Monday, August 28, 2006
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Outside the Camp - Part 1
In the law of Moses a protection was arranged for the purity of the people who lived within the camp of Israel. For example:
And yet an anomoly exists in the book of Exodus - because outside the camp is also where Moses pitched the "tent of meeting", the sacred place where an individual had to go in order to commune with God. (Exodus 33:7) It is interesting to see just how this situation developed.
Jehovah had lovingly lead the children of Abraham out of Egyptian bondage, displaying His awesome power in a way never before seen by them, first through the ten plagues and later at the Red Sea where he delivered them from Pharoah and the army of Egypt. He lead them to the base of Mt. Sinai and revealed His pleasure to conclude a contract with them to make them His special people.
"And now if you will strictly obey my voice and will indeed keep my covenant, then you will certainly become my special property out of all peoples, because the whole earth belongs to me. And you yourselves will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." - Exodus 19:5,6
The Israelites responded unaminously in agreement to enter into this sacred covenant with Jehovah saying, "All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do." (Exodus 19:8) Preparations were then made before Jehovah - with everyone sanctifying themselves and becoming clean. (Exodus 19:10,14,15)
On the third day of the preperation Moses ascended to the top of Mt. Sinai. It was there that he received the ten commandments and law of Jehovah which he relayed to the People and again the people again answered, "All the words that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do" - Exodus 24:3
Since the people had accepted the Law that Jehovah had put before them it was His will to set up a very special arrangement by which He could spiritually dwell directly in their midst. Jehovah again called Moses to the mountain in order to transmit instructions for the building a special structure called the "tabernacle" or "tent of meeting" where he would reside in among them.
In Exodus 29:45,46 Jehovah says, "And I will tabernacle in the midst of the sons of Israel, and I will prove to be their God. And they will certainly know that I am Jehovah their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I may tabernacle in the midst of them. I am Jehovah their God."
While Moses was yet a top the Mountain receiving instructions for this wonderful provision from God the people below grew restless feeling that perhaps Moses had perished. The account reads, "So the people congregated themselves about Aaraon and said to him: "Get up, make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because as regards this Moses, the man who led us out of the land of Egypt, we certain do not know what has happened to him" - Exodus 32:1
Aaron relented and constructed an idol in the form of a golden calf saying "This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt." He then built an altar before it and declared: "There is a festival to Jehovah tomorrow". (Exodus 32:4,5) Earlier the next day the people got up and began offering sacrafices before the calf statue and celebrating.
Jehovah was incensed at this rebellion. His anger was so great that He told Moses that He was desiring to destroy all of the sons of Israel and start a new promised line from the sons of Moses. (Exodus 32:10) Moses pleaded with God not to do such a thing and to keep his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. This served to momentarily abate Jehovah's great anger.
Moses descended down the mountain carrying the two "tablets of Testimony". These tablets were a gift given to Moses directly by God who made them as it reads, "and the tablets where the workmanship of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved upon the tablets". - Exodus 32:16
As Moses got near the camp he heard the celebration of the people's idolatrous revelry. (Exodus 32:18) Upon coming near enough to see the calf image and the people dancing about it Moses' anger blazed like Jehovah's had before. Moses' anger was manifested in his throwing down the tablets. The second commandment written upon them expressely condemned the making of "a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth." (Exodus 19:4) In as much as the people had broken this command the stone tablets shattered in symbolism at the base of the mountain. (Exodus 32:19)
Moses then took his stand before the camp and "Who is on Jehovah's side? To me!" With this the Levites seperated themselves to Moses' side and after receiving divine instruction put to death 3,000 men who were engaged in the idol worship." (Exodus 32:26-29) By doing so they became dedicated as priests. "Moses said, 'Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day'" - Exodus 32:29, NRSV
Moses then attempted to intercede on behalf of the people who had sinned because they were under a death sentence for their disobediance. Jehovah affirmed that they would die saying "I shall certainly bring punishment upon them for their sin". It was then that a plague manifested itself in the camp." (Exodus 32:30-35)
Sin carries consequence, in this case a plague. However, as bad as the plague was what was worse was that people had lost their special privilege of being able to dwell right in the midst of God. Their lawlessness caused Jehovah to withdraw from them. He no longer indentified them as "my people" and instead began referring to them as "your people" when talking to Moses (Exodus 7:1; 33:1) Ultimately, Jehovah declares that he will not continue with the people saying, "I shall not go up in the midst of you." - Exodus 33:3
The Israelites are cut to the heart over this; thus, the people began to mourn over their sin and would not put on their gold ornaments. Jehovah in his graciousness took note of this turning around and outlined that this action needed to be taken by the entire people to show their repentance. He said through Moses. "So now put down your ornaments off yourself." (Exodus 33:4-6) The people obeyed.
