Discontinued RickLivermoreOnlineReaderble Study Blog

Discontinued RickLivermoreOnlineReader
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Sunday, March 31, 2019

James and the Sermon on the Mount The Epistle by James and Matthew 5–7

The way this blog post works is as follows: click the links, both take you to a website. On that website is a power point presentation that you have to read really quickly in order to read all the verses in Matthew and all the verses in James in parallel columns. (or to click on continuously if you read faster than the presentation runs:) There are around 60 verses in each book that are similar.
James and the Sermon on the Mount The Epistle by James and Matthew 5–7 Virgil V. Porter, Jr. Bib Sac 163(2006): 347– ppt download: James and Sermon on the Mount James 2:13, For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. Matthew 5:5, Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Mat 5:7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Mat 6:14–15, For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Mat 7:1–2, Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. more



Next we have this handout that I scanned and made into a jpg which is a three column spreadsheet where someone did the same thing that Virgil V Porter Jr Bib Sac 163 (2006) did in the above power point.







Bible Exposition Commentary discussion of Moses and Pharoah

We will start this week with a review of what we have learned in Exodus. Remember, how many years the Israelites were in Egypt, and what their identity is? (Do they really KNOW God?)
This will start our focus on the key players of Exodus for Chapters 1-12. We will not read through all those chapters but focus on Chapters 5 & 6 for this week. The key players of Exodus are God, Moses, and Pharaoh. Chapter 5 starts with Pharaoh. Who is Pharaoh? What is his opinion of the Hebrew's God? What is his response to Moses? Why? How do you define Pharaoh from Chapter 5 & 6? Then we get Moses's response. What is his response? Why? How does Pharaoh play a factor into Moses response? Finally in Chapter 6, we get God's response. How does God respond? Does this impact Pharaoh or Moses responses? If you look at God, Moses, and Pharaoh in Chapter 5 & 6 you get the same responses that we as humans do to God and his promises. 
This leads to the Big Idea = How can I take the responses of the key players and TRUST God in my current situation? (Especially when I'm persecuted & not happy with God) 
See you Tuesday! 
Dusty
CHAPTER TWO — WAR IS DECLARED If Moses and Aaron had been privileged to listen to Jonathan Edwards preach his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," they probably would have shouted "Amen!" when Edwards said: All the kings of the earth, before God, are as grasshoppers; they are nothing, and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of kings, is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater. Hearing those words, Moses and Aaron would have recalled the day they stood before the ruler of one of the greatest kingdoms of the ancient world. They were sent by God to inform Pharaoh that if he didn't release the Jewish people, Jehovah would declare war on him and his gods and wouldn't stop attacking Egypt until the people of Israel were set free. God's two ambassadors had one message from the Lord: "Let My people go —or else!" Pharaoh's responses to Moses and Aaron were predictable: he rejected God's command, disdained the miracles Moses and Aaron performed, and deliberately hardened his heart against the Lord. Pharaoh rejects God's Word (Ex. 5:1-6:27) Their request was a simple one: Moses and Aaron wanted permission to take the Jewish people three-days' journey into the desert to a place where they could worship the Lord. Six days of travel and one day of worship would add up to a week away from their work, but Moses said nothing about how long they would be gone or when they would return. This omission made Pharaoh suspicious, and he wondered if the purpose of their journey was escape rather than worship. Three questions are involved in this episode. Pharaoh: "Why should I obey the Lord?" () This was a reasonable question because the Egyptian people considered Pharaoh to be a god, and why should their king obey a strange god that neither Pharaoh nor the Egyptians knew? Furthermore, what right did this new god have to call the Israelites "My people" when the Jews were the slaves of Pharaoh? If Pharaoh obeyed the edict, he would be acknowledging a deity greater than himself, and he wasn't about to do that. In his pride and false security, Pharaoh wouldn't listen to the words of the living God. Moses mentioned that the Israelites might be in danger of being killed if they failed to obey the Lord. Why bring that up? Perhaps Moses was hinting that Pharaoh's stubbornness might cost him his slaves and that he'd be better off to give the Jews a week off and thereby protect his cheap labor. However, there's another factor involved: Moses was telling Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews was a powerful God who could kill the Egyptians as well as the Jews. Pharaoh needed to understand that the demands Moses and Aaron were making were not to be taken lightly, for this was a matter of life and death. Pharaoh: "Why should the work stop?" () The enslavement of the Israelites was a great boost to the economy of Egypt, and Pharaoh wasn't about to give up a good thing. As dictators have done for centuries, Pharaoh exploited a captive people and was unconcerned about their welfare. Unknown to the king, God was working out His perfect plan to free His people and glorify His great name; and nothing Pharaoh could do would prevent God's plan from succeeding. 