Bleep, Bleep, Blepo
Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 2 John 8 NASB
Watch yourselves – Are you paying attention? That’s what the Greek term blepo means here. We are to carefully guard, to look diligently at ourselves. But notice what John has in mind. He is not talking about your devotional life or your moral behavior. He is talking about your thoughts. John’s immediate concern is about denying Yeshua is really human. That isn’t about living according to a Torah commandment or about praying in the Spirit. It’s about theology. We are to pay attention to our theological stance too. It’s not enough to just follow along with the teaching of someone else. You must check it out! You are responsible for what you believe and that responsibility doesn’t diminish just because you took your theology from someone else.
Once the rabbis had discussion about what was more important: action or study. “In a frequently cited passage from the Babylonian Talmud (Kiddushin 40b), Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon debate this very question: ‘Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper story of Nithza’s house, in Lod, when this question was posed to them: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon answered, saying: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered, saying: Study is greater. All the rest agreed with Akiva that study is greater than action because it leads to action.’”[1] But it is not greater by itself. All Hebraic thought is the combination of study and action. Study without consequent demonstration is pointless.
John is simply stating what every rabbi knew. Take every thought captive and then live accordingly (sound familiar?). The process is self-examination. This is why keeping an open mind about your own beliefs is essential until the beliefs become truly yours. In our Greek educational system, we are encouraged from an early age to repeat what the teacher tells us, but when we do, the answers are not truly ours. Hebrew education points us in another direction. Make the answers your own by doing the examination and study yourself – and then drive them home in your own life by living what you learn. Perhaps this is why discipleship is a life-long exercise.
I am often confronted by people who accept doctrines without doing their own homework. Our previous discussion of “sinful nature” is a good example. We uncritically accept what the church has taught us (both laity and clergy). We merely echo the assumed authority of the church. We might be Protesters but we never moved far away. When I help people see how much of their thinking rests on Greek concepts, they sometimes become unnerved. All those years believing something I never really understood. The time has come to change that. Bleep, bleep, blepo. Look and see where you really stand.
Topical Index: blepo, to see, to examine, 2 John 8
[1] http://ajws.org/who_we_are/news/archives/viewpoints/learning_and_doing_the.html
Very Good!
“Just because you have been taught something all your life and believe it to be true, does not make it true”
“Study to show yourself approved”
Jim
Until a few years ago, I was a faithful attender in Southern Baptist churches. Right up until the members revolted against a power hungry pastor and split right down the middle. I had already begun to delve in to an attempt to study the Hebraic roots of the faith I’d given my life to for so many years. I was fascinated.
Trying to understand the roots of my christian faith was actually very uprooting in itself. I went through times of frustration, anger, devastation, confusion, and even moments of unbelief. However, pressing on, it all turned to relief, restoration and rest. (Sorry, didn’t mean to make an alliterated sermon there, it just came out that way!)
So many things began to fall in place as I began to understand things. Piece by piece nestled together to form a more beautiful and cohesive image in my mind, heart and life. Convoluted things began to disappear and simple, plain and manageable truths started forming. Life really was different right there in the same places I had been living.
Jesus became Yeshua. Not forced. Not badgered. Not artificially. Just naturally and smoothly. Yeshua morphed in to a Jewish sage who clarified truths from the established instructions of how to live based on the tree of life, Torah.
“Church” became a word stripped of it’s innate foundations. It started materializing as ekklesia in the shape and form of qehelah modeled by the ‘church’ that initially began at the foot of Mt. Sinai. “Church” became less about gathering socially on the first day of the week, singing from an approved playlist of songs while standing/sitting in unison, and listening to a pastor protected in a ecclesiastical bubble on an elevated stage. I had so many questions, but I couldn’t raise my hand.
I wasn’t rebelling in any classical sense. I was simply stepping out of stale, lifeless air and in to the open. I breathed more fully, more refreshingly. Traditional burdens fell away. I was lighter. I stood up straighter and I began to walk more purposefully. It has been invigorating.