[We may wonder how is it that removing these ornaments show repentance for their earlier idolatry? For one thing it was similar pieces of jewerly that were used to mold into the calf image. In ancient times jewelry was often linked with false gods and worship. (Compare Genesis 35:1-4; Ezekiel 16:17; Hosea 2:13) These pieces of jewelry may have been taken from the Egyptians as the Israelites were leaving Egypt. (Exodus 12:35)]
Before God had purposed to pitch his tent directly in the middle of the camp but now the Scriptures have this tent being place far outside the camp.
We read: "As for Moses, he proceeded to take his tent away and he pitched it outside the camp, far away from the camp; and he called it a tent of meeting. And it occurred that everyone inquiring of Jehovah would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp." - Exodus 33:7
By putting the tent outside the camp it served as a visible symbol as to how Jehovah had distanced himself from the nation. Their uncleaness was severe and God could not dwell with them. Yet complete approach to God was not blocked off from the people. Due to their repentance and His great love, He didn't turn away from the totally. They were gifted a provision to speak with Him; but in order to do so they had to seperate themselves from the camp and seek him outside the camp.
It would take another intercession by Moses before God would agree to accept the Israelites back again as His people and continue with them. (Exodus 33:12-17) Later on in the recorded record the tabernacle of God was placed in the center of the camp and God's presence was manifest there as a cloud by day and fire by night. (Numbers 2:17; Exodus 40:33-38) Jehovah had returned to dwelling with them!
- The physically "unclean" such as lepers were excommunicated and had to dwell outside the boundaries of the camp. (Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 12:14,15; 14:3)
- Individuals who were defiled by running discharges or infection were quarantined outside the camp. (Numbers 5:1-4)
- The unused remains of sacrificial bulls and animal waste was disposed of outside the camp. (Exodus 29:13)
- Criminals and law breakers were executed outside the camp. (Leviticus 24:14; Numbers 15:35,36)
- Outside the camp was where human excrement was buried. (Deutoronomy 23:12,13)
And yet an anomoly exists in the book of Exodus - because outside the camp is also where Moses pitched the "tent of meeting", the sacred place where an individual had to go in order to commune with God. (Exodus 33:7) It is interesting to see just how this situation developed.
Jehovah had lovingly lead the children of Abraham out of Egyptian bondage, displaying His awesome power in a way never before seen by them, first through the ten plagues and later at the Red Sea where he delivered them from Pharoah and the army of Egypt. He lead them to the base of Mt. Sinai and revealed His pleasure to conclude a contract with them to make them His special people.
"And now if you will strictly obey my voice and will indeed keep my covenant, then you will certainly become my special property out of all peoples, because the whole earth belongs to me. And you yourselves will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." - Exodus 19:5,6
The Israelites responded unaminously in agreement to enter into this sacred covenant with Jehovah saying, "All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do." (Exodus 19:8) Preparations were then made before Jehovah - with everyone sanctifying themselves and becoming clean. (Exodus 19:10,14,15)
On the third day of the preperation Moses ascended to the top of Mt. Sinai. It was there that he received the ten commandments and law of Jehovah which he relayed to the People and again the people again answered, "All the words that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do" - Exodus 24:3
Since the people had accepted the Law that Jehovah had put before them it was His will to set up a very special arrangement by which He could spiritually dwell directly in their midst. Jehovah again called Moses to the mountain in order to transmit instructions for the building a special structure called the "tabernacle" or "tent of meeting" where he would reside in among them.
In Exodus 29:45,46 Jehovah says, "And I will tabernacle in the midst of the sons of Israel, and I will prove to be their God. And they will certainly know that I am Jehovah their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I may tabernacle in the midst of them. I am Jehovah their God."
