Showing posts with label christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christ. Show all posts

Friday 10 November 2017

From Two new bibles, first a look at not such a new one

The first new bible for this Autumn is perhaps not so new as it likes to pretend. The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is descended from the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible), which was first published in 2004. Often we get to know that a certain bibletranslation is written from the denominational view. The Holman bible (HCSB) distributed by a Baptist company (Holman/Lifeway) got also that label to be a ‘Baptist Bible’.  Perhaps for that reason the Holman disappeared in the name. their aim is like in the previous Holman bible to capture the Bible’s original meaning without compromising clarity and this in a contemporary language.
An optimal blend of accuracy and readability, this translation helps readers make a deeper connection with God’s Word and inspires lifelong discipleship. 
 the publishers say.

They do find that their new translation is for everyone — for readers young and old, new and seasoned.
It’s a Bible pastors can preach from and a Bible you can share with your neighbor hearing God’s Word for the very first time.
In the older HCSB version the Greek word kristos (or Christos Χριστός) was translated as Messiah when translators felt that Jesus was being referred to in a Jewish context, and Christ when not specifically in a Jewish context.  You could call this being helpful for context, but inconsistent in word-for-word translation accuracy.  The CSB has moved to the more traditional use of translating Christos consistently as Christ.

The fear of God's Name has moved the publishers this time not to use the Name of God. At the time of publishing the HCSB we where pleased to find one publisher who at least wanted to show where the Tetragrammaton stood, even when they did not choose for God's real Name, but preferred to print Yahweh. But now we are back to start, they avoiding their readers to see where it is about Jehovah God, omitting the Name of God and replacing it with the non-saying Lord. According to the translation team, most readers responded that they were unfamiliar with the Tetragrammaton (a Hebrew name for God, YHWH, which should be pronounced Yai How Whah = Jehovah), and that it was unhelpful and even an obstacle for new Bible readers. this one must understand from the point of view that most readers became confused and read that it was about Jehovah God (or Yahweh in that version) whilst their pastors said it was about Jesus.

We wonder who can think that it is
The overall thought in changing it was that people can figure out who the ‘LORD’ is easier than they can figure out exactly who ‘Yahweh’ is or why we call him that. Hence the change.
Concerns over this were addressed by Dr. Iain M. Duguid, a member of the translating team,
 “as a translator for the original HCSB and part of the oversight committee for the revision, I’d encourage you not to panic. The CSB retains the strengths of the HCSB and (in my opinion) improves on them. Yes, we have followed the NT and most English translation in going back to the LORD for Yahweh, largely because we felt the previous attempt ended up in inconsistencies. But it is a revision, not a wholesale new translation. Many passages have been left untouched because we felt we got them right first time around. In other places, we have sometimes moved in a more literal direction, for example “Lord of Armies” instead of “Lord of Hosts” and “Children of Adam” for “ben adam.”

 Csb-translation-logo
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Also of interest
  1. Bible: Translations are Reliable
  2. English Bible History by John L. Jeffcoat III and Dr. Craig H. Lampe
  3. Tyndale, the Bible and the 21st Century
  4. The most important translation…
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Monday 20 May 2013

Pope Francis I on the Holy Spirit

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today we contemplate and re-live in the liturgy the outpouring of the Holy Spirit sent by the risen Christ upon his Church; an event of grace which filled the Upper Room in Jerusalem and then spread throughout the world.

But what happened on that day, so distant from us and yet so close as to touch the very depths of our hearts? Luke gives us the answer in the passage of the Acts of the Apostles which we have heard (2:1-11).
The evangelist brings us back to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room where the apostles were gathered. The first element which draws our attention is the sound which suddenly came from heaven “like the rush of a violent wind”, and filled the house; then the “tongues as of fire” which divided and came to rest on each of the apostles. Sound and tongues of fire: these are clear, concrete signs which touch the apostles not only from without but also within: deep in their minds and hearts. As a result, “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit”, who unleashed his irresistible power with amazing consequences: they all “began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability”. A completely unexpected scene opens up before our eyes: a great crowd gathers, astonished because each one heard the apostles speaking in his own language. They all experience something new, something which had never happened before: “We hear them, each of us, speaking our own language”. And what is it that they are they speaking about? “God’s deeds of power”.


