Pope Benedict XVI and the Anglicans, Comment Two

      Pope Benedict XVI’s recent invitation to disaffected Anglicans to join in union with the Roman Catholic Church has been criticized as “fishing.”  Of course it is.  The Church (the ekklhsia, not just the Roman Catholic Church) should always seek to include those who wish to remain loyal to the truth while others drift away.

     The invitation by the pope is nothing new.  Anglicans would be able to establish communion with Rome while retaining their own traditions.  The one absolute requirement would be recognition of the primacy of the pope. 

     Other churches, such as the Maronites, have done it.  They do not consider themselves to be Roman Catholic (in many ways they more resemble Eastern Orthodoxy) but they accept the pope as the head of the church. 

Another Light Bulb Joke

How many Pentecostals does it take to change a light bulb?

Three.  One to cast out the spirit of darkness, a second to change the bulb, and a third to catch the old bulb when it falls.

Pope Benedict XVI and the Anglicans

     Pope Benedict XVI has announced that Anglicans who wish to leave their troubled church may unite with the Roman Catholic Church while retaining their own traditions such as married priests.  Critics of the invitation say that it is predatory, seeking to exploit the divisions in the Anglican/Episcopal union over same-sex marriages and and the ordination of women and sexually active gays.  Well, of course it is.

     The critics say that moves such as this endanger ecumenical talks between Catholics and Anglicans.  What really is endangering the talks are the seemingly relentless efforts of liberals within the Anglican communion to veer away from "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3)

Christian Children's Book Review

http://ccbreview.blogspot.com/# is an excellent site titled the Christian Children's Book Review.  Six Christian mothers/book reviewers give detailed comments on current children's books, telling you what is good and what is questionable about the books they read.  They have a page to explain the criteria they use and actively solicit suggestions for books to be reviewed.

Full Use of This Blog

     In order to experience full use of all the features of this daily blog, you may wish to check out the following:

     BLOG ARCHIVE: On the right hand side of the blog prior articles are listed by title and dates.

     OLDER POSTS: Posts from prior days.  This "button" is at the bottom right of each page.  Click it to go to the post for the previous day.

     BLOG AND WEBSITE LINKS I CHECK REGULARLY: If you click on these links you will be taken directly to these sites.  Use the back button to return to my blog.

     VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE: A little bit of information about me.

     WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST: Daily quotes from jesus.

     LABELS: This list at the end of each page shows subjects mentioned in the daily posts.  Clicking on a key word will show you any posts which mention the subject.

  

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Michelle Malalang Malkin: (b. 1970, Pennsylvania) Roman Catholic.  Author, syndicated columnist, television news commentator, blogger.

Mark Steven Fidrych: (b. 1974, Massachusetts – d. 2009) aka: “The Bird.” Professional baseball pitcher.  1976 American League Rookie of the Year.

Alaric II, King of the Visigoths: (d. 507) Alaric was an Arian.  He ruled from 484 to 507.

Don Francisco: (b. 1946, Kentucky)  Christian singer and songwriter.  Son of Baptist theologian and seminary professor, Clyde T. Francisco.

Jose Alberto Pujols Alcantara: (b. 1980, Dominican Republic) Professional baseball player with numerous sports awards.

scripture4all.org

     Scripture4all.org is a wonderful free website based in the Netherlands and loaded with features useful to serious students of the Bible.  The backbone(s) of the site is(are) the interlinear Greek and Hebrew Bibles.  Their format is three stacked lines per verse; line one is the Greek or Hebrew text, line two is the extremely literal translation, and line three is the plain English paraphrase.

http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Hebrew_Index.htm

http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm

http://www.scripture4all.org/

     Other useful features include an Interlinear Scripture Analyzer used for word studies in Greek or Hebrew.  The word processor quirk with which I have struggled, their insistence on placing Hebrew letters in English letter order, can be overcome here: Hebrew can be displayed in either left to right or right to left letter order.  The site is free but donations are accepted and a statement is made that that new features may require a small fee.      

