God was making all mankind His friends

Apostolic teachings: The Good News of the New Testament as seen in 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

Here are some thoughts I gathered from 2 Cor. 5 during a devotion sometime last month. Quotations are taken from the Good News Translation (formerly called Today's English Version).

(1) One died for all, All live for One (2 Cor. 5: 14,15)

We recognize that one man, the Messiah, died for everyone,
==>Therefore all (who are baptized in His Name) share in His death.
He died for all,
==> so that all those who live should no longer live for themselves.
Instead, all should live only for Him
==> who died and who was raised to lif - for their sake.

(2) All completely changed (2 Cor. 5: 17-18)

Anyone who is joined to the Messiah is a new being.
This change is performed by God,
==> through the Messiah, who changed us from being His enemies to become His friends.

(3) This is our Message (2 Cor. 5: 19)

God was making all mankind become His friends,
==> through the Anointed One (Messiah).
God did not keep account of their sins,
And God has given us this message,
==> "How He makes them His friends".

(4) Shared sins, Shared Righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)

The Anointed One was without sin,
God made Him share our sin,
==> so that through the Anointed we may share the righteousness of God.

Brothers and Sisters, this is the Good News that we bring to the world.

Isaiah 7:14 Virgin or young woman?

Isaiah 7:14 Virgin or Young woman?

Written on 20130611

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Isaiah 7:14 KJV
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

In the Great Isaiah Scroll from the DSS, the word translated as "virgin" is "ha'almah" which actually means a young woman rather than an unmarried maiden.

It is often argued that the word "ha'almah" in Isaiah 7:14 should have been translated as "young woman" instead of "virgin". This because the Hebrew word for virgin is "betulah" and not "ha'almah"

People who question the validity of rendering ha'almah as "virgin", and the use of this verse as a Messianic prophecy (see Matthew 1:22-23), point out the fact that in Isaiah chapter 7, Isaiah was prophesying about the birth of a child by the young woman was a sign to King Ahaz that his enemies King Pekah and King Rezin would be defeated at the hands of God. Thus it should not be construed as a miraculous virgin birth.

Why then is this verse referred to as a prophecy of the unmarried Mary, a maiden being chosen to bear the Son of God, in Matthew chapter 1?

Matthew 1:22,23
"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Why did the Greek text use the word παρθένος (parthenos=virgin) in quoting Isaiah 7:14?

A better understanding of the rationale for the use of the term "virgin" here can be obtained by looking at two other instances where ha'almah occurs in the TaNaKh, as follows:

Genesis 24:43 KJV Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin (ha'almah) cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink

Although some English translations like the NIV and NET renders this word as "young woman" rather than "virgin", the context of this account seems to tell us that those were unmarried young women who came to draw water.

Likewise,

Exodus 2:8 KJV
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid (ha'almah) went and called the child's mother.

This account is even more obvious than the one in Genesis 24:43 in using ha'almah to depict a girl or a maiden, in this case the little girl is the sister of baby Moses.

One must also note that the Septuagint also renders ha'almah as "virgin" (parthenos) in Isaiah 7:14.

Isaiah 7:14 LXX
διὰ τοῦτο δώσει κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῖν σημεῖον ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εμμανουηλ (Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel.)

To me, Matthew 1:23,24 is not a mistranslation or misinterpretation of Isaiah 7:14. It is an event that happened "according to the Scriptures"

Praying to Adonai our God in the Name of His Anointed

Hebrews 4: 14-16 KJV
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Probably the earliest account of the disciples praying to the Father in the name of Jesus is recorded in Acts chapter 4, after Peter and John were threatened and warned not to teach in Jesus' Name by the High Priest, rulers, elders and scribes:

Acts 4: 29-31 KJV
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Notice how the disciples, praying with one accord (4:24), addressed God as "Lord" (= "LORD" or Adonai in Hebrew, the title for YHWH) in verse 24 and 29.

Acts 4:24 KJV
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

It is also noteworthy that the disciples referred to Jesus in their prayer as "thy holy child whom thou hast anointed" in verse 27, and "thy holy child Jesus" in verse 30.

Brothers and Sisters, let us pray to Adonai YHWH our God, in the Name of His Holy Child, whom He has Anointed.

The New Way of the Spirit

Dear brothers and sisters, here are some observations that I have made during my devotions about a year ago.

The Good News of the New Testament
- the new way of the Spirit vs the old way of the written Instructions.
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The apostle Paul writes in his epistle to the Romans that those who have believed in the Lord Jesus the Messiah have three distinct characteristics in the new covenant with God.

Before I go on however, I'd like to point out that the epistles referenced in this article were written by Paul in typical Jewish midrashic style. Midrash is a Jewish approach to exegesis, which mainly focuses on deep meanings and comparative investigation of Biblical texts. (A brief commentary on interpretation of Old Testament scripture in the early NT times can be found at the end of this article)*

Here are three characteristics:

(I) Believers in the Messiah are Freed from Condemnation of the Law.

Rom. 7:6 GNT
"Now, however, we are free from the Law
because we died to that which once held us prisoners.
No longer do we serve in the OLD WAY of the written Law (or Instructions)
but in the NEW WAY of the Spirit."

