Is Paul telling us that Torah observance is done away with because of Christ’s death and resurrection?
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17
Dispensational preachers are teaching this view. John MacArthur is a good example of this type of preacher:
Don’t let anybody hold you to a Sabbath. And that’s referring to the weekly Sabbath, because the other festival Sabbaths are covered under the term “festival and new moon.” Don’t let anybody hold you to the Sabbath. It was part of the system that included the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices. It’s gone. It was only the shadow, not the substance [ …] Paul is saying, you no longer need the shadow, you have the substance.
John MacArthur, “Understanding the Sabbath.” Grace to You. www.gty.org
Though this is the view of a vast majority of today’s churches, what was Paul’s witness when he wrote this letter?
Throughout the New Testament, we see that Paul regularly attended and participated in the synagogue services on the Sabbath 16:13; 17:2 18:4)
14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Acts 13:14. 44
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Acts 16:13
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Acts 17:2
Luke records that Paul’s “custom” was to worship on the Sabbath (Acts 17:2) – why was it his custom if Sabbath was done away with.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Acts 18:4
We see Paul expressing a desire to be in Jerusalem for the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost)
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
Acts 20:16
Shavuot was one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, and Sukkot) that the Hebrews were instructed to attend in the place where “the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name” (Initially, the Tabernacle, then later, Solomon’s Temple).
14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
Exodus 23:14-17
5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee: 6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks [Pentecost – seven weeks after Passover] unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.
13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: 14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. 15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
Deuteronomy 16:5-6, 10-11, 13-15
Why is Paul diligently trying to get to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost, if Christ did away with the Law with his death and resurrection?
Paul admonishes the Colossians to walk as Christ did and beware of the “traditions of men”, which are not according to Christ:
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him [see also, 1John 2:6] 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:6-8
The Pharisees (the sect that Paul had been a prominent member of) and the Sadducees taught the ‘oral law’ (Talmud) which was based on the Torah, but it had many additions and other changes that were not from Yahweh.
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32)
Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32
This Talmudic tradition became an evil substitute for salvation through faith and focused on Talmudic works.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head [Christ], from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Colossians 2:18-22
That description does not apply to the Sabbath, festivals, and dietary laws. Those things were not human teachings; they were commanded by Yahweh.
But we know that Christ affirmed every iota and dot of the Torah as having enduring authority in the lives of his followers (Matthew 5:18).
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-19
“Fulfilled” – pleroo / play-ro’-o [G4137] to make replete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:–accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.
Strong’s Greek Concordance; James Strong
Christ came to “fully preach” the Law, as opposed to the Talmud, which was separating believers from faith. Those that teach against the Law, “shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven”.
He also proclaimed, “till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law” – heaven and earth have not passed, so the Law still applies or Christ was wrong (if so, was he wrong about anything, else?)
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Man’s philosophy and traditions are deceitful – those of Yahweh, as practiced by Yeshua are not.
You scoff at our philosophy as though living by it were irrational, but it teaches us self-control, so that we master all pleasures and desires, and it also trains us in courage, so that we endure any suffering willingly.
4Maccabees 5:22-23, RSV
The Colossian Heresy: The doctrine influencing the Colossian believers could be considered a type of philosophy, but according to Paul it is “empty deceit.” It doesn’t actually deliver what it promises.
Paul says it is ‘of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh’ (Colossians 2:23).
Another problem with this false teaching is that it is “according to human tradition and from Paul’s perspective, mere human teachings are useless in overcoming the power of sin (Colossians 2:22-23).
It appears that the false teachers at Colossae were enamored with cosmic authorities, supernatural powers over nature, and angels (Colossians 2:8, 15, 18, 20). They exalted and feared these spiritual entities, believing them to have control over the universe and their destinies. These superstitions were also combined with religious practices, including biblical holy days.
In practice, this false philosophy strictly regulated foods, drinks, and festivals (2:16) and involved ascetic rituals and worship of angels (2:18-23). By adhering to the practices and regulations of these false teachers, people believed they could attain wisdom and be protected from the evil spirits that troubled them.
At the end of the first century, during the time of Trajan (A.D. 98-117), a Christian leader named Elchasai combined aspects of Jewish nomism (circumcision and law observance) with astrological beliefs; magical practices; and pagan cult traditions. The resultant syncretistic teaching emphasized the hostility of the stars (viewed as angels) and the need to regulate one’s life according to the calendar (especially the Sabbath and the courses of the moon) […] Colossae was certainly not afflicted by the teaching of Elchasai, but “the philosophy” bore many similarities. At the minimum, the example of Elchasai points to emerging forms of localized syncretistic Christianity at an early stage. The Elchasaite teaching also demonstrates how a magical/astrological interpretation of sabbaths could surface in early Christianity.
Clinton E. Arnold, The Colossian Syncretism: The Interface between Christianity and Folk Belief at Colossae (Grand Rapids, Ml: Baker Books, 1996), pp. 217-218
A big problem with this mystical false teaching is that it ultimately resulted in minimizing the Messiah’s exalted position as the head from whom the body derives its life (Colossians 2:18-19).
The preeminence of the Messiah:
Paul teaches that the Messiah is the real embodiment of wisdom and knowledge (Co1ossians 2:2-3).
Messiah is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). That is, God’s full character is embodied in Messiah (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:3).
Messiah is “the firstborn of all creation” {Colossians 1:15), which is an Old Testament title expressing royal status and authority (Psalm 89:27).
It was by, through, and for Messiah that “all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” (Colossians 1:16). Importantly, the invisible creations in heaven would include angelic beings. Paul’s point is that Messiah, the one by whom, through whom, and for whom all things were created, has authority and power over all created things in heaven and on earth.
Messiah is “before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1 :17). That is, Messiah has priority in terms of time and rank, and he is the sustainer of the universe (cf. Hebrews 1:3). Paul hopes to encourage the Colossian believers not to try to find coherence in the universe by turning to angels. Messiah is the one who holds all things together.
Messiah is also “the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18; 2:10, 18-19). That is, he is the lord over the church as well as its source of life: ” … the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Colossians 2:19).
Messiah is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1 :18). The Messiah’s resurrection has inaugurated the kingdom – his resurrection being the “firstfruits,” assuring us of the full harvest to come at the end of the age (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). In the meantime, the Messiah exercises his rule through his body, the church.
The Messiah is one in whom “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Colossians 1:19; 2:9).
For Israel the keeping of these holy days was evidence of obedience to God’s law and a sign of her election among the nations. At Colossae, however, the sacred days were to be kept for the sake of the “elemental spirits of the universe,” those astral powers who directed the course of the stars and relegated the order of the calendar. So Paul is not condemning the use of sacred days or seasons as such; it is the wrong motive involved when the observance of these days is bound up with the recognition of the elemental spirits.