Morkemann

     In Norway, an insult word, Morkemann ("man of darkness"),is becoming common when referring to Christians, especially those who oppose abortion rights, homosexuality, and same-sex marriage, and who express support for Israel.

     In the United States we haven't quite gotten there yet but it is obvious that we could easily, as a nation, move in that direction.  Christians (those not already infected) must stand peacefully against this.  They'll hate us for it but that just means we're doing God's will.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake." Luke 6:22 

 

Book Comment: Was Jesus God?

     Was Jesus God? is a well intentioned and vastly intellectual book but it also is not an easy, friendly read.  In the introduction, the author asks, " ... why should we suppose that God (if there is a God) is the Christian God?"  After what seems like thousands of pages (but not literally, it is a short book) of dense logical arguments, the author decides that the claims of orthodox Christianity are "very probably true."

     All "proofs" of God ultimately fail as do all disproofs.  If God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit could be logically proven even Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins would believe because they are not stupid people.  This book will not convince or convert anyone because they will be asleep with their faces pressed down on the pages.

Swinburne, Richard, Was Jesus God? (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2008)

King James Bible Online

www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ is a free non-profit website which allows those who visit the site to search the entire Bible by book, chapter, and verse.  The site also features a dictionary, a concordance, several commentaries, a Bible trivia quiz, and allows readers to leave their own comments so long as they are respectful and not abusive or vulgar.  One rather long comment has been posted by a Muslim obviously motivated by a strong missionary urge to proclaim the truth of Islam.  He "played by the rules" and wished his readers well.  I think it speaks well of the site that the Muslim comment has not been edited or deleted. 

Tithing, Part four

     I told my spiritual daughter that giving is not an obligation like paying dues to belong to a club.  You can't pay God enough to earn your salvation.  Why would He want you to give Him what He already has, what already belongs to Him?  He is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Savior.  What He wants is you, freely given to Him, not taken by force, no given out of obligation, just freely given back to Him.

     Ron Rhodes in What Does the Bible Say About ... ? says "God is not interested in your money until He first has your heart."  If He has your heart, your attitude will be correct toward your money.      

Tithing, Part Three

     A shocking truth: there is not a single New Testament verse which says that Christians are obligated to give ten percent to the church.  Paul never mentions tithing.  The New Testament concept is of grace giving.  We are to freely give as we have been freely given to and are to give as we are able.

"For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." 2 Corinthians 8:12

     Jesus, as an observant Jew, was a tither.  When He taught, He never lowered a biblical standard, but he did reinterpret the letter of the Law to a new spiritual level.

    

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also.

41And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?

48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."   Matthew 5:20-48

 

Tithing, Part Two

     Under the Levitical Code, there were strict guidelines for tithing.  Ten percent of one's income, but also of one's possessions, were included.  This included crops, animals, fabrics, etc.  The ultra-observant Pharisees carried their tithing to what we would consider to be extremes.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Matthew 23:23

     As with anything with which humans are associated, some people really didn't get into the spirit of the practice.  Ten percent became almost a ceiling for which many were probably relieved.  Whew!  I'm glad it wasn't eleven!

     Those modern Christians who argue over whether or not the tithe should be on gross or net income are falling into the same legalistic trap as the ancient Pharisees.  What they're really arguing about is how little they can get away with giving.

 

Tithing, Part One

     My spiritual daughter, A Chinese convert, is extremely earnest in her devotion to the Lord.  She asks me numerous questions about the faith and its application to daily life.  Recently, she asked me about tithing; what the word "tithe" meant.

     I told her that the word means "a tenth."  Her response was, "Whoa!!!  That is a lot!"  I explained the background of the word and a proper Christian attitude toward it.  I'll tell you what I told her.

