Musing – Regarding Slavery, was Paul a Northerner or a Southerner?

Hebraic Musing – Regarding Slavery, was Paul a Northerner or a Southerner?

Both North and the South had Christians who used Scripture references to defend their opposing positions regarding slavery.  How can that be?  Can Paul’s epistles be read two ways?  Theologians point out that some of the “Pauline” epistles were in Paul’s name but not actually written by Paul, a common practice then.

And many scholars think these more patoral Epistles were written later in Paul’s name:  Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.  And Paul probably did not write Hebrews.*

Could the Northerners have been using these Anti-Slavery references from writings personally authored by Paul?   Paul preached to give up all for Christ:

·         Paul preached that there is no place for slavery in Gal. 3:28   There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

·         Philippians 3:8-9  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ   NIV

·         “We are all brothers” in Philemon 16  -- no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.   

Could the Southerners have been using these Pro-Slavery references from Epistles written by others after the revolt, destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when serious persecution began?  These Epistles tell how to treat slaves which were the fabric of the existing social/economic system:

·         Col. 4:1  Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

·         Eph. 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.  And masters, treat your slaves in the same way.

·         Pastoral epistle - Titus 2:9-10     Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

No wonder the “Civil War” was not “civil”!

Points to ponder

Could these contradictions in NT Scripture have resulted from
writers pressured to accommodate the world systems in those times?

Which of the writers was not “politically correct”?

How are societal, economic and worldly pressures
being accommodated in today’s preaching?

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 November 25, 2014

Books author “Hebraic Insights”; “Biblical Marriage”; “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings” at   insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/
Yosef1@cox.net   or  www.InsightsByYosef.com  

*  Scholars have no difficulty attributing these Epistles (approximate dates) to Paul’s direct authorship – Romans (A.D. 57-58); 1 Corinthians (A.D. 55);  2 Corinthians, (A.D. 56); Galatians (Prison A.D. 49 or 55); Philippians (Prison  A.D. 60-61); 1 Thessalonians (A.D. 51-52); Philemon (Prison A.D. 61).

Musing – How do simple word changes affect our theology?

Hebraic Musing – How do simple word changes affect our theology?

We have seen word definitions undergo what I will call perverted flip-flops of definition.  Examples – “Good” is being called “Bad”; what was “Hot” is now called “Cool”; “Love” had been perverted to “Making Love” to describe the sex act – the foundation for our Judeo/Christian faith is being perverted.  But more important, there are other subtle word changes that have evolved in newer Scripture translations that affect our theological interpretations:

1.   “Faith of Jesus” has changed to “Faith in Jesus”.  The beloved old KJV promises deliverance, righteousness and justification to those with the “faith of Jesus”.  Modern translation say “faith in Jesus”.  Could that translation change be attributed to the trend in the last century toward receiving salvation by answering an alter call or a prayer in which one simply acknowledges “faith in Jesus” (even Satan knows Him).  Hebraic theology stresses “Halakhah” (the Hebrew word for ‘way of walking’). Note these changes in our modern translations:

In the NIV, Rom 3:22 “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”    But the older KJV says   “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:”   KJV

Gal 2:16 in the NIV says “know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus…”   The KJV, says “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus…”

Gal 3:22  in the NIV says  “…Scripture declares that … what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”  The older KJV says “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

2.   God is love   or   We serve a Loving God.  The Hebrew Bible uses action verbs, whereas our English version tends to use adjectives.  Classic distortion is found in our oft stated simple statement “God is Love.”  And this becomes the basis for statements like “how can God, if He is Love, permit people to go to Hell?”  God has thus been defined by a statement of only one of His many attributes and names.  After all, He is a loving God who also judges, wreaks vengeance, provides, heals, forgives, etc.

3.  Faith  or  Faithfulness.   The word “Faith” is used only 16 times in the Old Testament NIV, and only twice in the KJV.  Dt.32:20 references “Children in whom is no faith”.  And Hab. 2:4 says “…but the just shall live by his faith” which implies active faith. 

While the NT uses the simple word “Faith” over 250 times there should be reference to activity.  Quick example – 3 John 5 in the NASB says "Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers."

So when we see “Faith” in our favorite translations, we should think “acting faithfully” or “faithfulness” instead of being satisfied with mental assent to Jesus as Our Savior.  Or we could more literally translate the word “Faith” to "practicing faith" or "practicing belief" or "practicing trust."  Faithfulness is in fact an act of faith. If we are going to obey the Lord, then we will need actions to support our faith.    Meaningful faith needs to be acted upon. The book of James makes this very clear.

Point to ponder

How can we be more alert and read Scripture more carefully?

What other subtle word changes in the modern translations change theology?

Keep the faith

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 November 18, 2014
Books author “Hebraic Insights”; “Biblical Marriage”; “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings”
Yosef1@cox.net   or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing – Is the ‘sacrifice of Isaac’ a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice?

Hebraic Musing – Is the ‘sacrifice of Isaac’ a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice?

While reading in Genesis 22 about Abraham taking Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed, I was struck by similarities between the life and death of both Isaac and Jesus.  And the relationship with Ishmael raises another question. Why was Isaac declared to be the “only son” of Abraham in v.2, and yet we know Ishmael was also his son?  Jesus is also called the only Son of the Father in John 3:16, and yet in John 1:12 we believers became sons – “…he gave the right to become children of God.”