While Moses was yet a top the Mountain receiving instructions for this wonderful provision from God the people below grew restless feeling that perhaps Moses had perished. The account reads, "So the people congregated themselves about Aaraon and said to him: "Get up, make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because as regards this Moses, the man who led us out of the land of Egypt, we certain do not know what has happened to him" - Exodus 32:1
Aaron relented and constructed an idol in the form of a golden calf saying "This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt." He then built an altar before it and declared: "There is a festival to Jehovah tomorrow". (Exodus 32:4,5) Earlier the next day the people got up and began offering sacrafices before the calf statue and celebrating.
Jehovah was incensed at this rebellion. His anger was so great that He told Moses that He was desiring to destroy all of the sons of Israel and start a new promised line from the sons of Moses. (Exodus 32:10) Moses pleaded with God not to do such a thing and to keep his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. This served to momentarily abate Jehovah's great anger.
Moses descended down the mountain carrying the two "tablets of Testimony". These tablets were a gift given to Moses directly by God who made them as it reads, "and the tablets where the workmanship of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved upon the tablets". - Exodus 32:16
As Moses got near the camp he heard the celebration of the people's idolatrous revelry. (Exodus 32:18) Upon coming near enough to see the calf image and the people dancing about it Moses' anger blazed like Jehovah's had before. Moses' anger was manifested in his throwing down the tablets. The second commandment written upon them expressely condemned the making of "a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth." (Exodus 19:4) In as much as the people had broken this command the stone tablets shattered in symbolism at the base of the mountain. (Exodus 32:19)
Moses then took his stand before the camp and "Who is on Jehovah's side? To me!" With this the Levites seperated themselves to Moses' side and after receiving divine instruction put to death 3,000 men who were engaged in the idol worship." (Exodus 32:26-29) By doing so they became dedicated as priests. "Moses said, 'Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, and so have brought a blessing on yourselves this day'" - Exodus 32:29, NRSV
Moses then attempted to intercede on behalf of the people who had sinned because they were under a death sentence for their disobediance. Jehovah affirmed that they would die saying "I shall certainly bring punishment upon them for their sin". It was then that a plague manifested itself in the camp." (Exodus 32:30-35)
Sin carries consequence, in this case a plague. However, as bad as the plague was what was worse was that people had lost their special privilege of being able to dwell right in the midst of God. Their lawlessness caused Jehovah to withdraw from them. He no longer indentified them as "my people" and instead began referring to them as "your people" when talking to Moses (Exodus 7:1; 33:1) Ultimately, Jehovah declares that he will not continue with the people saying, "I shall not go up in the midst of you." - Exodus 33:3
The Israelites are cut to the heart over this; thus, the people began to mourn over their sin and would not put on their gold ornaments. Jehovah in his graciousness took note of this turning around and outlined that this action needed to be taken by the entire people to show their repentance. He said through Moses. "So now put down your ornaments off yourself." (Exodus 33:4-6) The people obeyed.
[We may wonder how is it that removing these ornaments show repentance for their earlier idolatry? For one thing it was similar pieces of jewerly that were used to mold into the calf image. In ancient times jewelry was often linked with false gods and worship. (Compare Genesis 35:1-4; Ezekiel 16:17; Hosea 2:13) These pieces of jewelry may have been taken from the Egyptians as the Israelites were leaving Egypt. (Exodus 12:35)]
Before God had purposed to pitch his tent directly in the middle of the camp but now the Scriptures have this tent being place far outside the camp.
We read: "As for Moses, he proceeded to take his tent away and he pitched it outside the camp, far away from the camp; and he called it a tent of meeting. And it occurred that everyone inquiring of Jehovah would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp." - Exodus 33:7
By putting the tent outside the camp it served as a visible symbol as to how Jehovah had distanced himself from the nation. Their uncleaness was severe and God could not dwell with them. Yet complete approach to God was not blocked off from the people. Due to their repentance and His great love, He didn't turn away from the totally. They were gifted a provision to speak with Him; but in order to do so they had to seperate themselves from the camp and seek him outside the camp.