     Whether or not we believe that the Law given to the Jews is still in effect (I do, because God has explicitly said that He does not change.  Malachi 3:6a), Christians live under the Free Grace of God and not under the Law.  Modern Jews choose to remain under the Law, which Christians  believe was given to point to the need for the Christ, the Messiah.  The Law does not save us; it shows us why we need to be saved.

     The tithe was known before the time of the Israelites: the practice existed in Persia, Egypt, and China and may have originated in 8th Century BCE Babylon.  Abram knew of the tithe and practiced it when he migrated from Ur of the Chaldees.

     Under the Levitical Code the tithes were given only at the Temple (Dueteronomy 12:5-12) and went exclusively to the Levites (Numbers 18:21), who gave a tithe of their portion to the priests.  The tithe was an annual obligation under the code.

Naked and unashamed

     "Naturists" prefer this name rather than the older name, "nudist."  They believe that it is natural to live naked and unashamed as Nature intended.  At least some naturists substitute "our Creator" for "Nature," and at least some specifically claim to be Christian.

     At http://www.naturist-christians.org/modules.php?name=Statement_of_Faith they have published The Naturist-Christians Statement of Faith.  This appears to be a completely orthodox statement of faith, with two controversial additions.  The statement accepts the following doctrines: God is the Creator,  the Trinity, all have sinned, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus was sinless, Jesus' death was substitutionary and propitiative, Jesus was dead for three days and rose from death on the third day, Jesus ascended to Heaven and rules with His Father, all who believe on Jesus will be saved, we are called to grow in grace, believers are united as the Church, we are to tell others of Christ, and that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter until Jesus returns.

     The two controversial declarations are these:

"We believe that all people are divinely created in God's own image, and their unclothed forms are covered and blessed in His righteousness."

"We believe that the naked human form is inherently good and wholesome."

     I think that these two statements are unwarranted additions to the gospels.  As reasonable as they seem to be on the surface, they are certainly not included in the "faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3)

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."  Galatians 1:8-9.

Another Light Bulb Joke

How many Mormons does it take to change a light bulb?

Two.  One to change the bulb and a second to seal it for eternity.

Book Comment: Saints Behaving Badly

     "Most of us will never know a saint," declares Thomas J. Craughwell, tipping the reader off to the fact that Saints Behaving Badly is a very Roman Catholic book.  Protestants take issue with this idea since the Bible clearly identifies all believers as saints.  The three biblical words translated as "saint" into English are qadosh, hasidh, and agios/hagios.

     Qadosh is a Hebrew word meaning "separated," while hasidh, also Hebrew (the source of the group name Hasisdim/Chasidim), refers to personal holiness.  Both carry the idea that the person, place, or thing being mentioned is set apart or God and removed from secular use, belonging to a larger whole also set apart for God.  They are translated into English as "saint."

     The Greek word, agios, appears in the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament, and is translated into English as "saint."  It carries the meaning of "holy," "sacred," "set apart," and "separated," and is used for holy things and holy people.  Paul uses the word when referring to the members (all the members) of the churches to which he writes.  This is the reason Protestants believe that all Christians are saints, set apart for God.

     Acknowledging the disagreement between Protestants and Roman Catholics about the meaning of the word "saint," it is fair to say that Protestants would agree that the persons discussed in Saints Behaving Badly were, indeed, saints.  Some of their stories are truly inspirational.  The life of Pedro Claver (1580 - 1654) who worked for years among the slaves in Cartagena especially speaks to me.

     Saints Behaving Badly talks about the lives of twenty -eight saints before their conversions.  Their "pre-sainthood" sins include alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, adultery, mass murder, mercenary murder for hire, extortion, theft, heresy, blasphemy, devil worship, bigamy, gambling, human sacrifice, hedonism, and pride exhibited as arrogance.

     Despite the Protestant/Catholic disagreement, the book Saints Behaving Badly is a great and inspiring read for believers.  It shows clearly that, in God, even the worst of us can become among the best of us.