Those monotone, musical, baroque and more often than not, lifeless repetitive sermons have been replaced with focused, meticulous, and rich Torah study that includes the Tanakh, the Brit Chadashah, along with a myriad of online classes, teachings, blogs and friends sharing the fruits of their studies. All these sources offer varied yet unified reflections on understandings that clarify all those instructions for life given by HaShem. Admittedly, it is a difficult, challenging and awesome task to sit before his words endeavoring to decipher their true, full and rich meaning. Sometimes I go for a long time before even beginning to understand something I’ve been looking intently in to. Then, it seems out of no where, something clicks. Yep, the beginning of an answer surfaces. Very often other sources, like Skip’s TW’s and others, meld in to my studies and coincidentally (wink, wink) address and supply a significant puzzle piece of understanding to the very subject I’m focused on.
During those initial years of my initial searching in to the Hebraic roots of my faith, my father entered in to the stage of life where he became essentially totally dependent on someone else. That someone else was me. He quickly and steadily progressed, or, rather regressed, to his present bed-bound state. All bodily functions are managed by me. I do have Hospice help, however. (What a true blessing!) Something inside me has always reacted to this situation with the though that a child shouldn’t have to do things like this regarding his own father. [No, changing your adult father’s diaper IS NOT the same as him changing your diaper as a child! I also change my grandson’s diaper and changed my children’s diapers. It is NOT the same! Anyway, those daily difficult assignments aside, the whole arrangement has pretty much kept me home-bound, tied to the daily superintendence of my father’s whole life.
This home-bound life has resulted in me sitting in my personal and ever growing library and in front of my computer with a seemingly endless source of information for me to observe, digest and decipher. I feel like I’m in training for something. Life, of course, but also something else. Not sure what it is yet. Could be nothing more than the privilege of growing closer and deeper to Yeshua via study, contemplation and living day to day in my little world.
Sorry to be so long, but, in truth, this is only what’s at the front door welcoming mat. I’ve said all that to say it’s been a process to come out of a spoon fed, bleating sheep syndrome of so many years. I’m out of the deceptively controlling clutches of the small box living churches I’ve hung around for so many years. None of them ever taught me how to think for myself or even that I should think for myself. They basically just said, “Walk down this aisle and believe what’s in this Sunday School pamphlet. And come back next Sunday.” Sad, but true. Don’t misunderstand, there were many, many good people in there that I love. But, in fact, it was a small box. Don’t step outside of it or else. Read only vetted books, those approved by those who “know.” Don’t question stuff, but, if you have to, suffice with a one sentence answer and get back in the box.
I’ve stretched since stepping out of that box. It feels good to stretch. Very invigorating. Very energizing.
Heretical just isn’t so sometimes. Life is heretical to death. I like being heretical in this way. I’m just glad stepping away from the traditional establishment doesn’t merit the death sentence as it has in times past. The death sentence is still in effect, it just has different applications and implementations these days. I’ve experienced them in various ways. It’s cool, though. Outside that box has proven life giving. I’ll take it.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. My life’s journey is not so different from yours and I can identify with many things you touch on. You don’t by chance live somewhere in Ohio do you? 🙂
It is an amazing thing as Y-H begins to open your eyes and ears to the real truth of Him. At the same time what a let down (to keep it simple) it is to find out how many utter lies have been perpetrated on the “church” over the years and how willing folks have become to allow others to do their thinking for them. So much has become tradition of men rather than Torah.
Oh the angst it causes when one dares to step out of and move away from that dreaded box!! I have a pretty serious dislike for the worlds systems.
I have been blessed by many good teachings and various sites as well. There is a small group of like minded individuals that my husband and I meet with weekly. It’s funny though how prone we are to doing the familiar stuff that we all were raised with at “church when we do meet. There is much to remove from our heads and relearn as Y-H teaches us.
The real church, body of Christ is quite different than anything I have EVER been taught. I like very much what I am learning.
