medical Examiner (ME), nor is there any forensic evidence to support His fantastic claim. This is the written statement of Jesus Christ and a thorough background check including interviewing the residents of the places He lived, court records, oral and written histories are not able to verify with absolute certainty the truthfulness of these facts.
So here it is, an applicant with no birth record or genealogy or affidavit signed by witnesses, no formal education, no work history, uncertain paternity, questions of residency, dysfunctional family background, alleged psychological problems, anti-social tendencies, practicing medicine and teaching without a license, was found guilty and executed after a judicial hearing (both religious and secular), and claim to have died and come back to life again; without providing verifiable scientific proof. Therefore, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Lord of lords and King of kings, the Alpha and Omega, your request for citizenship is hereby denied forthwith; and Lord forgive us and have mercy on our souls.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
August 8, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Is the Criticism Leveled Against the Christian Faith Justified?
One of the complaints most frequently heard against those who are ‘Christians’ or members of any theistic religion, is that there is no rational basis for belief in God or any Deity outside the act of creation as a whole entity in itself; and being as it were, just the most random and logical arrangement of violent, unseen cosmic forces (energy and dark matter) which shaped and gave birth to ‘Life’ in the Universe; without the intervention of some invisible, immortal, transcendent, purely Spiritual, Celestial Being called “God” or the Creator.
Perhaps the closest embrace of this concept of a Divine Intelligence is in Aristotle’s “The Unmovable Mover” where this Greek Philosopher postulates that since God is changeless, then some other Divine Being must have created [through change, movement] the Universe; namely, the one which he refers to as the “Demiurge.” The argument won’t be settled in this article but there are some interesting points that are worth considering, and that is, can the Gospel message be presented in a rational basis and secondly, is it anathema [a curse, essentially] to use your intelligence when the Word is taught?
The book entitled, “The Christians as the Romans Saw Them,” by Robert L. Wilken, offers valuable insight into how Christians were looked upon in contemporary Roman and Greek society from the first century onward.
16. Another Roman historian, friend and correspondent of Pliny, Suetonius mentions the Christians in passing in his book, Lives of the Caesars, where he wrote, “Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition’ (Nero 16). The term superstition referred to beliefs and practices that were foreign and strange to the Romans. This was a designation of the kinds of practices and beliefs associated with cults that had penetrated the Roman world from surrounding lands such as the Celtic religion from the British Isles, the practice of Germanic tribes in northern Europe, and the customs of the Egyptians.
17. Suetonius (Claudius 25) mentions a certain Chrestus and states, “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (impulsore Chrestus), he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome (Cp. Acts 18: 1-2). Suetonius may have been speaking of Christians in Rome who were followers of Christ and were not distinguished from Jews.
22. According to Plutarch (50-120 C.E.), “Superstition sets people apart from the rest of society because the superstitious person does not use his intelligence in thinking about the gods... The atheist thinks there are no gods but the superstitious person believes in them against his will, *for he is afraid not to believe.”* (p. 61)
24. The Christians were seen as religious fanatics, self-righteous outsiders, arrogant innovators, who thought that only their beliefs were true.
27. Galen, the famous physician and native of Pergamum in Asia Minor (born 130C.E.) mentioned the Christians in some of his writings on other matters. Galen, speaking about the opinions of certain physicians, says, “They compare those who practice medicine without scientific knowledge to Moses, who framed the laws for the tribe of Israel, since it is his method in his books to write without offering proofs, saying God commanded, God spoke.” (On Hippocrates Anatomy). Galen’s concern was that Christian and Jewish schools did not live up to the intellectual ideal appropriate to philosophers, and instead, appealing to “faith” and the authority of their teachers.
28. Marcus Aurelius (Meditations 11.3) seemed to think that the Christian attitude towards death, illustrated by the behavior of martyrs, was at odds with a genuinely philosophical life. To Marcus, the Christians appeared fanatical and foolish; one might even say ‘superstitious.' Their presumed lack of fear in the face of death did not [appear to] rise out of genuine self-control, or out of an understanding of the self, or out of free will, but from mere obstinacy based on irrational beliefs.