  

Gematria

     In several of the prior posts I have been discussing the interesting subject of divinely inserted hidden codes which some believe that God placed into the Talmud, the first five books of the Bible.  Much of this work (or garbage depending on your belief about the subject) depends on the Cabalistic Jewish numerology system known as gematria.  

     The Cabalists believe that the Old Testament is written in a highly coded mathematically based  language.  Gematria, which originated in eighth century BCE Babylonia, is a system of numerology which assigns numbers to each letter of an alphabet (in this case, Hebrew). The numbers are used to decipher the true, hidden meaning of the texts.  It has been used in divination, magic, dream interpretation, and Old Testament interpretation.   

Abraham in Genesis 1:22-26, Updated

 I finally have the 8 October 2009 post fixed.  The title is Abraham in Genesis 1:22-26.  To view it, click on this post's listing in the Blog Archive in the right side column of this blog.

A Kid's Ear

     My doctor told me today that I had a "kid's ear," one of the worst cases of an ear infection that he had seen in years.  I know now why infants and young children fuss, fidgit, and cry when their ears hurt.  It is a true case of "walk a mile in my shoes."

     Non-believers and some more liberally minded believers use this idea to declare that Christians have no right to criticize, or even question, the actions and beliefs of others.  We must take into account their life experiences, their religious heritage, their nationality, their race,  ... whatever.  The effect is paralyzing moral relativism, the inability to admit that right is right and wrong is wrong.  It all depends on the situation.

     Of course, Christians should understand the influences which have shaped a person and their beliefs and actions, but the influences to which a person has been exposed are no excuse for bad actions.  Each person, and no one else, is responsible for their own choices and actions.  A truly great man, George Washington Carver (1864-1943), who was born as a slave and sold as an infant for a horse. became a scientist, inventor, and educator rather than a bitter twisted man. 

     Christians are called to be compassionate and caring, not judgmental, and to perform good works.  We are also not to dilute the gospel in any way, not to change the gospel in any way, not to compromise to win the favor of other people, and not to be afraid to speak the truth.

Film Comment: Watermelon Man

     In Watermelon Man (1970), a comedy directed by controversial director Melvin van Peebles [Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song (1971)], an obnoxious white man (Godfrey Cambridge in white makeup not up to 2009 standards) wakes up black and his entire world collapses around him.  He thinks it's a medical condition but he finds out that he's just black.  Everyone starts to treat him differently, even his progressive liberal wife (Estelle Parsons) who finds out that she's not so open minded after all.  He becomes increasingly alienated and hostile.  

     It amazes me that people, black and white, won't let it go, but, in America, race really is still the 800 pound gorilla that won't leave us alone.  Some people are so conditioned to think race first that they assume that any criticism of a black person by a white person must be because of a racist motive.  Others are convinced that persons descended from slaveholding ancestors ought to walk around in a heavy cloud of guilt.

     I am convinced that the solution does not lie in education, patriotism, nationalism, mind control, forced political correctness, shaming, or emerging from a cocoon as a "pod person."  The solution lies in the like-mindedness which comes from having the same nature, the Mind of Christ.

     Racism and other divisive attitudes are incompatible with a declaration of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  If we are His we should be like him.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" Philippians 2:5

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10: 34-35.

"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Romans 10:12

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28.

 

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Tekakwitha: (b. 1656, New York - d. 1680) aka: Kateri Tekakwitha, Blessed Catherine Tekakwitha, The Lily of the Mohawks, Mohawk Maiden, Pure and Tender Lily, Fairest Flower Among True Men.  She took the name “Kateri” from Catherine of Siena.  Tekakwitha, her birth name, in Mohawk means “she moves things.”  A Mohawk-Algonquian, she was the niece of a Mohawk chief.  Even though her face was heavily scarred from a childhood illness she was earnestly sought as a bride by several men.  She remained a virgin after her conversion to Roman Catholicism and was known for her intense body mortification involving impalement with sharp objects.