Peter T. O’Brien, Word Biblical Commentary: Colossians, Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1982), p. 139
In conclusion:
A contextual understanding of these verses implies that Paul does not regard things like the Sabbath and festivals as unimportant. He condemns only an improper observance of these laws in connection with mystical false teachings that downplay Messiah and his work.
Once again, the problem was with human precepts and teachings, not God’s commandments themselves (Colossians 2:8, 22).
But when we observe these parts of the Torah appropriately, with a focus on the Messiah and his work of redemption, there’s no problem.
Verse 16 declares the opposite of what is taught, today. He was telling the Colossians not to let people falsely judge them for keeping the ordinances of the Torah (without the mystical rituals the leaders were adding).
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17
If Christ did away with Torah, they would not be a “shadow of things to come”, because Christ already came. They were still to look forward to the things that are to come (after the Millineal Kingdom, when the present heaven and earth pass away). Recognizing the substance that these “shadows” point to ought to make us value them that much more!
Torah will still be kept in the Millineal Kingdom. Does it make sense that the Law would be kept for 4000 years, done away with for 2000 years, and then reinstituted again for 1000? Especially when Yahweh and Yeshua both affirmed the Law is forever?
Just Do It and find a preacher who is not changing the Law to fit their values. The Law was given to change us!
If we believe that Yahweh wants everyone to be saved, then it would not make sense for Him to have man jump through endless hoops, scale impossible cliffs, and/or solve quantum physics mysteries . . . while standing on our heads . . . and singing opera . . . in Danish . . . while making a cheese soufflé . . . .
In other words, He would try to make it simple enough that most everyone could do it. So anyone telling you it is too hard to do God’s Will has their own agenda, not Yahweh’s
He would also set a fair standard for everyone and not require different groups of people to have different requirements at different times (how would you know what you were doing was right if it changed periodically, without notice). So anyone telling you that salvation is different today than it was 2000 years ago (or 4000 years ago) has their own agenda, not Yahweh’s.
So, how easy did He make it?
Why, as easy as A, B, C (1, 2, 3, or do, re, mi?)
Acknowledge there is a one, true, moral, God – maker of Heaven and Earth.
The Roman gods . . . the Greek, Egyptian, Hindu, or Mesopotamian gods (and all the rest) are not known for being moral and having consistent standards of behavior. For example, in the Gilgamesh epic, Anu and his fellow gods destroyed mankind in a flood because they were too noisy, and the gods couldn’t sleep (Epic of Gilgamesh).
The idea of a moral and just God, who sought after morality and justice, is/was completely divergent to the profusion of gods worshipped throughout history (even unto today).
Belief in THE God is the important first step, because we need someone who has power over death, and will use that power in our favor, if we are to overcome the grave. Belief, of course, is not enough:
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:19-20
2. Behave as instructed in His Word
I can hear the nay-sayers, already, screaming that I am teaching salvation through works. Salvation is through faith (#1) and is evidenced through works (#2).
If you tell me you are going to take me to a hockey game if I get to your home by 6:30, my arriving at your home is an action that evidences my belief that you are taking me to a game. I can say I believe you, but if I do not take steps to get to your home, did I really believe it?
You’ve heard the adjunct to the “Golden Rule”: “He who has the gold makes the rules”. Power comes with privileges – one of the privileges is that you get to dictate what people need to do if they want to partake of your power.
If you want to use Facebook (or any other social platform), you must agree to their terms and conditions, which generally means they can use the information that you post to become fabulously wealthy.
If you want to use a bank, you agree to allow the bank to use your deposits to invest and make huge sums of money while paying you a pittance for that use.
As a parent, we make rules for our children to live by so there is safety, equity, respect, and decorum in the home. The Heavenly Father does similarly.
No parent ever set down rules that they thought were important for their children and then later determined that the rules should be ignored because they were difficult for a toddler to keep.
‘It’s too difficult to keep them from playing in the street, I’ll just say it is now okay to play in traffic.’
The rules never go away, either. When does it become permissible to hit a sibling? Take their stuff? Lie? If you are 75 years old and playing in the street, your 95 year old parent will tell you to ‘quit playing in the street’.
Yahweh has a series of laws that provide for the safety, equity, respect, and decorum of His people. There are 613 “Laws” in the Word (though several are repeated so there are actually much less than 600 unique laws – e.g., the Word says to not commit incest, prohibiting eighteen specific forms of it) which are listed at jewfaq.org and in my book GRAFTED: Embracing Torah (I examine many of the Laws that apply to us on a regular basis and differentiate between the ones we can keep today and the one’s Yahweh said were conditional and are unavailable to keep today).
Meanwhile, the Federal Register lists over 3000 codified laws and over 197,000 rules and regulations that must be adhered to (Code of Federal Regulations). The short list of Torah requirements is not the problem and anyone telling you it is has their own agenda.
3. Cast away your former life (as necessary).
When a child unprovokedly strikes a sibling, we make them apologize and then we forgive them. If they continue to strike the sibling then their apology was insincere and we seek to stop the inappropriate behavior with ever escalating severity. If we cannot stop the continued assaults, over time, then we have to separate the two to prevent increasing and possibly more violent attacks. If we don’t, then the authorities will, if they become aware of a pattern of abuse.
As we learn what Yahweh considers unacceptable, we repent of our former behavior that violates His Torah (Instructions). Continued commission of sin belies that we are committed to obeying the Father.
If you are an adulterer and seek to follow the one, true God, you will learn quickly that adultery is prohibited (7th Commandment – Exodus 20:14). If you continue in adultery, you reject the authority of the one you claim is your God.
If you are married and commit adultery, there is the possibility that your spouse could forgive you, but it would involve a change to acceptable behavior on your part. There is probably zero probability of forgiveness if the adultery continues. What spouse ever confessed, “It is too hard for my husband to stop having extra-marital affairs, so we will just ignore that part of the marriage vows”? Your spouse will not be mocked, nor will Yahweh.
If one wants to stop the drunken abuse of their spouse, a good first step is to stop hanging out with their old friends who tie one on every weekend. Changing our established behavior that is leading us to sin is vital. We must want to make the change and act on it or the old, learned, abhorrent behavior will manifest itself again.
We may need to change where we live (even in America, some places are anti-Christian); change who our friends are (friends who are also seeking a relationship with Yahweh and Yeshua are important – “iron sharpeneth iron”); change the way we dress; but, most importantly, we need to change how we see ourselves as believers.
The Mega-churches are teaching an all-inclusive, non-judgmental, sin-less Christianity that millions are flocking to. It has zero relationship to the Word’s dictates. It does not matter whether the pastors are misleading people on purpose or through ignorance, the result is the same. Christians are being led away from the Word
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Matthew 7:13-15
Christians teach that to be “born again”, one must confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God rose him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10):
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
What does it mean to confess someone as “Lord”? It is much more than mere words (see my blogs, Born Again? and Born Again? Part 2). You are voluntarily submitting your will and values to a ‘superior’ will and values.