29. Galen found Christian and Jewish teaching objectionable, dogmatic, and uncritical. They were unwilling to submit their beliefs to philosophical examination. They asked people to accept their doctrines solely on ‘faith’.
30. Celsus, a Greek philosopher in the year 170 C.E wrote a major book devoted solely to Christians, called “True Doctrine.” In one passage he mentions that the Christian Scriptures provided justification for eschewing appeals to reason and argumentation. ‘Some [Christians],’ says Celsus, “do not even want to give or to receive reason for what they believe, and use such expressions as ‘Do not ask questions, just believe’ and ‘Your faith will save you.’ Others quote the apostle Paul, “The wisdom of the world is evil and foolishness a good thing” (I Corinthians 1:25-26; Celsus 1.9).
31. Celsus goes on to say that some Christians are arrogant and contemptuous of the opinion of others; they keep to themselves and appeal to people’s fears and ignorance.
32. Christians had the reputation of being gullible and credulous. “The poor wretches,” writes Lucian, “have convinced themselves . . . that they are going to be immortal and live for all time. . . They despise all things indiscriminately and consider them common property, receiving such doctrines traditionally without any definite evidence. (Peregrinus 1.3)
With this lengthy historical backdrop, it is prudent to introduce some Scriptural references to prove that conveying the Gospel message isn’t just about preaching and teaching by rote without using one's intelligence and oratory to persuade and convince; as evidenced by the Apostle Paul.
Acts 17: 1-3
And for three Sabbaths, Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures in Thessalonica.
16-17
Paul was in Athens, reasoning in the synagogues with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles.
Acts 18: 4
Paul was in Corinth, reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to convince [persuade] Jews and Greeks.
19
Paul entered the synagogue in Ephesus and reasoned with the Jews.
Acts 19: 8-10
Paul entered the synagogue [again] in Ephesus and for three months, reasoned about the kingdom of God. He later withdrew from the synagogue and was reasoning daily for 2 years in the school of Tyrannus.
NOTE: In all probability this was a school that taught [Greek] Philosophy, and the Apostle Paul spoke Greek (Cp. Acts 21: 37)
According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary:
1 reason: b; a rational ground or motive c: a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense. esp.; something (as a principle or law) that supports a conclusion or explains a fact.
2 a(1): the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking esp. in orderly rational ways; INTELLIGENCE.
Also, as was presented in the previous History lesson, the Romans perceived the early Christians as ‘superstitious,’ and perhaps among quite a few, the judgment was true. I have another definition, which is, “faith in the absence of reason or intelligence becomes superstition,” and I totally agree with (excerpt 22).
In II Timothy it states: For God has not given us a spirit of fear [superstition??], but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. It is the responsibility of the believer to live in such a way that we are not perceived as neurotic, paranoid, irrational, vacillating, arrogant, isolationists, condemning so many things in life as sinful; but rather be more life-affirming and ready always to give an answer [logical/rational] to everyone of the hope that is within us (Cp. I Peter 3: 15).
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 31, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Perhaps the closest embrace of this concept of a Divine Intelligence is in Aristotle’s “The Unmovable Mover” where this Greek Philosopher postulates that since God is changeless, then some other Divine Being must have created [through change, movement] the Universe; namely, the one which he refers to as the “Demiurge.” The argument won’t be settled in this article but there are some interesting points that are worth considering, and that is, can the Gospel message be presented in a rational basis and secondly, is it anathema [a curse, essentially] to use your intelligence when the Word is taught?
The book entitled, “The Christians as the Romans Saw Them,” by Robert L. Wilken, offers valuable insight into how Christians were looked upon in contemporary Roman and Greek society from the first century onward.
16. Another Roman historian, friend and correspondent of Pliny, Suetonius mentions the Christians in passing in his book, Lives of the Caesars, where he wrote, “Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition’ (Nero 16). The term superstition referred to beliefs and practices that were foreign and strange to the Romans. This was a designation of the kinds of practices and beliefs associated with cults that had penetrated the Roman world from surrounding lands such as the Celtic religion from the British Isles, the practice of Germanic tribes in northern Europe, and the customs of the Egyptians.