Edir Macedo Bezerrra: (b. 1945, Brazil)Roman Catholic convert to Pentacostalism. Billionaire religious leader, television and radio network executive, author.  He has been accused of preaching a prosperity gospel,

Henry Cho: (b. 1972, Tennessee) Stand-up comedian, film actor.

Philip Rivers: (b. 1981, Alabama) aka: McFishy-tush.  Roman Catholic professional football quarterback.

John Stephen Piper: (b. 1946, Tennessee) Reformed-Baptist preacher, author, theologian.

Book Comment: Jesus and Yahweh. The Names Divine

     Harold Bloom admits that, "I am not part of normative Judaism."  No duhhhh!  His view of God is less than orthodox.

     Bloom calls Jesus a "more-or-less historical person." Jesus Christ, not the same as Yeshua of Nazareth, is a "theological god."  Yahweh fares no better as "a human, all-too-human God."

     Bloom asserts that Christianity is a return to polytheism and that the Hebrew God, Yahweh, and the "theological" god , Jesus Christ, are utterly incompatible.

     This book shows that Mr. Bloom has a deep familiarity with the Christian scriptures coupled with an almost total failure to grasp their true meaning and the intellectual arrogance to assume that he does understand.

Bloom, Harold, Jesus and Yahweh. The Names Divine (NY: Riverhead Books, 2005)

He Laughed

     "The Holy One, blessed be He, united His name with Abraham; with Isaac too He united His name."  Rabbi Nehemiah in Bereshit Rabba, 68, 11f.

     In Genesis, God changed Abram's name to Abraham and the name of his wife from Sarai to Sarah.  In the posts for October 6th and 7th I had some thoughts about this.  Rabbi Nehemiah's writings are certainly not scripture, especially for a Protestant Christian, but the quote above raises an interesting question.  What could it mean that God united his name with Isaac?

     God told Abraham and Sarah that the heir would not be Ishmael, Abraham's beloved son by his wife's Egyptian slave woman, but a new son by the very old Sarah.  They both laughed out loud.  Some commentators try to make this a laugh of joy or an exclamation of surprise, but the Bible says Abraham fell down laughing. (Genesis 17: 17-19)

      God told them the son would be named Isaac (Yitzhak = Hebrew = "he laughs.")  This could have been a reference to Abraham's laughter.  Maybe God laughed at them for their silliness in not believing that He could fulfill His promise even with old folk like them. 

God Inserted His Name Into Abram's Name

(See the post today titled "Abraham."  This post is related to the October 6th and 7th posts; "Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah."  I'm new at scanning so what you will see was what I was able to do.  I'll get better.)

     Regardless of what you think about the controversy over the idea of divine code's having been inserted into the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) by God in a letter-by-letter dictation of the books to Moses, what I am about to tell you will leave a buzz on the back of your neck.

     Rabbi Chaim Michael Dov Weissmandl (1903-1957), the driving force behind the Bible Codes movement, found the following in Genesis 1:22-26; the name of Abraham is spelled out by the letters in the passage with each letter of the name separated from the preceding letter by forty-nine intercalary letters.  In each of the forty-nine letter sequences, the word "elohim," one of the names of God, appears in the text.

     I admit wholeheartedly that the mathematics, statistics, geometry, and computer science being used to search for hidden divine messages in the Torah are all far above my understanding.  Even so, I found the book, Cracking the Bible Code, by Dr. Jeffrey Satinover to be a fascinating read.

     The book claims that names of specific individuals, dates, events, and other subjects have been found hidden in the Talmud with specific locations stated and grids of Hebrew letters presented with the discovered words and phrases highlighted.  To me, it was chilling that the following has been found: "AIDS" ("AYDS"), "virus" ("VYRUS"), "in the blood," and "immunity;" all in the same letter array.

     I don't have enough understanding of the subject of the Bible Codes to make an informed judgement.  It may be as Walter Sparrow's wife says in the film The Number 23 (2007), "You're finding them because you're looking for them."  What is true is that there are numerous rabbis, Hebrew scholars, mathematicians, and computer scientists working full time on the subject right now in Israel.