In the light of this passage from Acts, I would like to reflect on three words linked to the working of the Holy Spirit: newness, harmony and mission.

1.
 Newness always makes us a bit fearful, because we feel more secure if we have everything under control, if we are the ones who build, programme and plan our lives in accordance with our own ideas, our own comfort, our own preferences. This is also the case when it comes to God. Often we follow him, we accept him, but only up to a certain point. It is hard to abandon ourselves to him with complete trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to be the soul and guide of our lives in our every decision. We fear that God may force us to strike out on new paths and leave behind our all too narrow, closed and selfish horizons in order to become open to his own. Yet throughout the history of salvation, whenever God reveals himself, he brings newness and change, and demands our complete trust: Noah, mocked by all, builds an ark and is saved; Abram leaves his land with only a promise in hand; Moses stands up to the might of Pharaoh and leads his people to freedom; the apostles, huddled fearfully in the Upper Room, go forth with courage to proclaim the Gospel. This is not a question of novelty for novelty’s sake, the search for something new to relieve our boredom, as is so often the case in our own day.
 The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfilment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good. Let us ask ourselves: Are we open to “God’s surprises”? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit? Do we have the courage to strike out along the new paths which God’s newness sets before us, or do we resist, barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness to what is new?
The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded...
The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


2. A second thought:
 the Holy Spirit would appear to create disorder in the Church, since he brings the diversity of charisms and gifts; yet all this, by his working, is a great source of wealth, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of unity, which does not mean uniformity, but which leads everything back to harmony. In the Church, it is the Holy Spirit who creates harmony.
 One of Fathers of the Church has an expression which I love: the Holy Spirit himself is harmony – “Ipse harmonia est”.
 Only the Spirit can awaken diversity, plurality and multiplicity, while at the same time building unity. Here too, when we are the ones who try to create diversity and close ourselves up in what makes us different and other, we bring division. When we are the ones who want to build unity in accordance with our human plans, we end up creating uniformity, standardization. But if instead we let ourselve be guided by the Spirit, richness, variety and diversity never become a source of conflict, because he impels us to experience variety within the communion of the Church. Journeying together in the Church, under the guidance of her pastors who possess a special charism and ministry, is a sign of the working of the Holy Spirit.

 Having a sense of the Church is something fundamental for every Christian, every community and every movement. It is the Church which brings Christ to me, and me to Christ; parallel journeys are dangerous! When we venture beyond (proagon) the Church’s teaching and community, and do not remain in them, we are not one with the God of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Jn 9). So let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the harmony of the Holy Spirit, overcoming every form of exclusivity? Do I let myself be guided by him, living in the Church and with the Church?

3. A final point.
The older theologians used to say that the soul is a kind of sailboat, the Holy Spirit is the wind which fills its sails and drives it forward, and the gusts of wind are the gifts of the Spirit. Lacking his impulse and his grace, we do not go forward. The Holy Spirit draws us into the mystery of the living God and saves us from the threat of a Church which is gnostic and self-referential, closed in on herself; he impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the soul of mission. The events that took place in Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago are not something far removed from us; they are events which affect us and become a lived experience in each of us.

 The Pentecost of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is the beginning, a beginning which endures. The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the risen Christ to his apostles, yet he wants that gift to reach everyone. As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus says: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to remain with you forever” (Jn 14:16). It is the Paraclete Spirit, the “Comforter”, who grants us the courage to take to the streets of the world, bringing the Gospel! The Holy Spirit makes us look to the horizon and drive us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ.

 Let us ask ourselves: do we tend to stay closed in on ourselves, on our group, or do we let the Holy Spirit open us to mission?