Here are some more similarities between the accounts of Isaac and Jesus:

·      Angels announced the births of both Isaac and Jesus (Genesis 17:19; Matthew 1:20-21).

·      Sarah was past childbearing and Mary was a virgin, so both were the result of miraculous births.

·      Isaac and Yeshua were both circumcised on the 8th day, so the offspring of both are under the covenant.

·      Abraham is told to sacrifice his only son in v.2.  Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son.

·      According to v.4 it was three days after Isaac was to die that he arose from the altar; and we know Jesus arose on the third day.

·      Isaac was required to carry the wood for his own sacrifice in v.6; Jesus carried His own wooden cross.

·      Isaac let himself be bound and then laid him on the wood of the altar in v.9; in the “Passion of Christ” Mel Gibson, playing the role of Jesus, laid his own hand on the cross to be nailed.  So both Isaac and Jesus offered up no resistance, but willingly submitted to the sacrifice.

·      In v.8 Abraham knew “…God himself will provide the lamb…” while we know that Jesus was known as “The Lamb of God.”  In v.13 the substituted sacrifice was the ram; whereas “the Lamb of God” became our substitute on the cross.

·      Josephus figured that Isaac was somewhere between 25 and 37 at the time which makes him possibly about the same age as Jesus when He was crucified.

My favorite little word tucked into God’s Word is found in Genesis 22:13  “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.”  Why is it important that the ram was ‘caught by its horns’?  The ram was unblemished; and Jesus was unblemished - without sin!  (Every Word in the Bible is there for a reason!)

Ardelle Brody points out that although Isaac seems to figure out what is going on, yet, he neither cries nor begs for mercy. Isaac also is determined, calm, and courageous; the picture of innocence. There is definite unity between father and son. Two times in vs.6-8 we see the phrase “they went together”   Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,   Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"  "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"  Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.   NIV

Point to ponder

Can it be said of us that we ‘went on together’ with Our Father
just as Jesus went on together with His Father?

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 November 11, 2014

Hebraic Insight #15. In the Beginning and in the End

15. In the Beginning and in the End

 Call this overview Creation and Decreation or The Relationship between Genesis and Revelation. This explanation will become another example of why we cannot fully understand the New Testament unless we understand it as fulfillment of the Old Testament. What God creates in Genesis, the beginning of time, He wraps up in Revelation, the end of time. Here are some examples:[1]

Genesis 1:1               In the beginning God created …

Revelation 22:13      I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Genesis 1:3               God said “Let there be light”…

Revelation 21:23      The city does not need the sun … glory of God gives it light …

Genesis 1:6               God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.”

Revelation 8:10–11  The third angel sounded his trumpet, and … A third of the waters turned bitter …

Genesis 1:8               God called the expanse “sky.”

Revelation 20:11      Then … Earth and sky fled from his presence … no place for them.

Genesis 1:11             Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees …”

Revelation 8:7          The first angel … earth was burned up, a third of the trees … all the green grass …

Genesis 1:14             God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night …”

Revelation8:12         The fourth angel … a third of the sun … of the moon … of the stars … turned dark.

Genesis 1:20             God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth …”

Revelation 8:8–9      The second angel sounded … and … a third of the living creatures in the sea died …

Genesis 1:26             God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness …”

Revelation 9:15        And the four angels … ready … were released to kill a third of mankind.

Genesis 1:27             God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him …

Revelation 21:3        Now the dwelling of God is with men … and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Genesis 2:1–2           Thus the heavens and the earth were completed… God had finished … he rested …

Revelation 21:5–6    He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” … “It is done.”

Have you got the idea? Everything that God started in Genesis, He tied off or finished in the book of Revelation:

a)         Sin is introduced in Genesis 3.
Sin is done away with in Revelation 20:3: He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations …

b)         The curse is pronounced in Genesis 3.
The curse is destroyed in Revelation 21.

c)         Death enters in Genesis 3.
There is no more death after Revelation 21.

d)         Man is banished from Eden in Genesis 3.
Man’s presence in the Garden of Eden is welcomed in Revelation 22.

e)         The Tree of Life is guarded in Genesis 3.
The right to the Tree of Life is available in Revelation 22.

f)          Sorrow and suffering are introduced in Genesis 3.
There is no more sorrow or suffering after Revelation 22.

g)         Nimrod founds Babylon in Genesis 10.
Babylon finally falls in Revelation 18:21: Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.”

h)         God uses a flood to destroy sinful men in Genesis 6–9.
Satan tries to destroy the elect in Revelation 12.

i)           God signs His covenant with a rainbow in Genesis 9.
Then He seals it in Revelation 10:1: Then I saw another mighty angel … robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun …

j)           Sodom and Egypt are introduced as signs of evil and corruption in Genesis 13.
Sodom and Egypt become the two witnesses in Jerusalem in Revelation 11:8: Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

k)         A bride is chosen for Abraham’s son in Genesis 24.
Abraham’s seed becomes the bride in Revelation 19 and 21.

l)           The marriage of the first Adam takes place in Genesis 2.
The marriage of the last Adam takes place in Revelation 19.

m)       Satan’s dominion is established in Genesis.
Christ’s dominion is established in Revelation.

What God created in Genesis, at the beginning of time, He will wrap up in Revelation, at the end of time.

Point to Ponder

Can you really understand and fully appreciate

 the New Testament

without studying the Old Testament,
especially the Torah?

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[1] All Bible references are from NIV.