This verse tells us that the written Instructions once held us captives, that they constitute an old way of serving God and that they are replaced by a new way, simply described as the way of the Spirit.

We must note, however, that this assertion by no means imply that Believers are to abandon or to disregard the teachings of the Law of Moses. It does not, for example, gives us license to kill, to steal or to commit adultery. Being free from the Law certainly does not mean being free to bear false witness or to covet our neighbours' possessions. Paul wrote in Romans 3:31, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." (NASB)

Likewise, whist we are free from the condemnation of the Law, we are nonetheless reminded to use the Law, along with the Writings and the Prophets (all Scriptures), to instruct, to reprove, to correct and to train ourselves in righteousness, so that we are properly equipped to perform good works.  Paul wrote to Timothy in his 2nd epistle,

2 Tim 3:15,17 GNT
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful[a] for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, 17 so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

Yes, we Believers serve our Heavenly Father in the new way of His Spirit working within us, no longer by the old way of the written Instructions outside of us. And, no, we do not transgress the Instructions. Instead we uphold it.

(II) Believers in the Messiah are Enabled by the Power of God.

This assertion is further explained in Paul's 2nd epistle to the Corinthians, in chapter 3 for example, which tells us that believers in the Lord Jesus are enabled by God Himself to serve the new covenant, doing the work of God. It tells us that this new covenant does not consist of a written Law (Instructions) but instead consists of the Spirit of God

2 Cor 3:5b,6 GNT
"The capacity we have comes from God; 6 it is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life."

Paul goes on to explain how this comes about.

He points out that the written Instructions were carved in stone (2 Cor 3:7). They came with the powerful manifestations of God's glory, a glory so bright, shining from Moses' face, that the Israelites could not look at it. In alluding to the account of Moses in Exodus chapter 34, Paul asserts that this glory was to subsequently bring death and condemnation to the people of Israel (2 Cor 3: 7b, 8), and that this glory was transient (2 Cor 3:11).

In contrast to the fearsome but transient glory that shone on Moses' face, the Spirit of God which is poured out on His people in the new covenant (Acts 2:33) gives life (2 Cor 3:6b). It comes with a far greater glory (2 Cor 3:8). It brings salvation instead of condemnation (2 Cor 3:9). And it lasts forever (2 Cor 3:11)

2 Cor 3: 7-11 GNT
"7 The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory, 8 how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit! 9 The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation! 10 We may say that because of the far brighter glory now the glory that was so bright in the past is gone. 11 For if there was glory in that which lasted for a while, how much more glory is there in that which lasts forever!"

And finally,

(III) Believers in the Messiah are Full of the Glory of the LORD (YHWH).

The Apostle calls on the believers at Corinth to behave as a people who show the glory of God with "uncovered faces", unlike Moses who had to cover his face with a veil to conceal the glory of God (Ex 34:34, 2 Cor 3:13, 18).

2 Cor 3:18 GNT
"All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory."

This glory that Believers reflect is the same glory as that which shone from Moses' face. It comes from the LORD (YHWH), who is Spirit (see John 4:24). The Spirit of God in us transforms us in a ever increasing degree of glory, i.e. "from glory to glory".

Brothers and Sisters, let us reflect the Glory of YHWH our God by His Spirit in us.
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Midrash - interpretation of Jewish Scriptures in NT times:
http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/2006/11/01/interpreting-the-jewish-scriptures-in-pauls-time-nt-29/

The Prayer for the Ephesians

Friday 2013.06.07

Ephesians 3:14-21, a prayer for the Ephesians.

This is a good prayer for all of us to exemplify, especially because, like all prayers in the NT, this is essentially a prayer to our Heavenly Father. If we want to pray like Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21, we should do the following:

(Scripture quoted from Young's Literal Translation)

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Bow to our Heavenly Father, who is also the Father of our Master Jesus the Messiah.

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," 3:14

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Acknowledge that every being in heavens and earth receives its true name from our Father in heaven. He is our creator God.

"of whom the whole family in the heavens and on earth is named"3:15

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Ask our Heavenly Father to give us strength in our inner being, through His Spirit according to the wealth of His glory. Yes, this we must ask for such wealthy, glorious strength from our Father.

"that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, with might to be strengthened through His Spirit, in regard to the inner man" 3:16

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Along with the inner strength, ask the Father to make our Messiah (the Anointed One) to dwell in our hearts through our trust in Him.

"that the Christ may dwell through the faith in your hearts" 3:17a

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Also ask that the Father will make us established in His love:

" in love having been rooted and founded," 3:17b

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Ask the Father that we may also, together with all other saints, have the power to understand the full dimensions (of His love)

"that ye may be in strength to comprehend, with all the saints, what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height" 3:18

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Ask our Father that we may also know the love of the Messiah, a love which is beyond our normal knowledge / ability to understand,

"to know also the love of the Christ that is exceeding the knowledge" 3:19a

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So that we may be full of the nature of God our Father
"that ye may be filled -- to all the fulness of God;" 3:19b

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Finally, let us sing our doxology to God our Father, who works in us by His power: to HIM (God our Father) be the glory in the assembly (ekklesia) by Jesus our Messiah.

"and to Him who is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly what we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us, to Him [is] the glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen" 3:20,21

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Brothers and Sisters, let us pray to God, He is our Father in Heaven.