Today’s liturgy is a great prayer which the Church, in union with Jesus, raises up to the Father, asking him to renew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May each of us, and every group and movement, in the harmony of the Church, cry out to the Father and implore this gift. Today too, as at her origins, the Church, in union with Mary, cries out:“Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!” Amen
- Pope Francis I

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Related readings:

Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is controlled strength...
After the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles at Pentecost, the prime question of Judaic observance was debated. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem and consulted with the other Apostles. This was a hint of how the Church was to resolve matters in great Councils. Given the stolid temperament and vivid personalities of the Apostles, the term “debated” might be an understatement. But they remembered that the Risen Lord had promised that his “Paraclete” would guide them. Only rarely does ancient Greek use that term, as when the orator Demosthenes used it for a sort of legal advocate, and not necessarily an ethical one at that. But Christ makes it mean the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. How the Apostles were helped by this divine Helper is not said, but they sent their decision to the scattered Christians, beginning with the words “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.”

To claim private guidance from the Holy Spirit that departs from what has inspired the collective agreement of the successors of the Apostles, would be to confuse personal opinion with divine truth. But the Holy Spirit does help us in the ways of truth every day. Sometimes he even works through children: “. . . and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). The birth of a child may convert a parent to more intense faith, or a child's First Communion may inspire a young father to return to Confession. The Holy Spirit works through encounters that are often unnoticed. Yogi Berra, not to be underestimated as a philosopher, said, “Some things are just too coincidental to be a coincidence.”

Do You Speak in Tongues?
 What would you say if we told you that speaking in tongues was necessary for your eternal salvation? Many of you would be trembling in fear because you have never spoken in tongues. Yet there are members of the Pentecostal church who insist that you are not sealed by the Spirit of God unless you speak in tongues. In other words, speaking in tongues is the outward sign of your redemption and salvation.

Brief hiatus

First, a happy Shavuos (celebrating the giving the of the Torah at Mt. Sinai) to all those celebrating and a happy Pentecost (celebrating the Holy Ghost descending on the early Christian apostles) to all those celebrating.
These holidays are sometimes celebrated through study, and especially to those of you who are studying, I wish that you enjoy full fruits of your study and that your study brings understanding and wisdom.



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Saturday 22 December 2012

Ember and light the ransomed of Jehovah

We have come in those days when many cry out to Allah, God against their oppressors, and He shall send them a Saviour to defend and to get them out of the slavery of this world. In Scriptures it is indicated that there shall come a time when religion shall set up against religion and children against their parents. Everywhere in the world we can see severe discussions going on between youngsters and their elders. Young people also protest against the situations around them and are faced with different religious groups which pull them from one site to the other. Men and women have absolutely no regard, or fear, for the Word of God any-more.

In certain Christian faithgroups today they call Ember Saturday in Advent. It is a day of Fast and Partial Abstinence as they prepare for one week from today the coming of the Lord. Today they find themselves at a Major Feria, not Privileged Station at St. Peter‘s.

In most of the Christian faithgroups they soon remember the birth of Christ Jesus (born 17 October 4 bCE) on the birthday of the goddess of light. They seem to find it appropriate to celebrate Jesus his birthday on that pagan day because they consider Jesus as the light of the world. And he was and must be our light. He should be the one who pulls us from the dark and lightens our path making clear all the signs which direct to the One and Only One God, God of gods, the Father of Jesus Christ, Jeshua, the son of Mary (Miriam/Maria) and Joseph,  from the tribe of king David.

Heavy-laden under the yoke of sin humanity went astray, and many lost the Magnetic North. In Jesus god has given the world the most accurate magnet.

The days are filled with pictures from Syria and the desert in Jordan with in the camps thousands of people fighting to have something to eat and hoping to find something to warm themselves. They do not like the water in the Unicef camps and are thirsty in the desert crying out to let the wilderness rejoice, and flower as the lily. They also should learn as a lot of people in the West that  the desert places of the Jordan shall blossom and rejoice; the glory of Lebanon has been given to it, and the honour of Carmel; and God's people shall see the glory of the Almighty God.