It is freeing and life giving. I’ll take it too.
Thanks for the response Dawn. It’s encouraging to hear from others on the front lines also, so to speak.
In the beginning days of my Hebrew foundations studies I was participating in a home study of sorts. It’s format was simply taking whats at church and bring it to a house. We read books (only those ‘approved and vetted’), we listened to sermons on DVD, we watched inspirational videos, etc. And once a month or so, we all brought covered dishes and broke bread together. Typical SBC stuff.
My wife and I are both 58. All 15-20 other regular attenders except one or two were 5-10 years older than us.
One night as we were listening to the regular typical doctrinal pre-packaged in a notebook teachings, I was ‘inspired’ to add some spice – to rattle some cages – to stop all the yawning and heavy eyelids from drooping.
So, I asked if I could broach a topic. They said sure. I then positioned myself in the middle of the living room and sat on the floor at the coffee table in front of the couch.
I took my NASB soft leather bound Bible and asked everybody what it was? They said the Bible, of course. I asked if it was inspired. “By God,” was the obvious answer. I asked, “Are you sure?” They answered, “Of course!” (Almost indignantly.) I asked if it was all inspired, every thing in it. They answered, “Absolutely.”
Well, the next handful of questions I asked initiated the fireworks. I never stated anything emphatically, just ask straight questions, that’s all.
Here are the questions I asked:
I turned to the title page and asked, “Is this inspired?”
I turned to the index page and asked, “Is this inspired?”
I turned to the introduction page, the contributors page, the features page, the preface page, the theological notes page, the maps/charts index page, the Intro/Author-Date/Unity/Theme pages
and asked after each page, “Is this inspired?”
I pointed to the number “6” at the second chapter of Genesis and asked, “Is this number inspired?”
I pointed to the short verse commentaries at the bottom of every page and asked, “Is this inspired?”
Forget about going to Disney World to see fireworks. There were plenty after my set of simple questions.
Now these weren’t new and fragile converts just arriving from a professing walk down an aisle. These were individuals well seasoned in their faith and well attentive in their church going disciplines. I’m talking frequenting the doors of churches for decades. All ‘seasoned’ believers, and leaders in the church.
My, my. The rancor and uproar that that ensued from simply asking these plain questions. It was as if some mortal enemy straight from the palaces of Zeus had invaded this little bible study! How dare I question the inspiration of the holy bible! How dare I question the veracity of it’s contents! Who was I to attempt to diminish the wholesomeness of the printed bible? Never mind the issue being addressed, cease and desist the attack on the cherished bible!
Long story short, one of the learned and trusted members of the group stepped in and calmed everybody down. I understand I assumed a devils advocate roll in the situation, however, I was aghast at the childish, insecure, and take-up-arms response that was displayed. I would never attempt to do that in a group of new believers. But this was a seasoned and supposedly mature group of church leaders! It didn’t take long to end the ‘discussion’ since we didn’t want to cause any argumentative feelings. So, we ended the formal discussion and proceeded to the kitchen to indulge in the snacks.
The one or two that knew and understood what I was doing kind of set an easing, light conversation to cool down the heat of the fireworks. The wife of the ‘leader’ of the group was the most indignant. She was polite outwardly, but it was simple to see the aggrieved tone in her face. After that time, my wife and I were treated with a sort of distanced response. Polite but terse. Friendly, but cautious. Strange experience.
We lasted a few more weeks after that. Nobody wanted to talk about or address the issue directly.
Good grief.
Simple little concepts blown to smithereens.
Michael C, Our inspired Bible does say, “let all things be done decently and in order.”
Do you live in a house or apartment and do you have a postal address? Is this address inspired? I doubt it, but at least someone can find where you live if you want them to. Do you have a phone number? Is it inspired? Maybe not, but at least someone may dial your number and reach you if you want them to.
Yes, the Bible is “orderly.” If I were to say “somewhere in God’s word it says..” – well “good luck to you trying to find the source- it’s it there somewhere!