If you seek a position on the campaign of a political candidate, you agree to publicly endorse the positions of the candidate. If the candidate is pro-life, you cannot publicly advocate for ‘abortion on demand’ and expect to remain a part of the campaign or to receive a position in the candidate’s cabinet if they win.
Christ says as much when he discusses those that follow him with mere lip-service:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23
He did not make salvation hard . . . we did. Us and the folks we appointed as our ‘spiritual leaders’.
Anyone advocating that God’s ways are too hard has their own agenda.
Anyone advocating that God doesn’t mean what He says has their own agenda.
Anyone telling you that ‘God loves you just the way you are’ (see my blog, Come as You Are) or tells you that you are ‘courageous’ for violating his Word has their own agenda.
Have your own agenda. Be the person that Yahweh wants you to be. Be the person that confesses Yeshua as Lord and emulates his walk (1John 2:6). Be the person that studies God’s Word “to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (1Timothy 2:15).
Acknowledge there is a one, true, moral, God – maker of Heaven and Earth;
Behave as instructed in His Word; and
Cast away your former life (as necessary).
It’s as easy as A, B, C.
The transition takes time (Acts 15), but it is easy.
How often do we lie to ourselves and others, in order fit in or to not make waves?
“Everyone is doing it”, we are told. Of course, no one has actually asked everyone and we all know at least one person who prides themselves in holding opinions contrary to the majority.
Secondly, if the majority is wrong, do you follow them?
Remember your mother telling you, “If everyone is jumping off a bridge, would you do it, also?” Of course when that exact occasion arose (during an Army run that took us through the swamps of Georgia), the Commander leapt from a bridge into the brook below . . . and yes, we all jumped in after him.
I want to look to the ten Commandments.
They are the words that Yahweh spoke orally to all the Israelites (Exodus 20:1-17), and the only words of the Torah that were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the centerpiece of Holy of Holies, so it can rationally inferred that these words are more important than the rest of the Torah. It is all important, but some things are more essential.
The Commandments are the basic framework for how humanity can successfully interact with Yahweh and with each other. The rest of the Torah may or may not apply to a person based on the circumstances (the ordinance to build a wall around your roof to prevent folks from falling off [Deut 22:8] would obviously not apply to a tent-dweller) but the Commandments are meant to apply to everyone.
Doing the Commandments is how we show love and obedience to our Heavenly Father and His son, Yeshua Ha’mashiach (Jesus the Christ). It is how we ‘do good’ to our fellow man.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
1John 2:3-7
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
John 14:15, 21, 23-24
This being said, a majority of people believe, maybe half of them should be obeyed . . . this includes most Christians.
Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, it is hard to make a case for ignoring many if them, though some people and some faiths do make a case for ignoring them in the right circumstances.
Christians believe it is proper to lie to prevent a worse evil (Germans who lied about hiding Jews in their homes were preventing murder, while their neighbors who obeyed the Nazi laws and truthfully identified Jews were aiding in murder). Jews have the example of Rahab, who hid the Israeli spies in Jericho and lied about their presence to save their lives (Joshua 2).
These are considered justifiable exceptions and not a blanket repudiation of Yahweh’s Commandments.
Islam teaches it is okay to lie to an infidel (called taqiyya) in order to deceive and defeat them. This can be referred to as a ‘strategy’ rather than the prevention of a greater evil.
There are, however, blanket repudiations of the Commandments that are taught by the modern church that lead people away from Yahweh rather than to Him.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exodus 20:8-11
The fourth Commandment begins with the admonition to “remember”. Where, in the Christian Church, is this command remembered? Some Christians claim that the Sabbath has been changed to Sunday – Sunday is the “Lord’s Day”! This is poppy-cock for several reasons:
The “Lord’s Day” is only mentioned in Revelation 1:10 and refers to the Tribulation and the actual time that Christ presides on Earth . . . which has not happened, yet.
The Sabbath is (and always has been) a weekly ritual to commemorate the creation of heaven and Earth by Elohim. When we make it ‘holy’, we praise the Creator. Government schools and churches (at the behest of government and with the threat of a discontinuance of government funds) teach evolution, which is a religion created to counter belief in God (I have written a chapter in a currently unpublished book about the fallacies of evolution [continuing scientific discoveries have disproved the theory of evolution – its continued adherence in the lack of scientific evidence makes it a religion])
Most of the people that claim that Sunday is the new Sabbath do not show where the change is made in scripture (Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets – Amos 3:7); where they take time off work; where they do not cause others to work (e.g., cashiers when they go shopping, or ushers when they go to a show); nor do they honor the day by making it holy.
The vast majority of churches ignore the clear and specific instruction of the Commandment and teach that meeting for a service on a different day is sufficient. “Everyone is doing it.”
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exodus 20:7
This is third Commandment and often referred to as the “unforgivable sin”.
It is not about using Yahweh’s name in your habit of cursing (though that is not a pleasing thing for Him to hear come out of your mouth). When you “take the name of the LORD thy God” you are accepting His Covenant (the subject of my second book in the Grafted series). The Covenant is like a marriage vow where you take the name of your spouse and agree to live in a relationship with them.
You take your spouse’s name ‘in vain’ who you whore around with others and neglect your spouse. Yahweh divorced the tribes of Israel (Jeremiah 3) for the “adultery” of worshiping other gods. Without His protection, the ten Northern tribes were captured by the Assyrians and carried off and the remaining two tribes were captured by the Babylonians and carried away.
The marriage vows commit us to “honor and obey” our spouse. Do we honor and obey Yahweh when we refuse to keep His commandments and teach others to disobey, also?
The ten Commandments instruct us to avoid eight things and do two others (Remember the Sabbath and honor Mother and Father). These ten were important enough that Yahweh wrote them out on stone tablets and instructed the tablets to be placed in a prominent place with His Tabernacle.
Teaching that they no longer apply to Christians is the standardized message of today (“Everyone is doing it”), but are you going to violate them because everyone else is . . . because you don’t want to offend others? Yahweh gave you free-will, do not relinquish it to false teachers.
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23
Yeshua did not only intend this message to warn about the Pharisees of his day, but also of the Pharisees of today. If the faith you follow is the same as everyone else is following, you may be in the “broad way”. Go to the scriptures and make them your own so that you know (see my blog, “Make the Word Your Own” for ways anyone can competently study the Word).
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Timothy 2:15
If you trust in me, or Osteen, or Meyers, you will show yourself approved unto Bob, or Joel, or Joyce. You can do much better.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
I have repeatedly exhorted you to “make the Word your own,” and that sounds both difficult and scary. It is neither. I want to share some simple tips on reading the Scriptures with understanding.