It would take another intercession by Moses before God would agree to accept the Israelites back again as His people and continue with them. (Exodus 33:12-17) Later on in the recorded record the tabernacle of God was placed in the center of the camp and God's presence was manifest there as a cloud by day and fire by night. (Numbers 2:17; Exodus 40:33-38) Jehovah had returned to dwelling with them!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
The Winged Lions of Babylon
“The first one was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I kept on beholding until its wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth and was made to stand up on two feet just like a man, and there was given to it the heart of a man." - Daniel 7:4
In the prophet Daniel's vision of four world powers represented by beasts, Babylon is described as a winged lion. In the Babylonian religion the winged-lion represented their chief diety Bel/Marduk. Sculptures of winged lions, such as the one pictured to the left, were present in ancient Babylon. It is said that the winged lion was the national symbol of the empire. Therefore, in the vision given to Daniel the winged-lion was an appropriate representation of ancient Babylon.
In the prophet Daniel's vision of four world powers represented by beasts, Babylon is described as a winged lion. In the Babylonian religion the winged-lion represented their chief diety Bel/Marduk. Sculptures of winged lions, such as the one pictured to the left, were present in ancient Babylon. It is said that the winged lion was the national symbol of the empire. Therefore, in the vision given to Daniel the winged-lion was an appropriate representation of ancient Babylon.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Jesus and the Divine Name
Righteous Father, the world has, indeed, not come to know you; but I have come to know you, and these have come to know that you sent me forth. And I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”- John 17:25,26
On the night prior to his execution Jesus prayed those words. Taken as a whole they are a beautiful reminder of the way that we can come to know the Father through the Son. This thought is detailed in John chapter 14. Verse 6 well sumarizes it, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
However the purpose of this discussion is to key in on Jesus expression, "I have made your name known to them and will make it known".
A Brief History of the Divine Name
God's Name appears thousands of times in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the original Hebrew text it appears as four consonants, commonly called the the Tetragrammaton -- YHWH when transliterated into English. In the original Hebrew writings vowels were not used and it was up to the reader to supply the vowel sounds.
Sometime after the Babylonian exile and before Jesus came to earth (during Alexander the Great's reign according to Rabbinic tradition) God's Name was held to be too sacred to pronounce and it dropped out of common usage. The Hebrew word Adonai, or Lord, was used as substitution for the name of God.
Thereafter the original Divine Name was only pronounced once a year by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. Pronoucing God's Name outside these times carried severe penalties. It was considered blasphemy and any who pronounced it were subject to death by stoning.
With the destruction of the temple in 70AD the priestly services were forcibly discontinued and the Divine Name was no longer invoked. Thus overtime the original pronunciation of the Name was lost with only the four consonants of the Tetragrammaton remaining in the Scriptures as a clue to the original pronunciation.
Eventually the Tetragrammaton was removed from the common Greek translation of the Bible called the Septuagint where it was generally replaced with the Greek word Kyrious or Lord. This translation tradition has carried over to English Bibles where God's Name is rendered as The LORD.
There is evidence that in the early Christian communities the Name of God still remained in the Hebrew writings. The oldest fragments of the Greek Septuagint contain the Hebrew Tetragrammaton. The Hebrew Tetragrammaton appears in the Christian Scholar Origen's Hexapla - a parallel version of the Hebrew Scriptures in six versions. Additionally Jerome writing in the late fourth century commented that the name of God was still around in certain Greek volumes.
What about the New Testament? The Christian Greek Scriptures contain numerous references to the Hebrew Scriptures. For the most part these citations suggest the Septuagint as the source material. In the available texts of the Greek Scriptures we find the Greek word Kyrious, or Lord, used as a substitution.
However there is one interesting text available that suggests the early use of the Divine Name in Matthew's Gospel. Christian tradition has it that Matthew was originally written in the "Hebrew tongue (Hebrew or possibly Aramaic) as testified to by Papias, Irenaeus, Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome.
In Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew the Divine Name appears twenty times as "The Name". Use of "The Name" is not limited to just scriptural citations where the Tetragrammaton appeared. It also is used in phrases such as the "the House of The Name" and "an angel of The Name". Additionally it is used when scriptures are introduced, "All this was to complete what was written by the prophet according to The Name". There is debate as to whether or not Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew represents the original Hebrew version of Matthew. However the appearance of "The Name" in the text suggests that Shem-Tob's Matthew may have roots with an early pre-Greek version.
Did Jesus Use The Divine Name?
While there are no explicit references to Jesus uttering The Name in the Greek Scriptures there are hints and suggestions that he probably did so.