17. Suetonius (Claudius 25) mentions a certain Chrestus and states, “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (impulsore Chrestus), he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome (Cp. Acts 18: 1-2). Suetonius may have been speaking of Christians in Rome who were followers of Christ and were not distinguished from Jews.
22. According to Plutarch (50-120 C.E.), “Superstition sets people apart from the rest of society because the superstitious person does not use his intelligence in thinking about the gods... The atheist thinks there are no gods but the superstitious person believes in them against his will, *for he is afraid not to believe.”* (p. 61)
24. The Christians were seen as religious fanatics, self-righteous outsiders, arrogant innovators, who thought that only their beliefs were true.
27. Galen, the famous physician and native of Pergamum in Asia Minor (born 130C.E.) mentioned the Christians in some of his writings on other matters. Galen, speaking about the opinions of certain physicians, says, “They compare those who practice medicine without scientific knowledge to Moses, who framed the laws for the tribe of Israel, since it is his method in his books to write without offering proofs, saying God commanded, God spoke.” (On Hippocrates Anatomy). Galen’s concern was that Christian and Jewish schools did not live up to the intellectual ideal appropriate to philosophers, and instead, appealing to “faith” and the authority of their teachers.
28. Marcus Aurelius (Meditations 11.3) seemed to think that the Christian attitude towards death, illustrated by the behavior of martyrs, was at odds with a genuinely philosophical life. To Marcus, the Christians appeared fanatical and foolish; one might even say ‘superstitious.' Their presumed lack of fear in the face of death did not [appear to] rise out of genuine self-control, or out of an understanding of the self, or out of free will, but from mere obstinacy based on irrational beliefs.
29. Galen found Christian and Jewish teaching objectionable, dogmatic, and uncritical. They were unwilling to submit their beliefs to philosophical examination. They asked people to accept their doctrines solely on ‘faith’.
30. Celsus, a Greek philosopher in the year 170 C.E wrote a major book devoted solely to Christians, called “True Doctrine.” In one passage he mentions that the Christian Scriptures provided justification for eschewing appeals to reason and argumentation. ‘Some [Christians],’ says Celsus, “do not even want to give or to receive reason for what they believe, and use such expressions as ‘Do not ask questions, just believe’ and ‘Your faith will save you.’ Others quote the apostle Paul, “The wisdom of the world is evil and foolishness a good thing” (I Corinthians 1:25-26; Celsus 1.9).
31. Celsus goes on to say that some Christians are arrogant and contemptuous of the opinion of others; they keep to themselves and appeal to people’s fears and ignorance.
32. Christians had the reputation of being gullible and credulous. “The poor wretches,” writes Lucian, “have convinced themselves . . . that they are going to be immortal and live for all time. . . They despise all things indiscriminately and consider them common property, receiving such doctrines traditionally without any definite evidence. (Peregrinus 1.3)
With this lengthy historical backdrop, it is prudent to introduce some Scriptural references to prove that conveying the Gospel message isn’t just about preaching and teaching by rote without using one's intelligence and oratory to persuade and convince; as evidenced by the Apostle Paul.
Acts 17: 1-3
And for three Sabbaths, Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures in Thessalonica.
16-17
Paul was in Athens, reasoning in the synagogues with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles.
Acts 18: 4
Paul was in Corinth, reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to convince [persuade] Jews and Greeks.
19
Paul entered the synagogue in Ephesus and reasoned with the Jews.
Acts 19: 8-10
Paul entered the synagogue [again] in Ephesus and for three months, reasoned about the kingdom of God. He later withdrew from the synagogue and was reasoning daily for 2 years in the school of Tyrannus.
NOTE: In all probability this was a school that taught [Greek] Philosophy, and the Apostle Paul spoke Greek (Cp. Acts 21: 37)
According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary:
1 reason: b; a rational ground or motive c: a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense. esp.; something (as a principle or law) that supports a conclusion or explains a fact.
2 a(1): the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking esp. in orderly rational ways; INTELLIGENCE.