You must first believe that the Bible is a manifestation of Yahweh and not a book of fables. It was written for believers. The scoffers who cite Scripture out of context to belittle Yahweh do not have faith or understanding. You want both.
Yes, there does not appear to be any original copies of the text in existence, and yes, it has been copied and translated numerous times, though this is actually a positive point. So many of the translations were painstakingly copied, and learned men were used to translate the various versions, but the differences between them are generally minor, and there are multiple study guides that illustrate the differences where they exist.
In many cases, human history is charted by few texts that were recorded centuries after the fact. The Bible has thousands of versions and translations, many that are not based off each other (e.g., the Dead Sea scrolls were found 1,900 years after they were written, and they verify much of what we use today), and they substantially agree with each other.
For all intents and purposes, the Bible is complete.
If you believe that Yahweh exists, then you should also believe that He would find a way to preserve His Word. He did not share His Thoughts for just a few generations.
A majority of my understanding has not come from cracking open the book and delving into the Hebrew or the Greek. Much of my conviction has come from listening to the work done by others (like most, my first tutors were my parents, teachers, and priests or pastors), and then cracking open the book and delving into the Hebrew or the Greek to verify what I have been taught.
If I don’t understand a passage, I will use the Internet to find what other people have discerned. If something sounds profound to me, I check their work using the following techniques:
1. Pray for understanding. Yahweh gave us His Word. He does not want us to be ignorant of it (Hosea 4:6). It is crazy to think that Yahweh would commit His thoughts to writing but to do it in a way that no one could understand.
The Word is divinely inspired. Men wrote it down, but Yahweh gave them the inspiration. He will inspire your mind if it is what you desire.
2. Understand the common meaning of the words used. Most of the Bible is not confusing. When it says, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15), there is no real confusion about what Yahweh is telling us.
“Jesus wept”; “Paul went to Damascus”; “David slew Goliath”; and other simple statements we can literally understand what Yahweh is telling us. The details may be a little strange, but the underlying message is generally clear.
3. Use scripture to interpret scripture. If you feel a phrase is not clear, it may have been used elsewhere in the Word and may be clearer there. This is a common practice in literature, even today.
If you are reading an article in a magazine and come across an acronym (e.g., SOS), you may not know what it stands for. By finding the first usage in the article, you will generally find an interpretation.
For example, early in the article it may mention, “The radio operator received an emergency message (SOS),” or the article may refer to “the office of the secretary of state (SOS).”
Obviously, SOS can have multiple meanings. In the second example, the writer put the initials in parentheses after the phrase. From then on, the writer may only use SOS through the rest of the document instead of repeatedly spelling out the whole title.
If you start reading the article in a place other than the beginning (something that frequently happens when reading the Bible), you may have to go back to find the first usage for clarity.
Let’s use an example from the apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians:
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:7)
There are some very imaginative interpretations of “thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan” in this verse – illnesses or temptations or demons – to name a few. One could suppose that modern teachers are suffering from something, and they believe the apostle Paul probably suffered from it also.
Let’s look at three similar phrases in the Bible:
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
Numbers 33:55
Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
Joshua 23:13
Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Judges 2:3
Notice how all three are in the context of Israel going into the land of Canaan and destroying the inhabitants. If they do not (and they did not), the inhabitants would be a painful problem for them.
We can see from this that Paul was saying non-believing people were being inspired by Satan to inflict his ministry.
Another example:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani is Aramaic and should attract attention because of the infrequent use of that language in the Scriptures. The verse gives the translation in the verse, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Why use the Aramaic? Why both Aramaic and Greek (the New Testament was originally written in Greek)? Why not just use the translation? I have heard preachers state that “Jesus cried out to his Father because he felt abandoned by God when he became our sin, so God could not look upon him.”
I have real problems with this explanation:
• If my child committed a crime punishable by death, I would be there for him. Not because I thought he was innocent but because I would want him to know that I still loved him despite what he had done.
• If I knew he was innocent, I would definitely be there so he would know that he was not abandoned.
• I know I am not a more loving father than Yahweh.
The expression, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” is actually used in Psalm 22:1. If you read the first half of Psalm 22, you will see it is a rather detailed description of the crucifixion of Yeshua (the second part concerns when he returns in glory):
“Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round” (Pharisees were referred to as bulls.)
“I am poured out like water” (Water poured out when his side was pierced [John 19:34].)
“All my bones are out of joint” (This was one of the results of crucifixion.)
“My tongue cleaveth to my jaws” (Yeshua cried, “I thirst” [John 19:28].)
“For dogs have compassed me” (Romans were referred to as dogs. There would have be a detachment of Roman soldiers present to ensure no one interfered with the imposition of Pilate’s justice.)
“They pierced my hands and my feet.”
“I may tell all my bones” (Have you ever physically exerted yourself to such an extent that it feels like you can feel every ache in every muscle and every joint? Now think of the one who was tortured all night, scourged with barb-tipped whips, forced to carry a large wooden cross through the streets of the city to a hill outside of town, and then was nailed to that cross and lifted in the air so his weight would exasperate his nailed limbs. The pain in every muscle, every joint, every breath, and every movement would flood his brain.)
“They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (John 19:23–24).
Yeshua’s final words are, “It is finished,” which is how Psalm 22 closes. Even the centurion (who would know some of Judea’s culture in order to be a more effective adviser to the Roman governor) recognized the evidence from Psalm 22 and stated, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).
Based on the earlier usage of “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” in Psalm 22, I assert that it makes more sense – and is consistent with Scripture – to believe that Yeshua was not using his last breath to condemn his Father, but rather he was witnessing to the people watching his crucifixion.
They had to be demoralized to see their Savior beaten and crucified. He called their attention to a psalm of David, written over four hundred years earlier to remind them that all this was prophesied. I believe even the centurion got the reference.
4. Interpret difficult verses in light of clear verses. If there are many “clear” (understandable) verses on a subject but one or two difficult verses seem to contradict them, then the interpretation of the difficult verses must be understood in light of the many clear verses. Yahweh cannot lie (Numbers 23:19), so His Word cannot contradict Itself.
Apparent contradictions are generally caused by the following: a. Our failure to understand the original meaning of what is written. b. An error in translation because translators attempted to reproduce the meanings from one language into another or, c. An error resulting from the transmission of the text, as scribes who copied each manuscript made various mechanical mistakes or intentional theological alterations to the text.
When having trouble understanding one verse, one can look to the truth of the clear verses relating to the same subject. Matthew17:1-3 is a good example:
1And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and [Elijah] talking with him.
Matthew17:1-3
Moses and Elijah were known to have died hundreds of years earlier. How can they be talking to Yeshua if they were in the grave?