187 Instead of giving the Jews relief from their toil, Pharaoh made their labor even harder. He refused to give them the straw they needed for the manufacturing of the clay bricks, but he demanded that they still reach their assigned daily quotas. "If they have so much time on their hands that they can take a week off," he argued, "then let them find their own straw. The extra work will take their minds off such foolish ideas." God's message to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron was only "vain words" as far as the king was concerned (; "lies," NIV). When their work became unbearable because of the new rules, the Hebrews sent their foremen to protest to Pharaoh. It's unusual that slaves would have access to the king, but Pharaoh knew what he was doing. He told them what Moses and Aaron had demanded of him, and this turned the Jewish foremen against the leaders God had given them. The foremen told Moses and Aaron what they thought of them and then slandered them among the Jews. This wouldn't be the last time Moses would be opposed by his own people who didn't understand what the Lord was doing. Instead of going to Pharaoh to complain, the foremen should have gone to Moses and Aaron and suggested that they summon the elders and have a prayer meeting. They should have reminded themselves of the promises God had given Israel and claimed them by faith. What a difference that would have made for them and for their leaders! Alas, during the next forty years, complaining about God's will and criticizing God's leaders would be characteristic of the people of Israel; but are God's people much different today? Moses: "Why have You sent me?" () Moses did what all spiritual leaders must do when the going is tough: he took his burden to the Lord and honestly talked to Him about the situation. It's easy to see that Moses was disappointed and distressed. He blamed God for the way Pharaoh was mistreating the Jews, and he accused Him of doing nothing. "Is this why You sent me?" he asked (, NIV). In other words, "Are You going to keep Your promises to me or not?" God's chosen servants must expect opposition and misunderstanding, because that's part of what it means to be a leader; and leaders must know how to get alone with God, pour out their hearts, and seek His strength and wisdom. Spiritual leaders must be bold before people but broken before God (see ) and must claim God's promises and do His will even when everything seems to be against them. How did the Lord encourage His struggling servant? To begin with, God spoke to him and gave him great promises (). Today we have the written Word of God, but it's likely that Moses heard God speak in an audible voice (; ). Four times in this speech, God reminded Moses, "I am the Lord" (, , ) and used His covenant name "Jehovah"; and seven times, God said, "I will." When we know that God is in control and we claim His promises, then we can experience peace and courage in the battles of life. God promised to bring Israel out of Egypt, free them from bondage, and take them into their Promised Land. At the heart of the seven "I will" promises is "And I will take you to Me for a people" (), which is the basis for all that God did for the Jews. God also reminded Moses of His covenant name "Jehovah" (). One way to get to know God better is to pay attention to His names. The patriarchs knew God as "God Almighty," which in the Hebrew is "El Shaddai —the all-sufficient and all-powerful God," and they knew that God's name was "Jehovah" (Yahweh); but they didn't understand the full implications of the name. God had explained the name "Jehovah" to Moses when He called him in Midian (), but now He associated His name with the covenant He would make with His people (). Jehovah is the special name of God that links Him with Israel and His covenants, and it is so sacred to Jews even today that they will not speak it when they read the Scriptures in the synagogue. Instead, they substitute "Adonai" (Master) or simply say "the Name." Third, the Lord assured Moses that He felt the burdens of His people and was working on their behalf (; see ). God wasn't ignorant of their need or unconcerned about their suffering, nor was He adding to their problems by delaying their deliverance. Everything was working according to His plan and nothing God had planned would fail. Whenever we feel the Lord has abandoned us and doesn't really care, we need to remember His assuring words, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (). Fourth, the lord commanded Moses to speak to Pharaoh again (). Moses reached the depths of discouragement when the Jewish elders wouldn't even listen to him. They had forgotten the signs and promises that Moses and Aaron had given them () and in their anguish were convinced that the situation was hopeless. Moses and the elders had given up, but God hadn't given up on Moses. Moses was still God's servant, and He commissioned him to return to the palace and confront Pharaoh again. In times of despair, it's best to ignore our feelings and simply do what God tells us to do, leaving the consequences with Him. 188 The genealogy () isn't there by accident, for it's the Lord's way of reminding us, the readers, that God had prepared Moses and Aaron for their ministry in Egypt. Their arrival in Jacob's family was part of His providential working. Reuben was Jacob's firstborn, then Simeon, and then Levi, the ancestor of Moses and Aaron. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations" (, NKJV). God's calling means God's enabling, and what He begins He always completes (; ). Pharaoh belittles God's miracles (Ex. 6:28-8:7) Up to this point in their confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron had simply delivered God's ultimatum. Now the time had come for them to reveal God's power and perform the miraculous signs that proved they were truly sent by God. Still somewhat discouraged, Moses maintained that he wasn't a competent speaker; so God reminded him that Aaron could be his spokesman (; ). However, the Lord advised Moses and Aaron that it would take more than one or two miracles to accomplish His purposes, for He would multiply His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Before we study this remarkable series of miracles, we must focus on the reasons why the Lord took this approach in dealing with Pharaoh and sent these sign judgments to the land of Egypt. The ultimate purpose, of course, was to bring Pharaoh and the Egyptians to their knees so they'd be willing for the Jews to leave the land. But at the same time, the Lord was revealing Himself to both the Israelites and the Egyptians and proving that He alone is God (). 
Appendix / Bibliography
The Bible Exposition Old Testament Commentary, The Pentateuch, David C. Cook,