Abraham in Genesis 1:22-26

     The Hebrew word for God, "elohim," אֱלֹהִים occurs four times in this passage, one time in each of the forty-nine letter sequences between the letters of Abraham's name; ABRHM, read right to left as  אַבְרָהָם.  The first letter of Abraham's name   אֱ  (aleph or alef) occurs at position 10 (counting from right to left), count 49 letters,the next letter is בְ  (beth), count 49 more letters, the next letter is רָ  (resh or rosh), count 49 more letters, the next letter is  הָ  (he or hay), then count 49 more letters, the final letter is ם   (mem).

     The word processing software I have insists on switching the letter order to left to right as in English.  The text below is in the correct letter order.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת־הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים וְהָעֹוף יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ׃

וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יֹום חֲמִישִׁי׃ ף

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תֹּוצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה לְמִינָהּ בְּהֵמָה וָרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיְתֹו־אֶרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וַיְהִי־כֵן׃

וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ לְמִינָהּ וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה לְמִינָהּ וְאֵת כָּל־רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה לְמִינֵהוּ וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי־טֹוב׃

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ 

וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃

:26 

1 ר ֶ 

מאֹיּ ַ 

ו 

u·iamr 

and·he-is-saying 

םי ִ 

הלֹ ֱ 

א 

aleim 

Elohim 

ה ֶ 

שׂ ֲ 

עַ 

נ 

noshe 

we-shall-makedo 

ם ָ 

ד ָ 

א 

adm 

human 

וּנ ֵ 

מ ְ 

ל ַ 

צ ְ 

בּ 

b·tzlm·nu 

in·image-of·us 

וּנ ֵ 

תוּמ ְ 

ד ִ 

כּ 

k·dmuth·nu 

as·likeness-of·us 

. And God said, Let us 

make man in our image, 

after our likeness: and let 

them have dominion over 

the fish of the sea, and over 

the fowl of the air, and over 

the cattle, and over all the 

earth, and over every 

creeping thing that creepeth 

upon the earth. 

וּדּ ְ 

ר ִ 

י ְ 

ו 

u·irdu 

and·they-shall-sway 

תַ 

ג ְ 

ד ִ 

ב 

b·dgth 

in·fish-of 

ם ָ 

יּ ַ 

ה 

e·im 

the·sea 

ף􏰀ע ְ 

בוּ 

u·b·ouph 

and·in·flyer-of 

ם ִ 

י ַ 

מ ָ 

שּׁ ַ 

ה 

e·shmim 

the·heavens 

ה ָ 

מ ֵ 

ה ְ 

בּ ַ 

בוּ 

u·b·beme 

and·in·the·beast 

ל ָ 

כ ְ 

בוּ 

u·b·kl 

and·in·all-of 

־ 

- ץ ֶ 

ר ָ 

א ָ 

ה 

e·artz 

the·earth 

ל ָ 

כ ְ 

בוּ 

u·b·kl 

and·in·every-of 

־ 

- שׂ ֶ 

מ ֶ 

ר ָ 

ה 

e·rmsh 

the·moving-animal 

שׂ ֵ 

מ ֹ 

ר ָ 

ה 

e·rmsh 

the·one-moving 

ל ַ 

ע 

ol 

on 

־ 

- ץ ֶ 

ר ָ 

א ָ 

ה 

e·artz 

the·land : 

: 

The English Text of Genesis 1:22-26

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Genesis 1: 22-26

The name of Abraham is imbedded in the original Hebrew letters which compose this segment. 

Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah, Part Two

     The renaming of Abram and Sarai occurred during the time when God told Abram/Abraham that his beloved late life (very late life) son, Ishmael, the son of Sarai's Egyptian slave, Hagar (Genesis 16), would not be the promised heir.  The heir would be another, yet unborn, son with the infertile and aged Sarai as the mother.