Let us examine the clear verses concerning death:
2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Psalms 146:2-4
We can praise Yahweh while we are alive because we have thoughts; but the dead have no thoughts. When their breath goes forth, their thoughts perish.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Ecclesiastes 9:5–6, 10
“The living know that they will die: but the dead don’t know anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Those no longer alive do not have any thoughts; no memory of life; nor do they interact with the living.
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Isaiah 38:18
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Psalm 115:17
These verses are unambiguously clear that death is a cessation of life – physically, spiritually, and mentally. Some folks came back to life shortly after their death (e.g., Lazarus, the boy in the home where Isaiah was hiding, the man who fell from a window in Acts), but not hundreds of years later. These and other “raisings” from the dead took place before the physical body could decompose.
Having looked at these clear verses on the subject, we can now study the difficult verse in light of these. For Moses and Elijah to be alive in the gospel time would contradict many other scriptures. There must be more to this single occurrence in Matthew 17:3 than what appears from a cursory reading.
The key lies in the word “appeared”:
“And, behold, there appeared [optomai: “envisioning”] unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
They saw this phenomenon in their minds. Ordinarily, the Hebrew word blepō – meaning “using the eyes to look at” – would be used.
In addition, verse 9 tells us that this phenomenon was a “vision”:
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Matthew 17:9
It appears, therefore, that Moses and Elijah were not seen physically by the eyes of Yeshua and his companions, but rather the appearance of these men was a vision given to Yeshua, Peter, James, and John. Yahweh communicated to them by revelation.
5. Interpret verses in their context. Ever notice that the genealogies of Yeshua in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 are different? I don’t mean minor discrepancies; I’m talking about vast dissimilarities. Both claim to be the family record through his father, Joseph.
Let us look at two important differences and one important similarity: • The lists are in different order. Matthew starts with Abraham and moves forward to finish with Joseph. Luke starts with Yeshua and moves backward to finish with Adam. • Luke 3:23 tells us, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli” (emphasis added). We know that Yahweh was his father. Luke makes it clear, and Matthew does not. • The genealogies match up harmoniously between Abraham and David. After David they are wildly divergent until Joseph.
Yeshua had to fulfill all the prophecies about him, and one of them was that he would be “a king” of the lineage of David (Jeremiah 23:5–6). The problem is that Yahweh is not in the lineage of David.
Joseph (Yeshua’s guardian) being of the line of David is immaterial; if Yeshua is going to be of the lineage of David, then his mother would need to be a descendant.
The list in Matthew is a “kingly” list, showing the first patriarch with granted rights (Abraham [Genesis 12]) and coming forward to show an uninterrupted right to sovereignty. This is done by all monarchs to justify their right to sit on their throne.
The list in Luke is a personal one. Common people start with their parents and then list their grandparents, then their great-grandparents, then their great-great-great-great…grandparents.
Reading the two genealogies is not enough to resolve our problem, but if we continue reading in Matthew, the author gives us more information:
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Matthew 1:17
All these events are listed in Matthew 1:1-16. One can literally count the generations and see that there are fourteen between Abraham to David, and fourteen between David and the carrying away into Babylon (the phrase is actually used in Matthew).
However, there are only thirteen generations from the carrying away into Babylon unto Yeshua.
Joseph would also have to be the name of Mary’s father to give us the proper number of generations. Mary’s genealogy, not her husband’s, would be vital.
I will be discussing study guides shortly, but the Greek word translated as “husband” in Matthew 1:16 is aner and literally reads “man.” It is generally translated as “husband” but not in every instance. The verse reads, “And Jacob begat Joseph the [aner: man] of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
This is why we have two genealogies. People would have naturally looked at the father’s lineage to assess kinship with David, but the prophecy could not be fulfilled through the lineage of Yeshua’s guardian.
A different study shows the vantage point of the four gospels (an interesting study of the word “branch” that you can do when you are ready). Matthew is written from the perspective of Yeshua as “king” (Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15), Mark is written from the perspective of Yeshua as “servant” (Zechariah 3:8), Luke is written from the perspective of Yeshua as a “man” (Zechariah 6:12), and John is written from the perspective of Yeshua as the “son of God” (Isaiah 4:2).
Mark does not have a genealogy because one does not concern oneself with the lineage of a servant. It is said that John does not have a genealogy either, but I contend that it does:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
“Only begotten of the Father.” As Stan Lee would say, “’Nuff said.”
Here is another example:
Scripture literally reads, “There is no God.” I recommend reading the entire verse to get the context:
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14:1
Don’t be a fool and take Scripture out of context.
6. Distinguish between identical things and similar things The books of Kings and Chronicles relate much of the same information, but the perspective of the tales are often different (man’s perspective versus Yahweh’s perspective). The four Gospels also relate many of the same tales; at times, there are differences, and it may be for good reason.
Yeshua feeds five thousand in Matthew14 (verses 13–21) and four thousand in Mark 15 (verses 32–39). These are two similar incidents, but they are not identical – they are two separate events.
Here is another example:
After being baptized by John the Baptist, Yeshua went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days. The narrative of his temptations by Satan are relayed in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The problem is that the narratives are similar, but they are not identical.
There does not seem to be a second occurrence where Yeshua goes into the wilderness, so let’s examine the Scriptures.
Matthew 4:1–11 temptations: • Command stones to become bread (verse 3) • Cast yourself down from the temple (verses 5–6) • I will give you all the kingdoms (verses 8–9)
Mark references the time in the wilderness (Mark 1:12–13) but gives no details on the temptations.
Luke 4:1–13 temptations: • Command stone to become bread (verse 3–4) • I will give you all the kingdoms (verses 5–8) • Cast yourself down from the temple (verses 9–12)
Very similar but not identical: “stone” versus “stones,” and the temptations are in a different order.
Luke 4:13 is important: “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” This tells us that he returned. At the end of the narrative in Matthew, the Word tells us, “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
The devil tempted Yeshua at least six times, possibly more (not all would have necessarily been recorded): three recorded in Matthew and another three recorded in Luke. Throughout the biblical narrative, Satan often uses the same temptations with different people because they generally, eventually work. The devil has been very successful at screwing up humanity with a relatively small, but effective, bag of tricks.
People may not succumb to his temptations the first time, but he can tell if repeated enticements are wearing down a person’s resolve.
A third example for you to study: Each Gospel talks about two people crucified with Christ. Every narrative is different (e.g., different crimes, crucified at different times, remarks made by the crucified; etc.). See if having four crucified with Christ (two earlier and two later) doesn’t bring the Scriptures into alignment.
7. Know that no chapters, capitalization, or punctuation are in the original Chapter headings are for ease in reading, nothing more. Finding a specific scripture in the original scrolls was much more difficult. Even the headings “Old Testament” and “New Testament” have no real meaning.