In answer to your questions, the answer is an unequivocal “No!” All these things were added at a later date for our convenience and benefit.
Which is practical? Somewhere in the word of God it says? Or open your Bible, please, to John 3.16? Read any good books lately? Was the book divided into chapters? Why?
I’m not sure I understand your point?
Carl,
I was thinking about your statement that all “All these things were added at a later date for our convenience and benefit.” Yes, I’m familiar with that, but, I was wondering if those things have, in fact, proved beneficial and convenient for us in a good way? Just thinking and pondering here.
Way back, when they read the Tanakh on scrolls it’s said of many of the sages who were very well versed in the Torah could have someone roll up the entire Torah up as the scrolls were stored, have someone lay it down-rolled up-and plunge a knife in to it going through entire scroll. The learned sages were said to know their scrolled Torah so well that they could cite, while the scroll was still rolled up, every word and sentence that the knife pierced, again without even unrolling it. I’m not sure it’s true or not, however, how did they arrive at that reported ability without chapter numbers, verse numbers, etc? They would have had to know the Torah scroll very well, indeed, to accomplish such a feat.
I desire that learned skill. A skill that requires for me to immerse myself in Torah study so deeply that I didn’t need the convenience and benefit of paragraphs, chapters, verse numbers, etc. Apparently, most all the sages and a great number of Torah students knew their Torah so well that they could quote the whole thing from memory. So, I wonder if those convenient chapters, verses and numbers has somehow hindered us rather than actually helped us.
I wish I would have started when I was five or six years of age memorizing Torah. It certainly would have been a LOT simpler than beginning in my fifties when I’m losing memory by the seconds and minutes every day! I also ache that I didn’t begin learning Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and a host of other languages when I was five or six. I have a bit of Greek learning from some seminary studies and I’m attempting an online Hebrew class presently. Man, those bits of language learning are hard to put in to my memory banks these days. I have to sacrifice some hard blood, sweat and tears just to remember some conjugations. I used to be able to spend a couple dozen minutes and remember things. Today, I can spend several hours trying to plant stuff in my brain and not be assured with any confidence I will remember it when I wake up the next morning! It’s hard. It’s difficult for me. However, the few and tiny steps I’ve taken have certainly been worth the nuggets and jewels they’ve provided. Invaluable.
Inspired? No, I’m not inspired by deliberate ignorance and lazy thinkers. I used to be one and I was never really right, as we say here in the south, as I look back. I’m no where near “there” yet, as I’ve struggled to un-think much and lay new foundations of new stuff. That whole practice of keeping in the box and coloring in the lines takes up too much space and too much air. It’s difficult to breath and live in that environment.
I’m out now. At first I just wanted to know. Now I’ve progressed to knowing in order to do. I haven’t done enough doing. Most of my life has been wasted knowing stuff that didn’t amount to a hill of dried up beans stripped of their kernels. I think that’s why I’m confined right now to a home-bound situation caring for my father. For a long time I detested having to do what I have to do. My bed-bound father, in as pleasant a demeanor as I can describe, being a type-A individual, always in control of EVERY little thing his whole life, did not transition to his present condition of being cared for completely by someone else easily at all. His demands have, in the past, been, well, DEMANDING and unpleasant.
I think HaShem handpicked me for this situation to wring out my selfish desires by simply being in a situation with no exit in order for me to simply learn to do. I do what needs to be done. Sometimes I simply tolerate it. Sometimes it’s ok. Sometimes I despise it (like the times I have to get up every hour and a half through the night to tend to something he calls out for.) I have come to some times that I allow myself to enjoy, even though it may be changing a soiled diaper. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what I think or feel or want. I just do it. Don’t want to, but I just do it. Time and time and time again. Blah. I’m exhausted. So what. Just do it. Unfortunately, it’s taken me until my fifties to learn this simple concept. Pitiful.