In the Greek Scriptures Jesus referred to God as Father and Abba. However he often made reference to God's "name". From these we can see that God's Name was very important to Jesus and essential to his ministry.
The Lord's prayer begins, "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified." Matthew 6:9
"Father, glorify your name." John 12:28
At John 17:6,26 Jesus prays, "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world ... I have made your name known to them."
"I have come in the name of my Father" John 5:43
These scriptures do much to suggest that Jesus made use of God's Name. However further scriptural proof is found in the charge that was used to condemn Jesus to death, namely, blasphemy. From a legal standpoint, blapshemy was pronouncing the Tetragrammaton for some forbidden purpose. The fact that Jesus was declared guilty of blasphemy strongly appeals to the idea that he used it in some fashion.
In a Jewish retelling of the gospel account Toledot Yeshu it is stated that Jesus performed wonders by abusing the powers of God's name. Further in the Talmudic Sanhedrin is found an account of Balaam, which later Jewish interpreters feel is a codified name for Jesus. Regarding Balaam Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says, "Woe to him who makes him to live with the name of God." Some understand this to mean that Balaam resurrected himself by pronouncing the ineffable name of God.
Granted these Jewish works were written with the intent of smearing Jesus however the Bible does seem to harmonize with the idea that Jesus did use the Name of God, that he peformed miracles in the Name of God, and that he was charged with blasphemy because of it.
First we consider Jesus words at John 10:25 that "The works that I am doing in the name of my Father testify to me."
So here Jesus says that he is performing miraculous works in the name of his Father. Now we may feel that when he says he is doing something in the name of his Father it is only in a representative sense that his works had the backing of his Father. However there seems to more to this account as we pick up at John 10:31-38.
"Once more the Jews lifted up stones to stone him. Jesus replied to them: “I displayed to YOU many fine works from the Father. For which of those works are YOU stoning me?” The Jews answered him: “We are stoning you, not for a fine work, but for blasphemy, even because you, although being a man, make yourself a god.” Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said: “YOU are gods”’? If he called ‘gods’ those against whom the word of God came, and yet the Scripture cannot be nullified, do YOU say to me whom the Father sanctified and dispatched into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, I am God’s Son? If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I am doing them, even though YOU do not believe me, believe the works, in order that YOU may come to know and may continue knowing that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father.”
Now we consider that when the Jews attempt to stone Jesus he asks them if they are stoning him in response to his works and they say they are stoning him for blasphemy. Once again we call to mind that strictly speaking blasphemy was uttering God's Name for a forbidden purpose.
If it does prove to be true that Jesus made use of the Divine Name when working miracles the egnimatic account of Jesus accusing the Scribes blapheming against the Holy Spirit takes a greater meaning. We read in Mark 3:22,28-30
Also, the scribes that came down from Jerusalem were saying: “He has Beelzebub, and he expels the demons by means of the ruler of the demons.” ... Truly I say to YOU that all things will be forgiven the sons of men, no matter what sins and blasphemies they blasphemously commit. However, whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.” This, because they were saying: “He has an unclean spirit.”
If we imagine that Jesus was expelling demons by means of God's Name and the scribes took offense and said that Jesus was instead expelling demons by means of the ruler of the demons then they would be in effect calling God, Satan. Furthermore if he was being accused of blasphemy for using God's Name when expelling demons he is here turning it around and saying that Scribes are the ones who are really committing the blasphemy, first by denying the power of God and second by saying that it orginates with the Devil.
Another interesting account where Jesus is charged with blasphemy in connection with performing miracles is at Mark 2:5-7 which reads:
"And when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now there were some of the scribes there, sitting and reasoning in their hearts: “Why is this man talking in this manner? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except one, God?"
Earlier on we spoke the only occasions in Jesus day where the Divine Name was allowed to be spoken and that was on the Day of Atonement - the ceremonial day linked with the annual atoning of sins for the people. On that day the High Priest presided over the offerings and spoke the ieneffible Divine Name after each offering. Hence in Jesus' day the Divine Name was specifically linked with the forgiveness of sins. Indeed only in this connection and on this one day of the year was it spoken.
The simplest straight forward meaning to this account is that by forgiving sins the scribes felt that Jesus was making himself God. However once again if it holds that blasphemy was making use of the Divine Name then we have to consider whether or not Jesus made use of The Name in connection with forgiving sins and healing the paralytic.