Let the wilderness and the dry place be glad for them, and let the desert rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It blossoms much and rejoices, even with joy and singing. The esteem of Lebshall be given to it, the excellence of Karmel and Sharon. They shall see the esteem of יהוה {Jehovah}, the excellency of our Elohim. (Isaiah 35:1-2 The Scriptures 1998+)
The time has come that those who have faith and believe in the creator of all things, have to say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."

Jesus was placed on this world by his Father, Jehovah God, on a miraculous way, and to bring what you call a miracle as well, namely the offering of a peace which shall endure for ever.

The Jew from Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, was to open the eyes of the blind shall and to unstop the ears of the deaf. As prophesied he did many miracles in the name of his Father.The lame man came to leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute to sing for joy. And he gave hope to all who were willing to listen. He was the man who was prepared to give his blood and his body as a Lamb of God to bring the most acceptable offer to God so that no other offering would be necessary.

In the night he was born a great falling star also showed the way to shepherds and magi, wise man who crossed the waters in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; to see that the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, and that where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Holy Most High shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Say to those with anxious heart, “Be strong, do not fear! See, your Elohim comes with vengeance, with the recompense of Elohim. He is coming to save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf be opened. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing, because waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water – in the home for jackals, where each lay, grass with reeds and rushes. And there shall be a highway, and a way, and it shall be called “The Way of Set-apartness {1}.” The unclean does not pass over it, but it is for those who walk the way, and no fools wander on it. {Footnote: 1See Ps. 77:13.} No lion is there, nor any ravenous beast go up on it, it is not found there. But the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of יהוה  {Jehovah} shall return and enter Tsiyon with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:4-10 The Scriptures 1998+)
We may live in a time of crisis where disappointments abound but with the birth of Jeshua, Jesus Christ, we have received a Saviour, the Messiah.For us he must be the most magnificent present, the brightest light-spot in these dark times. Out of all the noise of ongoing shooting these days we should hear a loud voice in heaven saying that time has come for the deliverance and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.

And I heard a loud voice saying in the heaven, “Now have come the deliverance and the power and the reign of our Elohim,{1} and the authority of His Messiah, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our Elohim day and night, has been thrown down. {Footnote: 1See 11:15. }
(Revelation 12:10 The Scriptures 1998+)
The most important day we all should remember is the day God liberated His People from slavery and let the exodus begin to come to the Holy Land, plus the day that Jesus remembered that and installed the New Covenant and afterwards was killed to accomplish the promise of his Father. For the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before God day and night, is now cast down by that simple man, who was a magnificent teacher.
With him light came into the world to darken the greyness of the death and to bring it into oblivion. And they have conquered the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they did not spare themselves even unto death.

“And they overcame him because of the Blood of the Lamb, and because of the Word of their witness, and they did not love their lives to the death. “Because of this rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has little time.”
(Revelation 12:11-12 The Scriptures 1998+)
We are aware that the earth which shall not be destroyed did not end to exist on the 21st of December 2012, like some thought it would. Had they had read the Bible they should have known better.
The world has to see first the enragement and those who want to make war with the remnant of the seed of the woman, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus. A third world war is inevitable. Inescapable shall be the last and greatest tribulation the world has to face. When the time has come to that point people should have found their place, either on the site of God or on the site of the world.

These dark and short days, make time to think about the light and the real most precious present you can receive and have for a life in eternity.

The nation of Israel gave birth to the Immanuel, the God with us by the Messiah, who gave his life for all mankind. Jesus, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, won the victory over sin and death.