I’m doing more now. I say amen. I was tired of going to ‘worship’ singing, shaking hands, smiling, hugging, then going home to emptiness. I’m doing now and it’s great. I’m at peace for ever how long HaShem keeps my father’s body alive. My father is miserable and ready to go. But here he is. And here I am. Doing. For him. I have to admit that is is very, very tough most of the time. Inconvenience and benefit are scarce. But . . . I think I’m better from the lack of my normal convenience and personal benefit somehow.
It’s good. It’s inspiring to me to witness HaShem change my mind and heart and my doings. I certainly know I couldn’t have made it here without him.
Maybe the addition of chapters and verses is to accommodate a certain mental laziness AND to subtly steer us to think of artificial divisions in the text as if they were inspired. You can be quite sure that for most of biblical history, such aids were NOT available and people still found what they were looking for – quite easily, I might add.
“Maybe the addition of chapters and verses is to accommodate a certain mental laziness AND to subtly steer us to think of artificial divisions in the text as if they were inspired. You can be quite sure that for most of biblical history, such aids were NOT available and people still found what they were looking for – quite easily, I might add.”
Skip, I think I’ve been the victim of this many times. Unfortunately, I never questioned any of it and just figured it really wasn’t that important as nobody of stature in my circles ever really addressed this issue significantly. It was more like, just ‘love the Lord’ as it’ll all come out in the wash in the end. Jesus is coming soon, it’ll all be fixed one day. Move on, nothing to see here. Don’t stir things up. So, I didn’t. The fog about me skull continued and moved with me everywhere I went.
I understand the concepts of loving the Lord (more, that is, as I grow), the parousia, Yeshua in control and being supreme. I still had questions though. That no one was really interested in answering beyond a doctrinal sentence from the introduction to a “Baptist Faith and Mission” pamphlet. Frustrating.
Ironically, the more questions I’ve begun to ask have, themselves, begotten even more questions. It would seem that would produce more confusion. On the contrary, the fog bank about my head has begun dissipating steadily, even if slowly. Much thanks to considering your insights and offerings and many of the response from your blog audience. Again, thanks to you and all them thar (a bad southernism) peoples.
Michael C, now we do know you much better, and in a good light! 🙂
Appreciate all that you are sharing here, may I say YOU are inspiring! Very inspiring!
Brought to mind, some years back, when my father-in-law was hospitalized, and we were visiting him, he said to me, if I could bring him the pan to help him ease himself. I could not do it, being a woman, and his daughter-in-law, I felt that would be SO disrespectful! I guessed he had no choice at that moment, and he trusted me, being his favourite person.
Fortunately, there was a friend who came with us, I asked if he could do that, and he obliged! Whew! You are in a very difficult situation, and it is NOT the same as changing your kids’ diapers!
“Jesus became Yeshua. Not forced. Not badgered. Not artificially. Just naturally and smoothly. Yeshua morphed in to a Jewish sage who clarified truths from the established instructions of how to live based on the tree of life, Torah.”
Same here for me. HalleluYAH! What a blessing, having no struggle with this issue.
Many Torah congregations here, like you said, simply bring ‘church’ ways into home groups, no paradigm changes in mindsets, sadly, but going through the motions of ‘keeping Sabbaths’ and ‘Torah’ but have no hunger to hear, to learn from one another, especially from one who is in Hebraic perspectives.
Appreciate the challenge you gave them , yet they had no understanding where you are leading them.
I would say you are doing well! 🙂 Shalom, brother.
Thanks, Ester.
By the way, no, not in Ohio. We live in Columbus, GA.
I’ve looked for similar groups but haven’t found any in this area. Yet.
Still trusting to run across some like minded people. It’ll happen eventually, I believe.
Skip, Mother Teresa came to the same realization, “It’s not enough to just follow along with the teaching of someone else. You must check it out! You are responsible for what you believe and that responsibility doesn’t diminish just because you took your theology from someone else.”
She had the same idea, expressing it in other words, “You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.”