Also, as was presented in the previous History lesson, the Romans perceived the early Christians as ‘superstitious,’ and perhaps among quite a few, the judgment was true. I have another definition, which is, “faith in the absence of reason or intelligence becomes superstition,” and I totally agree with (excerpt 22).
In II Timothy it states: For God has not given us a spirit of fear [superstition??], but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. It is the responsibility of the believer to live in such a way that we are not perceived as neurotic, paranoid, irrational, vacillating, arrogant, isolationists, condemning so many things in life as sinful; but rather be more life-affirming and ready always to give an answer [logical/rational] to everyone of the hope that is within us (Cp. I Peter 3: 15).
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 31, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Just what is God’s Name?
From the earliest Biblical account, after the birth of Seth’s son Enosh, men began to call upon the name of the Lord (Cp. Genesis 4: 26). The Scriptures do not indicate what the Name of God was at this time. The next person to call upon the Name of God was Abram or Abraham (Cp. Genesis 13: 4) followed by his son Isaac (Cp. Genesis 26: 25). The story of Jacob is a curious one because there is no record of him calling upon the Name of the Lord but rather that he sets up a stone pillar or builds an altar as a memorial to God, and either pours a drink offering upon it or oil (Cp. Genesis 28: 18; 35: 1, 7, 14).
Now, when Moses asks God what to say to the children of Israel when they inquire as to the Name of the God who sent him to deliver them from Egyptian bondage, God says, “I AM WHO I AM;” and He said, “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel,‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “(Cp. Exodus 3: 13-14). God further instructs Moses that the Lord God was the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but that this Name [previously mentioned] is His memorial Name to all generations (Cp. Exodus 3: 15). God had appeared to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai), but was unknown by the “Name” which He revealed to Moses (Cp. Exodus 6: 3). This is interesting because “El-Shaddai” was mentioned in Isaac’s blessing of Jacob (Cp. Genesis 28: 3), and in His appearing to Abraham (Cp. Genesis 17: 1), Jacob (Cp. Genesis 35: 11), but there is no record of God appearing to Isaac as “El-Shaddai;” unless it is inferred to have happened, which is certainly plausible.
When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, one of the prohibitions was in taking the Name of the Lord in vain (Cp. Exodus 20: 7). There is also the curious statement in Exodus 23: 20-23 where God tells Moses that He is going to send an Angel before them and drive out all the nations in Canaan but He also states that, “My name is in Him.” Is this Exalted and special One the same Angel who wrestled with Jacob
(Cp. Genesis 32: 24, 29) and the same one who visits Manoah (Judges 13: 16-18)?
When Jacob asks his nighttime Celestial visitor (Angel of the Lord??) and wrestling opponent His Name, he doesn’t get an answer; but when Manoah asks the same thing, the Angel of the Lord replies, “Why do you ask My Name, seeing that it is ‘Wonderful.’" This obscure statement doesn’t give the fullest impact of the Name but a more refined version seems to convey a better rendering, and that is; God’s Name is ineffable, unpronounceable, or better yet, “beyond comprehension."
At the Last Supper before Jesus and His disciples entered the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent me. “And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it. . . (Cp. John 17: 25-26a; also verse 6). In Matthew 6: 9b, it reads: “Hallowed be Thy Name;” but it does not reveal what that most sacred, cherished, revered, and Holiest of Name’s is. There are those who believe that the name of God is Jehovah, but studying the Transliteration of the Hebrew/English Alphabet, all the equivalent English consonantal sounds from Hebrew to English exclude C, J, W, and X; so not only is it unlikely that the Divine name is Jehovah, but neither would it be Jahveh. Of course the inclusion of vowels sounds added by Jewish scholars to the Old Testament Scriptures is helpful, and perhaps the closest approximation to the Name of God is again found in Exodus 3: 14, which uses the Hebrew verb ‘hayah’ (“to be”). This verb and its equivalent occur approximately 5,200times in the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures (SEE http://www.hebrew4christians.com). It is from this verb that the Tetragrammaton or 4 letters (YHVH) are used as symbols of the unpronounceable Divine Name. If vowel soundings are placed between the 4 consonants, then one could conceivably come up with the name “Yahveh”; which is close to what the Psalmist and the Prophet Isaiah wrote.