Nothing really changed until after Christ was resurrected from the dead. Yeshua fully followed the Torah of the Old Testament.
The expression “holy ghost” can be translated in numerous ways based on the context (e.g., Yahweh, the gift, an angel). Just because the translators capitalized the words does not necessarily mean that it is referring to Yahweh. The vice versa is applicable also.
All punctuation was added by the translators also. One misplaced comma can completely change a verse. Let us look at Luke 23:39-43:
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Luke 23:39–43
Verse 43 is the object of this example. How was the malefactor supposed to be with Yeshua in paradise on that day? Yeshua prophesied that he would be in the “heart of the earth” for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). The first resurrection of the dead is not slated to happen until Revelation 20:4–6.
The problem with verse 43 is the comma before “To day.” If it is placed after “To day,” then there is no contradiction with the rest of the Word.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee to day, thou shalt be with me in paradise.
Luke 23:43, revised
One of the reasons I like the KJV is that the translators italicized the words they added (with a few notable exceptions like 1 John 5:7-8, which we will examine shortly). The Hebrew language did not have the verb “to be” (I was stationed in Hawaii and found that the Hawaiian language does not either. I would say “There is a car,” but a local might say “There one car”), so the translators added the verb where they thought it necessary, and then italicized it to let us know what they did.
The translators’ additions of certain verbs and other words often help in the reading of the verse but is not “God-breathed.” In the genealogy of Luke 3, each generation has the words “the son” added.
“Joseph, which was the son of Heli, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna . . . .” literally reads, “Joseph, which was of Heli, which was of Matthat, which was of Levi, which was of Melchi, which was of Janna…”
Nothing is wrong with all these additions – until you get to verse 38:
Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Luke 3:38
Adam was not “the son” of God. Adam was “of” God.
8. Use study guides Not knowing the biblical languages makes serious study difficult. It does not, however, greatly impede one from being able to verify research done by others.
There are any number of books and study tools one can use to assist in studying the Word. Many have been published online, which makes searching even easier than having the book in front of you. (I’m old-fashioned and prefer to have several volumes of yellow-faded page tomes open in front of me, with my reading glasses at the end of my nose).
a. Interlinears These are word-for-word transliterations of the Greek and/or the Hebrew texts. The Bible you use is a “translation.” There is a difference.
Here is a guide I found that can be useful. It is not an advocacy for any particular version:
A good interlinear is essential for good research.
I studied German in high school (well, maybe studied is too strong a word), and I learned the difference between transliteration and translation. The German phrase “Ich verstehe nicht” (a phrase I needed to use often) is translated, “I do not understand.” If it is transliterated word-for-word, it would read, “I understand not.” They mean the same thing, but the translation is used to make it easier to understand in English.
The following is a portion of a page from the Interlinear Greek- English New Testament by George Ricker Berry:
The KJV is printed in the margin. The Stephen’s Greek Text (1550) is printed word-for-word on the main portion of the page. Beneath the Greek is the English transliteration of each Greek word. Look at an example from verse 10 in the page above.
In some cases, numbers are placed by the English words to show the order the words would be in if translated directly from the Greek (the order of the words is often different in other languages; German verbs are often at the end of the sentence, while in English we like to place them in the middle).
George Berry went to a lot of trouble so I would not have to. But wait! It gets even better from here!
This is not just one Greek text. Berry references seven other Greek New Testaments that were in common usage in 1897. He places superscript letters next to some of the Greek text to reference footnotes at the bottom of the page to illustrate the differences between these individual texts:
Let us do a quick demonstration with 1 John 5:7–8. The KJV is in the left margin of the page:
The Greek text and the English transliteration fill the right side of the page:
Notice the superscript “z” at the right edge of the page on the line where verse 7 starts? This refers us to the footnotes at the bottom of the page:
Let me expand the pertinent portion so it is easier to read:
The “z” identifies the correct footnote. The minus sign tells us the phrase that follows is not in some of the other Greek texts. It repeats the Greek phrase from above to show specifically where the phrase starts and stops. Finally, it identifies which Greek texts do not have this passage.
The KJV reads as follows,
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
1 John 5:7–8
Six of the eight texts do not include the phrase “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth.”
Two things can be surmised from this:
• The original text in 1 John 5 probably read, “7 For there are three that bear record, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
• The authors of the Stephen Greek text (1550) and the Elsevier Greek text (1624) probably added the phrase (Elsevier may have just copied Stephen) to add verbiage promoting the Trinity, since the Scriptures have very little to say about this concept that has become the cornerstone of mainstream Christian theology.
Don’t feel you have to remember all these steps. My interlinear has all this info in the introduction, and it stands to reason other interlinears would have similar guides to help you use them.
b. Bible dictionaries, lexicons, and concordances These are quite numerous, and they all have a similar purpose, though they use different methods to achieve their goals.
What you use will be a personal preference, and I recommend that you accustom yourself to the books in your local library (or a friend’s library) before you purchase several volumes that may never leave your shelf after you have become comfortable using one format over the rest.
Bible dictionaries are similar to regular dictionaries. They have definitions and maybe a picture to help explain the word.
The words included in a Bible dictionary are limited to what the author thinks is important, and the definitions often do not have a link to an actual Bible verse. When they do, it is generally just one or two verses even though the same word might be used dozens of times in the Word.
These are good if you are curious about what a word means but you are not necessarily in the midst of biblical research (e.g., you are listening to a teaching on television and the instructor talks about the apostle Paul in Iconium).
Lexicons are similar to Bible dictionaries, but they are more inclusive. Lexicons are normally limited to either the New Testament or the Old Testament because they reference every word in whichever testament they are listing.
The following is a page from E. W. Bullinger’s Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (1877). Let us examine the word godliness.
The lexicon gives the two Greek words that are translated as “godliness” and their definitions. It also lists every verse that uses either word, identifying which word is used in those verses.
This is a far-better tool for actual research. Greek and Hebrew are both more descriptive than English because we tend to use the same word to describe different ideas (e.g., I “love” my wife, and I “love” ice cream. Different sentiments are being portrayed, but the same word is used).
English is so bad (“how bad is it?”) the word cleave is also its own antonym (cleave unto someone versus cleave off an arm in battle).
Lexicons are also good because if a Greek word has different English translations, they will still appear in the list (i.e., if “godliness” – eusebeia – was translated as “holiness”, it would appear under “holiness,” and the verse would also appear in the listing of verses containing eusebeia under “godliness”).
Bullinger was a prolific writer and published dozens of study aides on a variety of subjects (e.g., Figures of Speech, Numbers in the Bible, The Witness of the Stars, Customs and Manners, and many more). His Companion Bible is full of notes and references. If you are serious about studying the Word, you should check out his body of work.