Of this we may all “rest assured,” “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge *in Him*” (Proverbs 30.5)
These words are an affirmation of 2 Samuel 22:31: “As for God, His way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge *in Him.*
And as for our thoughts the word of the LORD instructs ~ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” ~ (Isaiah 55.8)
Where may we find our authority for life and for living? “Everlasting life and life to the full and overflowing?” -both quantity and quality! When our Bible, the word of God says “blessed is the man”- who is this man? Does this refer to one individual in particular?- or to “whosoever will?”
When our LORD (Himself the Living Word of God) stated ~ Far more blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it! ~ (Luke 11.28), immediately I recall “those” individuals who hear the word of God and obey it. Those who, as the half-brother of our LORD Jesus has said, are not only hearers of the word, but doers also. ~ But be a doer of the word and not only a hearer,- do not deceive yourselves ~ (James 1.22)
This same theme is repeatedly repeated throughout the scriptures, even as the ancient “shema” of Israel testifies to all- “Shema,” O Israel.. (Deuteronomy 6.4). Today, this very day “if only” we would add one word to our limited vocabulary, this one word “shema” would be my choice. It is a combo word,- one with a dual, yet single meaning. It might read Hear-Obey O Israel for shema a two-for-one word, both hear AND obey.
The mother of our dear Savior also knew “the right thing to do” as she exhorted the servants at the Canaan wedding, “whatever He says unto you- do it!” The servants obeyed our LORD and the result of this obedience (what is always the result of obedience?) was what they witnessed with their own eyes, behind the scenes,- they are the ones who witnessed the water become wine.
If we are to imitate Christ, and to be followers of God as dear children, then we too, in order to live and love like the most obedient human being ever, we must hear what God has said and then live accordingly. Faith is our right-response to what God says, and the only right response when our LORD, the resurrected, Living Word of God speaks is “Yes, LORD.”
It is impossible to say “No, LORD..” for if we do, then He is not our truly our Master and Commander.
To obey HIm is to our greatest benefit and to disobey is our greatest loss. Our eager answer should be no less than King Davids, “I delight to (hear and to) do your will, O my God..” (Psalm 40.8) Samuel and Solomon both knew it.. “Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.” (Proverbs 30.5)
And this is what I know.. (are you still listening?) The quality of our ‘hearing’ will determine the quality of our lives. Don’t be one of those who might say, “if only I would have listened..”
~ I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints..~ (Psalm 85.8)
“all things prove, that which is good hold fast.” (1Thess 5:21) Young’s Literal Bible
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, EXAMINING THE SCRIPTURES DAILY to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) RSV emphasis mine
It is incumbent upon everyone who calls themselves a bond slave of Yahshua Messiah to prove to themselves from the Word all their key beliefs. Here are a few good questions to start with:
Does the Word teach that –
Believers go to heaven when they die?
The unrepentant fry in agony in “hell fire for time without end?
Torah was “done away”….nailed to the Cross?
Shabbat was changed to Sunday?
The Levitical Festivals ended with the destruction of the Temple?
There is only one resurrection of the dead?
The Levitical food laws no longer apply?
And on and on
Every believer needs to take the time to research and discover if “these things are so”.
Today, we are without excuse for being casual in our beliefs! The internet is a research tool beyond the wildest dreams of previous generations. The pros and cons of most all theological arguments are available up there for free.
So, what is the problem. Why are more people not like those Jews Paul found at Beroea, the ones who “examined the Tanakh daily” to see if what Paul was teaching was out of line or inconsistent?
The problem is most of us are spiritually lazy and physically and spiritually tired. We do not have the zeal for the Word that Yahshua showed He is looking for in His message to the 7 churches of Revelation. Most of us are not as HOT as He wants us to be.
On a fundamental level, most of us are not simply opening up our Bibles enough and reading. As I look at what I observe in the Muslim communities, I cannot help but be jealous of their zeal for their Koran. For millions of them, even many of very modest education, they take the time and effort to study Arabic and memorize large sections of their scripture. What has happened to Christianity?