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Following on: A season of gifts

Note:

Please do read:
  1. Jesus begotten Son of God #1 Christmas and Christians
  2. Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites
  3. Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one
  4. Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary
  5. Religious Practices around the world
  6. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
  7. Zeus een heerser van hemel en aarde + Heil tot de gezondene van God of Zeus

     
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Find also:
  1. The Song of The Lamb #1 Visions, symbols and suggested meanings
  2. The Song of The Lamb #2 Sevens
  3. The Song of The Lamb #3 Daniel and Revelation
  4. The Song of The Lamb #4 Methods of Interpretation
  5. The Song of The Lamb #5 Revelation 5
  6. The Song of The Lamb #6 Revelation 14
  7. An unblemished and spotless lamb foreknown
  8. 144 000 following the Lamb
  9. Kingdom Visions of a Man, Throne and Great crowd
  10. Kingdom Visions of Rainbowed angel, Lamb in Mount Zion
  11. Kingdom Visions of God’s judgements and Marriage of the Lamb
  12. Seals, a flying scroll, a statue and blessings

 Of interest:
  1. The Importance Of Scripture
  2. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
  3. Liberal and evangelical Christians
  4. The great ideal of this age
  5. A promise given in the Garden of Eden
  6. Clean Flesh #2 Purity of Jesus
  7. Jesus spitting image of his father
  8. Jesus begotten Son of God #10 Coming down spirit or flesh seed of Eve
  9. Christ having glory
  10. Jesus begotten Son of God #20 Before and After
  11. How The Seed Of The Woman Was Bruised On The Heel How Christ Fulfilled The Promise.

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Other faithgroups websites:

Do You Want To Know Your Future?
Do you ever think about your future, both near and far? Do you ever ask yourself, what this life is about and why am I here. Does your life hear have any real, genuine meaning? Why does this world seem like each generation gets worst and worst. Why are there more and more and earthquakes and natural disasters each year? What is this world coming to or should I say what is coming to this world? These are all very valid and significant questions to ask, especially when you have tragedies like children being massacred in schools and on the streets of our inner cities every year. If you’ve asked these questions, maybe I have your answers. It’s All been written out for us in the Book of Truth. This book is made of a total of 66 books


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Monday 10 October 2011

Spelling Yahshuah (יהשע) vs Hebrew using Yehoshuah (יהושע)

For centuries, Bible translators around the world did not transliterate or copy the tetragrammaton in their translations. For example, English Bible translators (Christian and Jewish) used "LORD" to represent it. Many authors on Bible translation have explicitly called for translating it with a vernacular word or phrase that would be locally meaningful.

The spelling Yahshuah (יהשע), first documented during the early days of the Sacred Name movement in the 1930s, is not found in Hebrew texts. The Hebrew Bible uses Yehoshuah (יהושע), and later Yeshua, for Joshua, which means "Yah is Salvation." Christians, historians, and linguists outside the sacred name movement for the most part reject the term Yahshua in favor of Yeshua (ישוע) as the original pronunciation written in Germanic languages like Dutch as in English with a J for the Yod = Jeshua.

Critics say that in their labor to get the pronunciation "Yahshua" out of יהושע, they are ignoring Hebrew linguistics that do not allow the waw to be silent, so "Yahshua" is a questioned translation. Furthermore, it is argued by some that this pronunciation is not attested in antiquity, unlike the pronunciation "Yehoshua".

Those who really love the One and Only God and his son, should consider them as part of their family and use the sounds of the names of those persons.
We should consider it appropriate to use Semitic names in our translations of both the Old and New Testament.
- Bible scholars and translators such as Eusebius and Jerome (translator of the Latin Vulgate) consulted the Hexapla, but did not attempt to preserve sacred names in Semitic forms. Justin Martyr (second century) argued that YHWH is not a personal name, writing of the “namelessness of God”.  - (Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address, ch. 21)

Good christians should transliterate (“bring over the sound”) into their own language, e.g. English and Dutch. We can wonder if we not have to go to the phonetic use of the name, or should we write it phonetically right but let it pronounced in the tongue of the speaker?