Psalms 8: 1
O Lord, our God, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens.
68: 4
Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; Extol! Him who rides on the clouds; by His Name ‘Yah’, and rejoice before Him.
NOTE: In praising God the word (Allelujah), ‘Allelu-Yah’ forms a part, and not the traditional “Jah” like in ‘Hallelujah.’
Isaiah 12: 2
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for ‘Yah,’ the Lord, is my strength and song.
26: 4
Trust in the Lord forever, for in ‘Yah,’ the Lord, is everlasting strength.
John 17: 6a, 26
I have manifested Your Name to the men You have given Me out of the world. And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
This interestingly abbreviated study, though far from exhaustive, does reveal from the internal Biblical evidence as well as an external source what an approximate or derivative of the Divine Name of God might be like.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 31, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Now, when Moses asks God what to say to the children of Israel when they inquire as to the Name of the God who sent him to deliver them from Egyptian bondage, God says, “I AM WHO I AM;” and He said, “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel,‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “(Cp. Exodus 3: 13-14). God further instructs Moses that the Lord God was the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but that this Name [previously mentioned] is His memorial Name to all generations (Cp. Exodus 3: 15). God had appeared to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai), but was unknown by the “Name” which He revealed to Moses (Cp. Exodus 6: 3). This is interesting because “El-Shaddai” was mentioned in Isaac’s blessing of Jacob (Cp. Genesis 28: 3), and in His appearing to Abraham (Cp. Genesis 17: 1), Jacob (Cp. Genesis 35: 11), but there is no record of God appearing to Isaac as “El-Shaddai;” unless it is inferred to have happened, which is certainly plausible.
When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, one of the prohibitions was in taking the Name of the Lord in vain (Cp. Exodus 20: 7). There is also the curious statement in Exodus 23: 20-23 where God tells Moses that He is going to send an Angel before them and drive out all the nations in Canaan but He also states that, “My name is in Him.” Is this Exalted and special One the same Angel who wrestled with Jacob
(Cp. Genesis 32: 24, 29) and the same one who visits Manoah (Judges 13: 16-18)?
When Jacob asks his nighttime Celestial visitor (Angel of the Lord??) and wrestling opponent His Name, he doesn’t get an answer; but when Manoah asks the same thing, the Angel of the Lord replies, “Why do you ask My Name, seeing that it is ‘Wonderful.’" This obscure statement doesn’t give the fullest impact of the Name but a more refined version seems to convey a better rendering, and that is; God’s Name is ineffable, unpronounceable, or better yet, “beyond comprehension."
At the Last Supper before Jesus and His disciples entered the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent me. “And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it. . . (Cp. John 17: 25-26a; also verse 6). In Matthew 6: 9b, it reads: “Hallowed be Thy Name;” but it does not reveal what that most sacred, cherished, revered, and Holiest of Name’s is. There are those who believe that the name of God is Jehovah, but studying the Transliteration of the Hebrew/English Alphabet, all the equivalent English consonantal sounds from Hebrew to English exclude C, J, W, and X; so not only is it unlikely that the Divine name is Jehovah, but neither would it be Jahveh. Of course the inclusion of vowels sounds added by Jewish scholars to the Old Testament Scriptures is helpful, and perhaps the closest approximation to the Name of God is again found in Exodus 3: 14, which uses the Hebrew verb ‘hayah’ (“to be”). This verb and its equivalent occur approximately 5,200times in the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures (SEE http://www.hebrew4christians.com). It is from this verb that the Tetragrammaton or 4 letters (YHVH) are used as symbols of the unpronounceable Divine Name. If vowel soundings are placed between the 4 consonants, then one could conceivably come up with the name “Yahveh”; which is close to what the Psalmist and the Prophet Isaiah wrote.
Psalms 8: 1
O Lord, our God, How excellent is Your Name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens.
68: 4
Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; Extol! Him who rides on the clouds; by His Name ‘Yah’, and rejoice before Him.
NOTE: In praising God the word (Allelujah), ‘Allelu-Yah’ forms a part, and not the traditional “Jah” like in ‘Hallelujah.’