Our history is partly to blame. As the primitive church slipped more and more into apostasy in the early centuries, the priests and bishops quickly learned that knowledge is power and by posturing themselves as experts on the things of God and by keeping the “sheeple” in a casual state of ignorance of the Scriptures they kept them under control.
Of course, with the invention of printing and the publication of the Word in many languages, the churchmen freaked out as they saw much of their power taken away. However many of the Reformers liked “lording it over the sheeple” too and even though there are records of many fine revivals between the Reformation and our time, it really was not God’s time for His Spirit to go forth in a big way.
It seems to me that that time is NOW before the second coming of Messiah! This is why teachers like Skip are coming out of the woodwork. Its so exciting! The old powerful Catholic monolith is being weakened before our eyes to the point where a pope resigns. Many Protestant groups are now readily embracing homosexuality even in their ministry! They have blatantly rejected Torah.
Just before His death, Yahshua told the leaders of the Jews:
“Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.” (Matt 21:43)
The fruit that Yahshua was looking for from the Jews was RIGHTEOUSNESS and sadly he did not find enough of it among the leaders. The first fruits are called out (Rev 20:4) from being among these Torah rejecting groups, massive in size that they may still be. A shift is taking place. Going forward, more and more people will be stepping our of “Babylon” and asking questions and questions seeking truth and salvation. The apostle Peter gave us a mandate to be ready to give those people answers with his sage advice:
“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet di it with gentleness and reverence.” (1Peter 3:15)
Amein, John!
We can glean from many sound Hebraic teachers from various websites, but these word studies from Skip are enriching, and the blog here bring forth thoughts of readers which can add to our learning process.
“The process is self-examination.”
Or meditation, to seek in the Ruach what ABBA is saying, or revealing to us; if we are stuck in a rut, (Hebric-ly that is good, as going in circles until we learn what to do) in the bad sense-to remain in our comfort zones and unwilling to budge, to unlearn from errors, from translations, interpretations, etc.
Self learning is so very encouraging and inspiring, with online tools like http://www.blueletterbible.org, type in the verse, and click on C for concordance in Hebrew and Greek. Shalom!
~ Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah ~
(Acts 5.42)
There are many (in this day in which we live) that find the very Name “Jesus” to be offensive. Yes, I familiar with the transition of this Name from the original Hebrew to Greek, and I also know the O.T. was written in Hebrew and the N.T. in Greek.
Houston, we have a situation. We have “those” Christians who want to “throw away” the O.T., because “they” say it no longer applies, A N D.. we have those “zealous” Messianic believers, (clinging to the Torah?) who now want to say it is the Greeks (Gentiles) who are the identifiable enemy.
Friends,- “all have sinned..” (yes, this includes… “all”).
A house divided against itself will not stand, – where the “unity” between Greek and Jew, or is there any possible unity or reconciliation between the two?
Yes.
~ For Christ (Himself) has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, (the tslav- the execution stake) He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us! (Ephesians 2.14)
Hallelujah (Praise to the God whose Name is Y-H!) for the cross!
When Christ, (Savior of the nations, y’all) was crucified, there can be no denial- the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (May I repeat this 500 times?)
You may cling all you wish to the “Torah” -and there is nothing (at all) wrong with this. But I would add one more item to Torah, and that one more item would be the worship of the One True God, the Author of the Torah, Yeshua HaMashiach- Himself. The long-promised Messiah has come.
Tis’ a pity we do not (all-both Jew and Gentile) kneel together before the tslav of the Chosen One. Listen to my words, for this is my confession before Y-H and this entire ‘online’ assembly- Jesus Christ is LORD of all!!
Is He LORD (he inquired) of the Jew? A) Yes? B) No?
(and)
Is He LORD (he inquired) of the Gentile? A) Yes? B) No?
Is Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, both LORD and Christ? A) Yes? B) No?
Was Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, a wise Jewish sage, or was He (is He) God in human flesh?
If Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, the One born of a virgin, was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of Israel only, (oops) – the sins of the world, then why is He rejected by so many?
The following account is recorded in Acts chapter 4. (I could say- “it is written” somewhere in the Bible, but for the convenience of all, and for those who have not yet memorized the entire Bible, I will provide book and chapter so that you too, may easily find it.)
Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what Name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is:
“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this Name.”
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to (the Jew only?) by which we must be saved.”
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to (the Gentiles only?) by which we must be saved.”
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to (both the Jew and the Gentile- the entire human race ) by which we must be saved.”
~ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek ~ (Romans 1.16)
The gospel? What is “the gospel?” Could someone explain? Who has heard (and believed?) Is there “good news” to share?
What (he inquired) is the power of God for salvation/deliverance to everyone who believes?
Is salvation for the Jew only? or for the Gentile only? or is it the power of God for salvation to “everyone who believes?” Who does “everyone” include? Who then, is “excluded?”
Does our Bible say “to the Jew first A N D also to the Gentile?
WoW! – I thought so.
And when our LORD said “whosoever,” He included me!
Yes, ~ He came unto His own and His own received Him not (How shall we escape if we neglect “So great salvation?”) but … as many as received Him, to them (to the ones who received Him) to them He gave the (right, the privilege) authority to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His Name ~ (this may be located and studied in John 1.12)
~ for God so loved the Jew (only?)
~ for God so loved the Gentile (only?)
~ for God so loved the world, (all who ever breathed) – “both” the Jew and the Gentile.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His Name will be called…
When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When you begin the day, O never fail to say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
And at your work rejoice, to sing with heart and voice,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Whene’er the sweet church bell peals over hill and dell,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
O hark to what it sings, as joyously it rings,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
My tongue shall never tire of chanting with the choir,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy, it never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Does sadness fill my mind? A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss? My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
To God, the Word, on high, the host of angels cry,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let mortals, too, upraise their voice in hymns of praise,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this at meals your grace, in every time and place;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, when day is past, of all your thoughts the last
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When mirth for music longs, this is my song of songs:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall, this rings my curfew call,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When sleep her balm denies, my silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evil thoughts molest, with this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The night becomes as day when from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
No lovelier antiphon in all high Heav’n is known
Than, Jesus Christ be praised!
There to the Eternal Word the eternal psalm is heard:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heaven’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing, suns and stars of space, sing, ye that see His face,
Sing, Jesus Christ be praised!
God’s whole creation o’er, for aye and evermore
Shall Jesus Christ be praised!
In Heav’n’s eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea and sky from depth to height reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Sing this eternal song through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
~ May the Name of the LORD be praised ~ (Job 1:21)
Thank you for sharing Andrew and Renee’s website, I am hooked. Their journey is both fascinating and well spoken. I feel as if I am right there with them.
Also, were you aware of a mutual friend of ours form Maryville MO, undergoing yests and treatment for cancer?
Carl,
1- It seems that you and I should start inserting chapter and verse numbers in our expansive missives for easier reference
2- by others.
3- Of course, that presupposes
4- a big assumption that others actually want to read what we
5- say. LOL
vs. 5 – “say. LOL”
Commentary [circa. 2763 C.E.] – apparently an early 21st century idiom form indicating a softened suggestion padding the strong emphasis in efforts to befriend others that appear at odds with another. LOL was used often, even ad nauseam in almost every written or symbolic method of communications, including the now ancient digital methods that eventually gave way to our present highly developed codification of facial expressions coupled and synchronized with empathic energy impulses projected mentally from soul to soul. “say. LOL” – a stand alone phrase, obviously based on sentence structure, sometimes isolated, sometimes in conjunction with other precise statements.
LOL – used in it’s current meaning that I am in ‘entertain myself’ mode, chuckling at my own silly mode.
I haven’t had breakfast yet. Stayed up late last night and didn’t sleep much, unfortunately.