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Moses as he prepares to leave Midian for Egypt and approach Pharaoh

For this week, read Exo 4:27 – 6:13.[a]  

We’ve been discussing God’s promises and will continue with the specific promises to Moses as he prepares to leave Midian for Egypt and approach Pharaoh.  In Exo 4:24-26,[b]

 we see what appears to be an excursion from the story line.    What do you guys remember from last week’s discussion.[c]   

What is the requirement of the sons of Israel that is found in Gen 17:10-11. [d]   

Do you see a difference between the requirement in verse 10 and 11? [e]   

Remember God is working to move us from the physical to the spiritual……what is the requirement in verse 10? [f] Then in 11, what is the sign of that requirement? [g]  

Use the text of those two verses to answer.

Now think through circumcision of the heart verses circumcision of the flesh!!  [h]

Can you see the differences?  [i]

Does this help understand the actions of Zipporah?   [j]

We’ll discuss the detail on Tuesday.[k]    Then on to the history of Moses’ return to Egypt.

See you guys on Tuesday.

Blessings,

Nathan 


[a] For this week, read Exo 4:27 – 6:13.
Exodus 4:27–31 (ASV 1901): And Jehovah said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged him. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: and Aaron spake all the words which Jehovah had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. 
Exodus 5 (ASV 1901): 5 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
Exodus 5:8–14 (ASV 1901): And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words. 
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore? 
Exodus 5:15–21 (ASV 1901): Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. 
Exodus 5:22–23 (ASV 1901): And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Exodus 6 (ASV 1901): And Jehovah said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 
And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Jehovah: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned. And moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land which I sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am Jehovah. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. 
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. Exodus 6:12–13 (ASV 1901): And Moses spake before Jehovah, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. American Standard Version. (1995).[1] 