In Mark is found another intriguing incident. Mark 11 & 12 records Jesus' run-ins with the religious teachers of Judea who are trying to trap him wih their questionings. The focus of the narration is on Jesus successfully overturning these tricks with his wisdom, first to the priests & scribes (11:27-32), then the Pharisees and party of Herod (12:13-17), and then the Sadducees (12:18-27). Our specific focus is on the account of the priests & scribes found at Mark 11:27-32.
And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the older men came to him and began to say to him: “By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you this authority to do these things?” Jesus said to them: “I will ask you one question. you answer me, and I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism by John from heaven or from men? Answer me.” So they began to reason among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why is it, therefore, you did not believe him?’ But dare we say, ‘From men’?”—They were in fear of the crowd, for these all held that John had really been a prophet. Well, in reply to Jesus they said: “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them: “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
Now what we have to consider is what kind of damning response did the priests and scribes wish to solicit from Jesus and why did Jesus not give them a straight answer. As we considered previously there is the idea that Jesus healed and forgave sins by use of the Divine Name. So when the priests and scribes asked Jesus by whose authority did he do those things where they trying to get him to commit "blasphemy" by uttering the Divine Name? It seems quite possible.
Now for the sake of completing this study I would like to look at John 8:58,59.
"Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am" So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple."
When reading this account we have to ask what was it that caused the Jews to attempt to stone Jesus. John 8:58 finishes up a lengthy passage where Jesus judges the Jews in no uncertain terms calling them among other things liars. So perhaps they were so angry with Jesus words that they attempted to physically attack him. That is certainly feasible.
Alternatively we can consider whether or not it was Jesus using the phrase "I AM" as a reference to the Name of God as found in Exodus 3:14 and since this was perceived as blasphemy they attempted to stone him. What we have at John 8:58 is a Greek translation of what Jesus originally spoke in Aramaic. Thus we can't be sure of whether or not Jesus did refer to the Divine Name in his expression and John chose the equivalent Septuagint phrasing of the Name recorded in Exodus 3:14.
With this in mind we consider Jesus arrest as recorded in John 18:4-6
"Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked the, "Whom are you looking for?" They answered, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus replied, "I am he." When Jesus said to them, "I am" they stepped back and fell to the ground."
We have to consider what was it about Jesus expression, "I am" that literally caused these men to fall to the ground? It doesn't seem likely that they were so stunned by Jesus forthrightness that they fell to the ground. If we do interpret this as Jesus saying God's Name then the reaction of the men and their falling to the ground seems very likely.
Continuing to Jesus' trial as recorded at Mark 14:61-63:
"Again the high priest began to question him and said to him: “Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One?” Then Jesus said: “I am; and YOU persons will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” At this the high priest ripped his inner garments and said: “What further need do we have of witnesses? YOU heard the blasphemy. What is evident to YOU?” They all condemned him to be liable to death."
Once again we have Jesus being charged with blasphemy. Casually looking at it this scripture we may assume that his blasphemy was saying he was the Messiah (Christ) or that he was the Son of God or the Son of Man. However legally neither of these technically constituted blasphemy. So why is that what Jesus said that so enraged the High Priest that he said, "you heard the blasphemy". Well once again we may have Jesus making reference to the Divine Name when he said "I am."
In conclusion we can summarize the evidences that Jesus used the Divine Name that we have considered.
1.) Jesus' words that he had made God's Name known.
2.) Rabbinic and Jewish sources that said that Jesus worked magic by using God's Name.
3.) That Jesus was repeatedly charged with blasphemy which was literally using God's Name in any way.
4.) The possibility that Greek expression "I am" eigo eimi is a codified form of the Divine Name and a reference to the Septuagint rendering of Exodus 3:14.
On the night prior to his execution Jesus prayed those words. Taken as a whole they are a beautiful reminder of the way that we can come to know the Father through the Son. This thought is detailed in John chapter 14. Verse 6 well sumarizes it, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
However the purpose of this discussion is to key in on Jesus expression, "I have made your name known to them and will make it known".
A Brief History of the Divine Name
God's Name appears thousands of times in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the original Hebrew text it appears as four consonants, commonly called the the Tetragrammaton -- YHWH when transliterated into English. In the original Hebrew writings vowels were not used and it was up to the reader to supply the vowel sounds.