Concordances list all the words (OT and NT) of the Bible alphabetically (like a dictionary), and then they list all the verses where that word appears. Small segments of the verse appear in the list to help identify a specific verse the researcher is looking for.
With the lexicon, one has to look up each verse to ascertain whether it is pertinent to the work you are doing. However, the Strong’s Concordance (pictured above) uses a numbering system to link to definitions listed in the rear of the book.
We are revisiting the word “godliness” that we used with the lexicon. The Greek words are numbered so that similarly related Greek words are grouped together (see #2150 below) in the dictionary.
Strong’s has allowed others to use its numbering system so it is a universal study aid across many study texts.
c. Commentaries These are collections of teachings by an author or by several writers who share a denomination. They can be good, but the authors generally bring their own personal bias to their work.
This is a situation where you may need a starting point for your research. For example, you read an article at bereanbiblesociety.org that states (among other claims), “Even the Jews do not practice tithing today because there are no Levites, priests, or temple worship in Jerusalem” (Ken Lawson – Facts on Tithing).
The author of this article makes several claims about the tithe that are in direct conflict with the authors of other prominent articles and the leaders of different denominations – who all disagree with each other. Are their assertions based on logic? Opinion? Or are they based on Scripture? You can use the tools you now have to discern what is of Yahweh and what is of man.
d. Websites There are many websites that simplify biblical research (e.g., blueletterbible.org and biblegateway.com). Some of them require a monthly subscription. All of them have software that was written by people who are inherently biased (just like the writers of all the study books I just shared).
This is why reading one article or using just one source is not a recommended way to study the Word. You may stumble onto great truth, but you won’t know. Questioning your doctrine is a good thing. Your study can reinforce what you already know, or it can shift your beliefs to a better understating of Yahweh’s Word.
As you become more savvy, you may want to take language and history classes. You will want to invest in a Bible atlas so you can follow everyone in their wanderings. You will want to understand the customs of the time. You will want to learn the idioms and figures of speech used four thousand years ago (trust me, they are not the same today). Yahweh does not expect you to figure it all out in one sitting.
Nearly every church in nearly every denomination now has a website with teachings on any number of subjects. Some are very good, but others tend to be suspect. The best teachings are referred to by other teachers; humility about someone else’s work is a good sign.
I highly recommend the teachings of 119 Ministries (once again, I do not receive any form of compensation for an endorsement). There are equally good teachers on the Internet that share a Total Bible position, but I found that 119’s Torah based teachings were very helpful as I began to navigate the Word after my revelation.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Surprise! 2020 wasn’t the year. I told you in this blog that I would have to work on a new revision if revision two did not pan out. If you are reading this, you figured it out all on your own.
Hopefully you didn’t put too much faith in my early theory (personally, I put a little bit of faith in it, but not enough to cause any additional depression than I feel every year that the Day of Trumpets comes and he doesn’t return. It may feel like I’m telling you to believe me this time, I won’t do you wrong this time (sounds like Lucy to Charlie Brown when he goes to kick the football)
How do I top the stupendous work I did on Theory #1 and its subsequent revision? By redoing the math until I get the right answer, of course.
I am leaving the original post intact because it is a good summation of parallels between the Creation narrative and the history of man (including the Millineal kingdom that Christ will usher in some day . . . just probably on on any of the days I predict).
Theory 1(c): Christ returns in the year 2039
Seems like an odd year to pick (actually, it IS an odd year – ends in “9”, an odd number). But it is my next best SWAG (Scientific Wild-Ass Guess).
The theory is still based a 6000 year period of time where humans continually screw everything up and a 1000 year reign of Christ (the Millineal kingdom), who fixes everything and then judges all (explained in detail, below).
I originally used Christ as the fulcrum between the first 4000 years and the last 2000 years of ‘man’s day.’ I tried that twice and don’t know how to use it a third time, so I will start from (almost) the beginning.
No one know when Elohim created the heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1). The Word says, “in the beginning”.
Adam is a different matter. We have several genealogies that tell us how old each of the patriarchs were when their son was born. Sounds like real simple math . . . except for a few minor problems.
Genesis 5 takes us from Adam through Noah
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
Genesis 5:3
Did Adam have Seth when he was 130 years and one day or 130 years and 364 days?
This difference amongst all the patriarchs could add up to a couple of decades, or it could cancel itself out statistically.
Many of those ages end in a zero or a “five”, which could mean there is some estimation taking place. Again, this difference amongst all the patriarchs could add up to a couple of decades, or it could cancel itself out statistically.
How old was Adam when he “lived an hundred and thirty years”? When he was formed and created, he was not an infant. Did he start at 30 years of age? 40?
The ages with the genealogies end before Israel is enslaved in Egypt. Matthew and Mark give us complete genealogies from Abraham through Christ, but all we have is the number of generations, not how long each lived before their heir was born.
At this point, we can quit in disgust or we can logically speculate (SWAG) based on the information we do have. Many famous thinkers did the latter.
A rather incomplete list of folks who thought it was worthwhile to speculate:
3761 BC – Hebrew calendar (160)
3946 BC – Biblical Timeline (based on Abraham’s birth in 2000 BC)
4004 BC – Archbishop James Ussher (1722)
3929 BC – John Lightfoot (1643)
3952 BC – Bede (708)
4000 BC – Sir Isaac Newton
4977 BC – Johannes Kepler (1609)
3113 BC – Mayan calendar (1300)
4600 BC – Romans (they dated to the Flood – I added 1550 years)
So how does one decide what year to use? I’m using 3961 BC. Why? Because I wrote it next to Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
I don’t remember when I wrote it or the the source of the information, but I liked the information enough that I wrote in in the margin of my Bible. I was already aware of Bishop Ussher’s date, as well as Newton’s and the Hebrew calendar, but they did not impress me enough to write their SWAG in my Bible.
Does Yahweh tell us to do these mental exercises? Yes and no.
We are commanded to study (2Timothy 2:15) and we are told that it is the honor of kings to search out a matter (Psalm 25:2)
If reading and studying the Word does not make you curious about what it doesn’t say, then you are a dull person. Live it up a little and have some fun with the Word. It was a gift for you to use and enjoy. Enjoy yourself and be vigilant for his second coming.
The following is the original blog:
Theory #1 – Is 2020 the Year?
This is going to be a blend of Scripture and logic (hey, it’s my blog, I’ll call it ‘logical’ if I want). All Bible Study is a mixture of Scripture and logic because we are supposed to use our minds to read, interpret, and understand, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and hopefully get you to think, also.
I have two theories (this is starting to sound like a Monty Python sketch) that I will share. I’ve expounded on these two theories for several decades, so I’m not sure why there is no Theory #3. I guess my brain is getting lazy.