     Light on the meaning of this may come post-biblical Jewish tradition.  In the midrash, Bereshit Rabbah (68, 11f), Rabbi Nehemiah said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, united His name with Abraham; with Isaac too he united His name."  

     One of the names of God is "Yahweh" (in biblical Hebrew this is represented as HWHY, read from right to left).  Remember that the ancients believed that names and even the letters of which the names were composed carried meaning and power.

     When God confirmed His covenant to Abram by declaring that Sarai's son would be the long-promised heir, He inserted himself (the "H") into their names, giving them new and suddenly different lives.

     Through their son, Isaac, Abraham and Sarah were made the ancestors of multitudes and the human ancestors of the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world.  God's name, inserted into their own, was the divine confirmation of this honor. 

Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah, Part One

     (The next few posts will be about the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah.)  

     The ancient Israelites (Abram's family and people were not yet Israelites but were their ancestors) believed that a name was not merely a designation of a person but that the name itself carried meaning, and in the case of God, extreme power.  That is why they never said God's name ("Yahweh," HWHY read right to left) out loud, instead referring to Him as "Adonai," "the Lord." (I'll explain in a later post how this led to the "modern" error of referring to God as "Jehovah.")

      The power and meaning of names was believed to extend down to the level of the individual letters.   The mystical Hebrew tradition said that God created the universe by manipulating the letters used to create the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and that He dictated the Torah to Moses letter by letter.  (This is the basic underlying idea developed in the book, Cracking the Bible Code, which I will discuss in a later post.)

     The name "Abram" in Hebrew means "exalted father" and was changed by God to "Abraham," meaning "father of many."  The ending "-im" is a plural form.

"Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name sall be Abraham: for a father of many nations have I made thee." Genesis 17:5.

     The name of Abram's wife "Sarai" in Hebrew means "princess"and was changed by God to "Sarah," also meaning "princess," or perhaps "Princess." (There is no capitalization in Biblical Hebrew but my meaning will become clear in the second part of this article.)

"And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be." Genesis 17:15

     What could have been the reason for the name changes?  More tomorrow.

Disqualified for membership

Why are Unitarian Universalists not allowed to join the KKK?

Nobody is afraid of a question mark burning in their yard.

Common Sense Predictions for the Next Ten Years

1. Human cloning will be perfected in North Korea, with plans to create an army of identical super soldiers.

2. Israel and the Palestinians will still not have peace.

3. After Iran's bloody revolution, the royalty will be restored.

4. France and Spain will become predominantly Muslim.

5. After same sex marriage is legalized in the United States, a push to legalize polygamy and other forms of group marriage will begin.

6. Hard drugs will be legalized and their sale will be taxed. 

7. Numerous churches will renounce their tax-exempt status in order to prevent governmental interference in their affairs.

8. After the withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq and Afghanistan both countries will fall under al-Qaida/Taliban style control.

9. A practical human blood substitute will eliminate the need for blood banking.

10. The tendency of religious denominations to fragment into conservative and "progressive" factions will accelerate.  

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Clyde T. Francisco: (b. 1916, Virginia – d. 1981) Old Testament theologian, seminary professor, author.

Guo Yingen: (b. 1972, Singapore) aka: Grace Quek, Annabel Chong.  Raised in a devout Christian family, Grace Quek as an adult became an actress in pornographic films.

Peter John Gomes: (b. 1942, Massachusetts) Preacher, theologian, university professor.  Gomes is a celibate homosexual.

Michel Aflaq: (1910, Syria – 1989) Greek Orthodox, cofounder of the Baath political party and an advocate of socialism and Arab nationalism.  The government of Iraq claimed that Aflaq was a deathbed convert to Islam.

August Hermann Cremer: (1834 – 1903) German Protestant theologian, university professor.  Cremer is remembered for having prepared a lexicon of the Greek New Testament.