Sometime after the Babylonian exile and before Jesus came to earth (during Alexander the Great's reign according to Rabbinic tradition) God's Name was held to be too sacred to pronounce and it dropped out of common usage. The Hebrew word Adonai, or Lord, was used as substitution for the name of God.
Thereafter the original Divine Name was only pronounced once a year by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. Pronoucing God's Name outside these times carried severe penalties. It was considered blasphemy and any who pronounced it were subject to death by stoning.
With the destruction of the temple in 70AD the priestly services were forcibly discontinued and the Divine Name was no longer invoked. Thus overtime the original pronunciation of the Name was lost with only the four consonants of the Tetragrammaton remaining in the Scriptures as a clue to the original pronunciation.
Eventually the Tetragrammaton was removed from the common Greek translation of the Bible called the Septuagint where it was generally replaced with the Greek word Kyrious or Lord. This translation tradition has carried over to English Bibles where God's Name is rendered as The LORD.
There is evidence that in the early Christian communities the Name of God still remained in the Hebrew writings. The oldest fragments of the Greek Septuagint contain the Hebrew Tetragrammaton. The Hebrew Tetragrammaton appears in the Christian Scholar Origen's Hexapla - a parallel version of the Hebrew Scriptures in six versions. Additionally Jerome writing in the late fourth century commented that the name of God was still around in certain Greek volumes.
What about the New Testament? The Christian Greek Scriptures contain numerous references to the Hebrew Scriptures. For the most part these citations suggest the Septuagint as the source material. In the available texts of the Greek Scriptures we find the Greek word Kyrious, or Lord, used as a substitution.
However there is one interesting text available that suggests the early use of the Divine Name in Matthew's Gospel. Christian tradition has it that Matthew was originally written in the "Hebrew tongue (Hebrew or possibly Aramaic) as testified to by Papias, Irenaeus, Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome.
In Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew the Divine Name appears twenty times as "The Name". Use of "The Name" is not limited to just scriptural citations where the Tetragrammaton appeared. It also is used in phrases such as the "the House of The Name" and "an angel of The Name". Additionally it is used when scriptures are introduced, "All this was to complete what was written by the prophet according to The Name". There is debate as to whether or not Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew represents the original Hebrew version of Matthew. However the appearance of "The Name" in the text suggests that Shem-Tob's Matthew may have roots with an early pre-Greek version.
Did Jesus Use The Divine Name?
While there are no explicit references to Jesus uttering The Name in the Greek Scriptures there are hints and suggestions that he probably did so.
In the Greek Scriptures Jesus referred to God as Father and Abba. However he often made reference to God's "name". From these we can see that God's Name was very important to Jesus and essential to his ministry.
The Lord's prayer begins, "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified." Matthew 6:9
"Father, glorify your name." John 12:28
At John 17:6,26 Jesus prays, "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world ... I have made your name known to them."
"I have come in the name of my Father" John 5:43
These scriptures do much to suggest that Jesus made use of God's Name. However further scriptural proof is found in the charge that was used to condemn Jesus to death, namely, blasphemy. From a legal standpoint, blapshemy was pronouncing the Tetragrammaton for some forbidden purpose. The fact that Jesus was declared guilty of blasphemy strongly appeals to the idea that he used it in some fashion.
In a Jewish retelling of the gospel account Toledot Yeshu it is stated that Jesus performed wonders by abusing the powers of God's name. Further in the Talmudic Sanhedrin is found an account of Balaam, which later Jewish interpreters feel is a codified name for Jesus. Regarding Balaam Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says, "Woe to him who makes him to live with the name of God." Some understand this to mean that Balaam resurrected himself by pronouncing the ineffable name of God.
Granted these Jewish works were written with the intent of smearing Jesus however the Bible does seem to harmonize with the idea that Jesus did use the Name of God, that he peformed miracles in the Name of God, and that he was charged with blasphemy because of it.
First we consider Jesus words at John 10:25 that "The works that I am doing in the name of my Father testify to me."
So here Jesus says that he is performing miraculous works in the name of his Father. Now we may feel that when he says he is doing something in the name of his Father it is only in a representative sense that his works had the backing of his Father. However there seems to more to this account as we pick up at John 10:31-38.