But we should not give preference to go for the popular version like the translator Joseph Bryant Rotherham lamented not making his work in to a Sacred Name Bible by using the Yod in English as well and not keeping to the three Hebrew vowels when he choose for the English favourite in his translation.
Some Restored Names Bibles therefore keep using the populist form Yahweh and even go to base there version on the King James Version (where in the old edition was used Jehovah) and just change the names of the Father to Yahweh and His Son into Yahshua in both Testaments.

From the beginning of the 20th century many people became more aware of the importance of the use of Gods Name, but like several Sacred Name groups they clanged to the English "Yahweh" and "Yahshua" instead for opting for the Hebrew conversion of hte sound for Yehowah wich would sound as "Yea-Hovwhah" and could best be written as Jehovah in Latin and Germanic languages. also for the wrong name of the Nazarene son of Joseph and Myriam (Mary/Maria) from the tribe of David who became generally known as Jesus (from the Greek "Iesous", which means 'Hail Zeus') Christ (= the "Christos"), the Messiah. Bringing over the Hebrew sounds it would be

"‘Jesus’ is a transliteration of a Latin name Ioesus, pronounced heysus - which means NOTHING in Hebrew, but in Latin it means ‘Hail Zeus’. If Yahshua’s name had been
transliterated into our language, it would have been closer to Joshua (or Jehoshua).." (


Originally, the name of the Messiah was , pronounced Yahushua or (Yehoshua). This is the Messiah's original name. The correct pronouncement would be "Yahushua" or spoken out as "Yea- Hu- Shua" (In Dutch "Je-hoe-shoewha") and could be written down as Jehushua. While the short form for "Ya-Saves" or better "Jeh-Saves" also often used in the scrolls would be Jeshua.

Biblequotes from Restored Name Bible "The Scriptures" >

God about His name “יהוה“ + Creator of heaven and earth and everything around יהוהThe Only One Elohim who creates and gives all


in the Dutch Translation "De Geschriften":
God over zijn Naam  + יהוה Schepper van hemel en aarde en alles er op en eraan

Read more:
Related articles:
In Dutch

About the change of the son of God for the sake of keeping the piece (in the 4° Century CE):

Thursday 23 December 2010

Invitation to all who believe

Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels contain...
Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels contains the incipit Liber generationis of the Gospel of Matthew. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the gospel there is an invitation to all who believe what God has  promised, to share with Christ in his kingdom, glory, and joy, which invitation is given on certain conditions well defined (1 Thess. 2:12; ; Matt. 25:21) faith in the things covenanted to Abraham and David, and in those taught concerning Jesus, in the Old and New Testaments; immersion into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and thenceforth a life of without which no one will be approved and promoted to the honour and glory of the kingdom ().

John Thomas. (1990; 2002). Comments from Brother Thomas (Pagina 2). Logos Publications.


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2013 update:
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Monday 14 June 2010

Be humble like Christ





“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1Pe 5:6 NIV)



There is a crown of pride (#Isa 28:3), which no one should wear.  But lots of people love to be recognized and to be placed on a higher platform.
God's hand sym discipline (Exodus 3:19; 6:1; Job 30:21; Psalm 32:4) and deliverance (Deuteronomy 9:26; Ezekiel 20:34).  We do not have to compare ourselves with other people in the world.  We are better to choose to be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt us in due time.

We do not like to be humbled.  Though we should recognize that it can be wholesome.

Christ was humble -- 'Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.' He towered infinitely above everyone on earth.  How then could he be sincerely humble?  Because he realized that he was nothing, and God was everything.  He did not (like so many) compare himself with those around him, but with God.  He knew that all he ever did or was or understood was of God: the gift of God, the love of God.  He had no illusions of his own innate strength or goodness or wisdom.  He emptied himself -- his own natural, fleshly self -- and filled himself totally with God: or, rather, he submitted to God totally filling him, to perfectly direct every thought, word and deed.  He was the perfect vessel for the Divine use.  Let us try to follow him.

 Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Wordt nederig als Christus

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2016 linkupdate