Isaiah 12: 2
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for ‘Yah,’ the Lord, is my strength and song.
26: 4
Trust in the Lord forever, for in ‘Yah,’ the Lord, is everlasting strength.
John 17: 6a, 26
I have manifested Your Name to the men You have given Me out of the world. And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
This interestingly abbreviated study, though far from exhaustive, does reveal from the internal Biblical evidence as well as an external source what an approximate or derivative of the Divine Name of God might be like.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 31, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Just What is the Woman’s Role in the Church?
There are an ever-growing number of women clergy in the Christian Church to include, Pastor, Reverend, Evangelist, Bishop, and Minister; among other official religious titles. Gone are the days when women merely taught children’s Sunday School, Vacation Bible School classes, assisted in the preparation of the Lord’s Supper, directed the Church Choir, worked in the Church Nursery, assisted with the baptismal garments [for the female converts] or were the white-glove wearing Church ushers.
Women have had a steady but gradual evolution from assisting at the Lord’s Table (“Holy Communion”) and collecting the Church Tithes to speaking in the Church body through reading Church announcements, leading Prayer and invocations at the altar, and finally, Preaching the word to the entire Congregation of believing men and women. It does seem to be such a valuable waste of valuable spiritual resources if only the men were allowed to minister to the saints for edification as well as preaching the Gospel to those who have not accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What are the instrctions written for the Church in its infancy and are these practices binding for modern Christians today? The Apostle Paul writes:
Galatians 3: 26-27, For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
However, this same Paul writes in I Timothy 2: 11-12: Let a woman quietly receive instructions with entire submissiveness [to her husband??]. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over the man, but to remain quiet. He continues on with the next couple of verses, “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.
NOTE: The implication may be that if Eve hadn’t been busy running her mouth in a conversation with that crafty Serpent, and checked everything with Adam first before she ate of the fruit of the Garden, then “Pandora’s Box” would not have been opened and all these evils and sin would not have come into the world.
Again Paul says in I Corinthians 14: 34-35: Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law (where ??) also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
NOTE: Perhaps the Christian Church in the beginning was modeled after rabbinical or orthodox Judaism or Islam, with a separate area for the women to worship God separated from the men. The women could offer prayers and sing songs of devotion to God in silence but not aloud, thereby disrupting the proceedings of the men.
Even the Apostle Peter takes a similar position in I Peter 3: 1-2, 4-6:
Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some don’t obey the word, they without a word [from you], may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear [reverence]. . .rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror [of your husbands or God??].
Peter also instructs the husbands, thusly (verse 7), Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
Paul’s and Peters injunction to Love, Honor, and Obey would seem to go counter to the modern, politically-correct and believing women of the Western Hemisphere, especially in America. Either the new trend within the body of Christ is part of a greater understanding of equipping all the saints of God for the mission of the Church, or what these two Apostles wrote are so absurd as to be dismissed outright; because such nonsense belongs to another time and place where the cultural, social, and religious rules don’t apply; or the Church has some serious work to undue.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 27, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Women have had a steady but gradual evolution from assisting at the Lord’s Table (“Holy Communion”) and collecting the Church Tithes to speaking in the Church body through reading Church announcements, leading Prayer and invocations at the altar, and finally, Preaching the word to the entire Congregation of believing men and women. It does seem to be such a valuable waste of valuable spiritual resources if only the men were allowed to minister to the saints for edification as well as preaching the Gospel to those who have not accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What are the instrctions written for the Church in its infancy and are these practices binding for modern Christians today? The Apostle Paul writes:
Galatians 3: 26-27, For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
However, this same Paul writes in I Timothy 2: 11-12: Let a woman quietly receive instructions with entire submissiveness [to her husband??]. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over the man, but to remain quiet. He continues on with the next couple of verses, “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.
NOTE: The implication may be that if Eve hadn’t been busy running her mouth in a conversation with that crafty Serpent, and checked everything with Adam first before she ate of the fruit of the Garden, then “Pandora’s Box” would not have been opened and all these evils and sin would not have come into the world.