 We’ve been discussing God’s promises and will continue with the specific promises to Moses as he prepares to leave Midian for Egypt and approach Pharaoh.  In Exo 4:24-26,[b]

Ex 4:24–26----24 And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Jehovah met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me. 26 So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision. American Standard Version. (1995).[2] 









 we see what appears to be an excursion from the story line.    What do you guys remember from last week’s discussion.[c]   https://reader222.blogspot.com/2019/03/project-for-period-of-3122019.html


What is the requirement of the sons of Israel that is found in Gen 17:10 [d]   
 Gen 17:10-11 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt me and you. [3]







  

Do you see a difference between the requirement in verse 10 and 11? [e]   
 10 introduces circumcision and 11 explains what it means to be circumcised
Remember God is working to move us from the physical to the spiritual……what is the requirement in verse 10? [f]
 Gen 17:10-11...every male among you shall be circumcised
 Then in 11, what is the sign of that requirement? [g]
 Gen 17:10-11 in the flesh of your foreskin which represents a change on the outward side of an individual 
Now think through circumcision of the heart verses circumcision of the flesh!!  [h]
Can you see the differences?  [i]New testament circumcision is of the heart and it is Symbolic

Does this help understand the actions of Zipporah?   [j]  Moses would have done it himself if he could have but God had him in a physical encounter so Moses asked Zipporah to perform the operation instead of breaking free from God's grip on him and doing the operation. Zipporah sounded very irritated by this whole scene






Circumcision

CIRCUMCISION IS THE PROCESS of cutting off all or part of the foreskin of the male genital organ. Circumcision is performed as a religious rite by Jews on the eighth day of life (Lev. 12:3Luke 1:59; 2:21Phil. 3:5). It was practiced in ancient Egypt, Herodotus said, for hygienic reasons, and anthropologists have found it was performed by certain tribes in Africa, America, Malaysia, and Polynesia. Today it is frequently performed as a hygienic measure, usually shortly after birth. Both in the past and currently, some tribal peoples perform circumcision as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, usually at puberty.
God told Abraham that circumcision was “the sign of the covenant” between God and Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17:11–14). “Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised” (17:24). The fact that Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised (17:25) explains its practice in Islam when boys are thirteen. Since circumcision involves the shedding of blood, it may have signified the ratification of the covenant relationship. Commanded in conjunction with the change of Abram’s name to Abraham and God’s promise to make him “very fruitful” (17:6) and “the father of many nations” (17:4) and His promise of a son by Sarah (17:16, 19), circumcision can signify dependence on God, dedication to Him, and separation to Him from the world and its practices.
Despite God’s command to Abraham concerning circumcision, its observance apparently was not always maintained in Israel’s history (Exod. 4:25–26Josh. 5:2–5). Circumcision eventually became a routine external religious rite. By New Testament times it had become a mark of Jewish ethnic and religious pride, and Jews looked on the uncircumcised with contempt. The apostle Paul confronted a form of this when the Jewish Christians from Judea came to Antioch and claimed that gentile believers must be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1). The same demand for gentile circumcision was made and rejected at the Council of Jerusalem (15:5–29). But the conflict with “the circumcision group” continued (Gal. 2:11–13Titus 1:10).
The spiritual foundation for circumcision and its true significance was underscored by Moses in his farewell to Israel on the east side of the Jordan River: “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer” (Deut. 10:16). Similarly just before the Babylonian captivity Jeremiah told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts” (Jer. 4:4). These were calls to separation from self and the world and to dedication to God as His covenant people.
As a Jew “circumcised the eighth day” (Phil. 3:5), the apostle Paul recognized circumcision’s spiritual significance. He wrote, “Circumcision has value if you observe the law” (Rom. 2:25), and “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit” (2:28–29). Paul recognized, however, that the advantage “in being a Jew” and the value “in circumcision” was that circumcised Jews “have been entrusted with the very words of God” (3:1–2).
The time will come when God will redeem and restore His chosen people, Israel, and fulfill His covenantal promises to Abraham. Then, as Moses said, “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deut. 30:6). In this present church age, however, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation” (Gal. 6:15). “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (5:6). As a result of our faith in Jesus Christ and our position in Him we are “circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ” (Col. 2:11).      —JAW



Acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s spiritual surgery of circumcising your heart
to separate you from the world to Christ.
--Witmer, J. A [4]


We’ll discuss the detail on Tuesday. [k] 




Ac 7:88 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with* Jacob, and Jacob did so with* the twelve patriarchs.[5] 

Ro 2:25 25 For circumcision is of value if you do the law, but if you should be a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.[6]
Ro 2:29 29 But the Jew is one inwardly⌋i, and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter, whose praise is not from people but from God.[7]

Ro 2:26 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcised person follows the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be credited for circumcision?


Ro 3:1 3 Therefore, what is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the use of circumcision?

1 Co 7:19 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.[4]

 11 in whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by hands, by the removal of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,


 Then on to the history of Moses’ return to Egypt. 
 See you guys on Tuesday.

Blessings,

Nathan

Appendix / Bibliography


[4] Witmer, J. A. (2000). Circumcision. In C. R. Swindoll & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Theological Wordbook (pp. 57–59). Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, Inc. 














[5] Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga,   M. (Eds.). (2012). 















   The Lexham English Bible (Ac 7:8). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. 
  
[6]Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga      (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ro 2:25). Bellingham, WA
[7]Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ro 2:26). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. 

[8]Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ro 2:29). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[9]Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ro 3:1). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
  

[10]Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (1 Co 7:19). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[11]Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.). (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Col 2:11). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.




Greek Students Should Do Two Translations (Matt 13:11)

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: billmounce.com <newsletter@billmounce.net 
Date: Mon, Dec 10, 2018, 9:23 AM
Subject: Greek Students Should Do Two Translations (Matt 13:11)
To: Rick Livermore 
Monday w/ Mounce
  

Greek Students Should Do Two Translations (Matt 13:11)





In first year Greek we historically do just one wooden, word-for-word translation. This way the teacher knows that the student knows the tense of the verb or case of the noun. The problem is that the students leave first year class thinking that word-for-word is acceptable English and is the most accurate translation method, neither of which is accurate.
Take Matt 13:11 for example. "And (δὲ) answering he said to them (ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν), 'because (ὅτι) to you it has been given (δέδοται) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (οὐρανῶν), but to them it has not been given (δέδοται).'"
1. But translating δέ in this context is redundant. In v 10 the disciples asked a question, and v 11 is his answer. No connective is necessary in English, nor is it stylish English.
2. Since "answering he said" is not English by anyone's measure, and since the idiom simply means "to answer," why not say that?
3. In the rush to translate every Greek word with a specific English word, did the student miss the fact that ὅτι introduces direct speech and is translated by quotation marks, as most translations do?
4. Does Jesus mean to imply that the mysteries of the kingdom have, in their totality, been given to the disciples? That's what "has given" would mean. Isn't Jesus' statement more timeless, that the mysteries are given? This is better English, says what the Greek means, and is an accepted translation of the perfect tense.
5. If you translate the plural οὐρανῶν as "heavens," it would seriously miscommunicate in English. We think of heaven as a single entity, and saying "heavens" would not communicate what the Greeks would have understood by οὐρανῶν.
6. Finally, by putting "to you" and "to them" before the verb, Jesus is placing emphasis on this contrast. This can carry over to English, but you will have decide if putting the subject first is better.
How much better to require our students to give two translations.
1. "And answering he said to them, 'because to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given."
2. "He answered them, 'the mysteries of the kingdom are given to you, but they are not given to them.'"
As we will see in v 13, when people consistently reject the message of God, eventually their punishment is secure and they will not be able to understand any longer (Deut 29:4Jer 5:21). How fortunate we are to be the recipient's of God's revelation and the meaning of his parables about his kingdom. But if knowledge does not translate into obedience, then we run the risk of not being able to understand, or not receiving the secrets of the kingdom, and having our ears and eyes dulled. Much better to obey.
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