The Flood is demonstrable fact. The Resurrection is historical fact (the fact that all the disciples were willing to face torture and death is one proof that it took place . . . who would risk their life for a lie?). My theories are a mental exercise that are worth the paper this blog is written on. I just want you to know that I understand that I know the following is not God-Breathed. Still, a good student, scientist, etc., looks at reality and ponders what could be.
The THEORY: Christ returns in 2020.
Before you start quoting Matthew 24:35-36, remember there are verses 37-39, also.
Matthew 24:35-39
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Noah knew – Yahweh told him to build an ark. He also gave Noah 120 years to witness to men while he was building the ark. The ones who did not know (purposely ignorant) were everyone, except the eight that survived in the ark. Yahweh gives signs for those that wish to know.
Genesis 1:14
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
The Word is full of ‘parallels’:
Passover lamb that saves the Israelites from Egypt and the Passover Lamb (Yeshua) that saves all of mankind that confess him Lord and believe that he was resurrected from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Jonah dead in the whale for three days and nights (this is not a Disney story, no one survives three days in an animal’s digestive tract) and Yeshua in the heart of the Earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). I discuss the three days and three nights in an earlier blog – Christ did not die on a Friday afternoon and rise again on Sunday morning.
Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is cast down but because of his faithfulness, he becomes the chief minister of Egypt . . . second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 37 – 41), and Yeshua who is Yahweh’s only begotten. He is imprisoned, tortured and killed, but because of his faithfulness, he is resurrected and sits at the right-hand of Yahweh (Mark 16:19, et al.).
If you think you are seeing a pattern, here, then you are using your logic to understand that the entire Bible (from Genesis 3:15 to the end) is about Yeshua and his two natures. It tells how he was; how he is to be; it defines his purpose; it gave him the Words he would need to witness to Israel; when he was confronted by Satan; and when he was physically broken and dying on the cross.
To truly understand the Word, you must be able to identify these patterns because an entire story is seldom written all together in one place. In my book, Grafted: Embracing Torah (if you are thinking that you are seeing a pattern of these blogs being used as shameless commercials for my book, then logically . . . . ), I devote a chapter to strategies for studying and understanding what you read. One of the tactics is “#3 – Use Scripture to Interpret Scripture”.
The example I used in the book is the words Christ spoke from the cross, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me”. Why did he say this shortly before he died? You can read Psalm 22 to help you understand; or you can check out my earlier blog, “Why’d He Say That?” if you would like it spelled out; or you could get my book and learn about this and many other valuable fundamentals (of course I recommend the latter – I’m a little biased towards my own work). Have your library buy it and you can check it out if you don’t want to spend the greenbacks.
Shall we get to the theory?
I am a proponent of the “young Earth” theory. I’m no scientist, but after listening to numerous people teach many conflicting theories, I am more persuaded by the young Earth advocates.
This translates to the Earth and man being created approximately six thousand (6000) years ago. This is where the diagram at the beginning of this blog comes in handy. This is also where all the discussion of ‘parallels’ comes into play.
Elohim created the Heavens and the Earth, and all that is in them, in six days. (Genesis 1).
There are approximately 4000 years in the Old Testament (using genealogies and other historical facts to estimate the total number of years) and 2000 years since the resurrection of the Christ. This makes a total of 6000 years (give or take).
If you aren’t already seeing where this is going, then you really aren’t trying.
Elohim rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-2).
Yeshua will usher in a 1000 year reign of rest and peace when he returns as king.
When we add them together:
6 days of Creation and 1 of day of Rest equals 7 days.
6000 years living in the Creation and 1000 years of Yeshua’s millennial reign equals 7000 years
Does the Word say that this Heaven and Earth would only last for a specific period of time? Did Yeshua say he was returning in 2000 years? No and No. Can we infer that the creation story parallels the overall story of history? We can infer anything we want, but let’s examine another way the Word may be hinting at a nexus between the two narratives.
“For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” (Psalms 90:4)
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2Peter 3:8)
The verses immediately following 2Peter 3:8 specifically speak of the end of this present heaven and Earth and the beginning of a new one.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2Peter 3:10)
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1Thessolonians 5:2)
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Revelation 3:3)
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15)
‘The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.’ If you own a home, do you not anticipate that you could be robbed by a thief? Do you not put locks in on your doors and windows? Maybe you install an alarm system? Maybe you have a weapon ready to protect your most valuable assets (your family)?
If you see ‘signs’, are you not more vigilant? If a neighbor is robbed, you are more alert – if two or more have break-ins, you may sleep sitting on the couch with a shotgun on your lap or organize a neighborhood watch.
If you repeatedly see a strange car that appears to be ‘casing’ the neighborhood, you contact the police and ask them to check it out. The point is, you don’t ignore fairly obvious signs and act like nothing could ever happen.
When Christ returns, we are not supposed to say, “Wow! Didn’t see that coming.” That’s what the unbelievers will say . . . just like the ones before the Flood. Noah was prepared and we should be, too (How to prepare will be the subject of a future blog and a future book . . . provided I am wrong about Theory #1).
The parable Christ told of the women waiting for the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13) is concerning being prepared to enter the new kingdom. Five women were prepared for when the bridegroom came (they had oil for their lamps) – the other five did not and went away to find what they needed, thereby missing the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
I told my pastor, ‘the word says, “ye know neither the day nor the hour”, but it says nothing about knowing the year’. To his credit, his response was, “tell me more”.
Theory #1 is that Christ returns on Rosh Hashanah in the year 2020.
I’ve based this on 4000 years between Creation and the death of Yeshua and adding in the 2000 years since his resurrection (minus seven years for the tribulation). The next 1000 years will be his reign in the millennial kingdom.
Rosh Hashanah because it is the ‘Feast of Trumpets’ when Israel’s kings were officially coronation, and most probably the day he was born (in 3 BC – discussed in my book Grafted: Embracing Torah and the subject of a future blog).
Should you cash in all your IRAs and quit your job? Absent more information than what I have given you, then yes, you should – but only if you are a complete imbecile. Theory #1 is a THEORY! Rather, it is Theory 1(b). Theory #1 has been around a long time. Theory #1(a) was based on 2000 years since the birth of the infant Christ (subtract seven for the start of the seven years of tribulation).
That anniversary came and went and I was forced to redo ‘the math’ based, now, on his resurrection. I didn’t sell my IRAs or quit my job then, and I don’t plan to do it now. What I will do is prepare and to look for more signs . . .
. . . and try to figure out what Theory #1(c) will look like.
As a consolation, Theory #2 is shorter and way, way better.
Yahweh gave you a mind – exercise it.
Study your Bible; listen to teachings and proof their work; fellowship with Bible-believing Christians; and always seek guidance from the one you have confessed as Lord in prayer. This is vital to avoid suffering catastrophe when The Day finally comes.