Again Paul says in I Corinthians 14: 34-35: Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law (where ??) also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
NOTE: Perhaps the Christian Church in the beginning was modeled after rabbinical or orthodox Judaism or Islam, with a separate area for the women to worship God separated from the men. The women could offer prayers and sing songs of devotion to God in silence but not aloud, thereby disrupting the proceedings of the men.
Even the Apostle Peter takes a similar position in I Peter 3: 1-2, 4-6:
Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some don’t obey the word, they without a word [from you], may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear [reverence]. . .rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror [of your husbands or God??].
Peter also instructs the husbands, thusly (verse 7), Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
Paul’s and Peters injunction to Love, Honor, and Obey would seem to go counter to the modern, politically-correct and believing women of the Western Hemisphere, especially in America. Either the new trend within the body of Christ is part of a greater understanding of equipping all the saints of God for the mission of the Church, or what these two Apostles wrote are so absurd as to be dismissed outright; because such nonsense belongs to another time and place where the cultural, social, and religious rules don’t apply; or the Church has some serious work to undue.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 27, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Christian Church When Her Pillars Are No More
The Church must have had a glorious and exciting beginning with all the miraculous healings and the subsequent supernatural phenomenon which gave it the necessary confirmation and validation in the early beginning. There was an “Apocalyptic” fervor and expectation of a cataclysmic final battle between good and evil, culmination in the end of the world and a resurrection of those who died to stand before the great God and Judge of Heaven and Earth, to receive the reward of damnation or everlasting life. This belief was bolstered by persecutions and the martyrdom of many saints as well as those who were eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ and Savior when he walked and taught among those in the region of the Sea of Galilee. The preaching of the gospel and a resurrected Jewish rabbi put to death by Pontius Pilate but believed to be the Son of God spread not only throughout Judea, but as far as Turkey, Italy, the Balkans, Yugoslavia, Northern Africa, the Adriatic Seacoast and the Mediterranean.
Like any great religious or social movement, there has to be a continuity plan in place for such an event to continue its momentum and not run out of steam; becoming nothing more than a footnote in history and a momentary distraction from the real problems people might have been facing at that time. The Apostle Paul mentions James, Cephas, and John as ‘pillars’ of the Church (Galatians 1: 9), but his importance to what we know as Christianity cannot be overstated and is of enormous value because much of what is known and taught doctrinally is largely based upon his letters in the New Testament. Over the span of Paul’s [Saul of Tarsus] life, some interesting changes had taken place. At first, he had an almost irrational zeal bordering on insanity (Acts 26: 9-11; Galatians 1: 13) to destroy it but became instead one of its greatest defenders.
Paul becomes acquainted with Barnabas after arriving in Jerusalem from Damascus, after his conversion to the faith (Acts 9: 22-31). Paul and Barnabas work together until they have a serious blowup over taking John Mark with them on the “SECOND EUROPEAN MISSION”; who was coincidentally, Barnabas’ cousin (Cp. Colossians 4: 10). From this point the Biblical record does not mention anything more about Barnabas and Paul having any more contact with each other; nor is there anything more about Barnabas other than he parted from Paul and set sail to Cyprus with John Mark (Acts 15: 40).
Next, he teams up with Silas next (Acts 15: 40) and they work together for several years, and Silas and Timothy came down to Paul in Ephesus (“ASIA”) from MACEDONIA (“Thessalonica”) as recorded in Acts 18: 5-11. The last time any correspondence from Paul that mentions Silas is in II Corinthians 1: 19; which means, that Silas and Timothy must have joined Paul in Corinth after the work in Ephesus. Interestingly, Silas (“Silvanus”) shows up again, but this time he is associated with the Apostle Peter who assists in the writing of this letter (I Peter 5: 12). The dating between the Corinthian letter and the epistle of Peter is around ten years, so it is curious why Silas is spending time with the Apostle Peter instead of continuing to accompany Paul; although Paul it seems, didn’t suffer from a lack of having a supply of people to choose from to help him in the ministry.
As the years roll on, the mortality of its pillars become a reality, as with the Apostle Paul (II Timothy 4: 6; Philemon 9), and the Apostle Peter (II Peter 1: 14), and with some departing from the ‘faith,’ how would the Church be guided in the future, and by whom? There aren’t any Scriptural records of the activities of the Church in Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Syria beyond the little information presented in the book of ACTS in those early years, and with the death of the Apostles and prophets of that generation, the Church might have reverted wholly back to orthodox Judaism or some other religion altogether. The same might be said about a few of the congregations started by the Apostle Paul, but there is some indication that a few individuals might have carried on the work; namely, Timothy, Aristarchus, Tychicus, and Titus. Timothy and Titus were addressed to in letters called ‘Pastoral Epistles,’ which seem to indicate that Paul expected them to exercise some kind of ecclesiastical authority among the believers as they went to correct false teaching or ordain church leaders. Tychicus must have been someone of importance because he was mentioned quite often as well as Aristarchus.
Perhaps what is not so readily apparent is that all of the aforementioned individuals are Greeks, and the unforeseen consequences is
Like any great religious or social movement, there has to be a continuity plan in place for such an event to continue its momentum and not run out of steam; becoming nothing more than a footnote in history and a momentary distraction from the real problems people might have been facing at that time. The Apostle Paul mentions James, Cephas, and John as ‘pillars’ of the Church (Galatians 1: 9), but his importance to what we know as Christianity cannot be overstated and is of enormous value because much of what is known and taught doctrinally is largely based upon his letters in the New Testament. Over the span of Paul’s [Saul of Tarsus] life, some interesting changes had taken place. At first, he had an almost irrational zeal bordering on insanity (Acts 26: 9-11; Galatians 1: 13) to destroy it but became instead one of its greatest defenders.
Paul becomes acquainted with Barnabas after arriving in Jerusalem from Damascus, after his conversion to the faith (Acts 9: 22-31). Paul and Barnabas work together until they have a serious blowup over taking John Mark with them on the “SECOND EUROPEAN MISSION”; who was coincidentally, Barnabas’ cousin (Cp. Colossians 4: 10). From this point the Biblical record does not mention anything more about Barnabas and Paul having any more contact with each other; nor is there anything more about Barnabas other than he parted from Paul and set sail to Cyprus with John Mark (Acts 15: 40).
Next, he teams up with Silas next (Acts 15: 40) and they work together for several years, and Silas and Timothy came down to Paul in Ephesus (“ASIA”) from MACEDONIA (“Thessalonica”) as recorded in Acts 18: 5-11. The last time any correspondence from Paul that mentions Silas is in II Corinthians 1: 19; which means, that Silas and Timothy must have joined Paul in Corinth after the work in Ephesus. Interestingly, Silas (“Silvanus”) shows up again, but this time he is associated with the Apostle Peter who assists in the writing of this letter (I Peter 5: 12). The dating between the Corinthian letter and the epistle of Peter is around ten years, so it is curious why Silas is spending time with the Apostle Peter instead of continuing to accompany Paul; although Paul it seems, didn’t suffer from a lack of having a supply of people to choose from to help him in the ministry.
As the years roll on, the mortality of its pillars become a reality, as with the Apostle Paul (II Timothy 4: 6; Philemon 9), and the Apostle Peter (II Peter 1: 14), and with some departing from the ‘faith,’ how would the Church be guided in the future, and by whom? There aren’t any Scriptural records of the activities of the Church in Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Syria beyond the little information presented in the book of ACTS in those early years, and with the death of the Apostles and prophets of that generation, the Church might have reverted wholly back to orthodox Judaism or some other religion altogether. The same might be said about a few of the congregations started by the Apostle Paul, but there is some indication that a few individuals might have carried on the work; namely, Timothy, Aristarchus, Tychicus, and Titus. Timothy and Titus were addressed to in letters called ‘Pastoral Epistles,’ which seem to indicate that Paul expected them to exercise some kind of ecclesiastical authority among the believers as they went to correct false teaching or ordain church leaders. Tychicus must have been someone of importance because he was mentioned quite often as well as Aristarchus.
Perhaps what is not so readily apparent is that all of the aforementioned individuals are Greeks, and the unforeseen consequences is