"Once more the Jews lifted up stones to stone him. Jesus replied to them: “I displayed to YOU many fine works from the Father. For which of those works are YOU stoning me?” The Jews answered him: “We are stoning you, not for a fine work, but for blasphemy, even because you, although being a man, make yourself a god.” Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said: “YOU are gods”’? If he called ‘gods’ those against whom the word of God came, and yet the Scripture cannot be nullified, do YOU say to me whom the Father sanctified and dispatched into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, I am God’s Son? If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I am doing them, even though YOU do not believe me, believe the works, in order that YOU may come to know and may continue knowing that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father.”
Now we consider that when the Jews attempt to stone Jesus he asks them if they are stoning him in response to his works and they say they are stoning him for blasphemy. Once again we call to mind that strictly speaking blasphemy was uttering God's Name for a forbidden purpose.
If it does prove to be true that Jesus made use of the Divine Name when working miracles the egnimatic account of Jesus accusing the Scribes blapheming against the Holy Spirit takes a greater meaning. We read in Mark 3:22,28-30
Also, the scribes that came down from Jerusalem were saying: “He has Beelzebub, and he expels the demons by means of the ruler of the demons.” ... Truly I say to YOU that all things will be forgiven the sons of men, no matter what sins and blasphemies they blasphemously commit. However, whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.” This, because they were saying: “He has an unclean spirit.”
If we imagine that Jesus was expelling demons by means of God's Name and the scribes took offense and said that Jesus was instead expelling demons by means of the ruler of the demons then they would be in effect calling God, Satan. Furthermore if he was being accused of blasphemy for using God's Name when expelling demons he is here turning it around and saying that Scribes are the ones who are really committing the blasphemy, first by denying the power of God and second by saying that it orginates with the Devil.
Another interesting account where Jesus is charged with blasphemy in connection with performing miracles is at Mark 2:5-7 which reads:
"And when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now there were some of the scribes there, sitting and reasoning in their hearts: “Why is this man talking in this manner? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins except one, God?"
Earlier on we spoke the only occasions in Jesus day where the Divine Name was allowed to be spoken and that was on the Day of Atonement - the ceremonial day linked with the annual atoning of sins for the people. On that day the High Priest presided over the offerings and spoke the ieneffible Divine Name after each offering. Hence in Jesus' day the Divine Name was specifically linked with the forgiveness of sins. Indeed only in this connection and on this one day of the year was it spoken.
The simplest straight forward meaning to this account is that by forgiving sins the scribes felt that Jesus was making himself God. However once again if it holds that blasphemy was making use of the Divine Name then we have to consider whether or not Jesus made use of The Name in connection with forgiving sins and healing the paralytic.
In Mark is found another intriguing incident. Mark 11 & 12 records Jesus' run-ins with the religious teachers of Judea who are trying to trap him wih their questionings. The focus of the narration is on Jesus successfully overturning these tricks with his wisdom, first to the priests & scribes (11:27-32), then the Pharisees and party of Herod (12:13-17), and then the Sadducees (12:18-27). Our specific focus is on the account of the priests & scribes found at Mark 11:27-32.
And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the older men came to him and began to say to him: “By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you this authority to do these things?” Jesus said to them: “I will ask you one question. you answer me, and I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism by John from heaven or from men? Answer me.” So they began to reason among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why is it, therefore, you did not believe him?’ But dare we say, ‘From men’?”—They were in fear of the crowd, for these all held that John had really been a prophet. Well, in reply to Jesus they said: “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them: “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
Now what we have to consider is what kind of damning response did the priests and scribes wish to solicit from Jesus and why did Jesus not give them a straight answer. As we considered previously there is the idea that Jesus healed and forgave sins by use of the Divine Name. So when the priests and scribes asked Jesus by whose authority did he do those things where they trying to get him to commit "blasphemy" by uttering the Divine Name? It seems quite possible.
Now for the sake of completing this study I would like to look at John 8:58,59.
"Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am" So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple."
When reading this account we have to ask what was it that caused the Jews to attempt to stone Jesus. John 8:58 finishes up a lengthy passage where Jesus judges the Jews in no uncertain terms calling them among other things liars. So perhaps they were so angry with Jesus words that they attempted to physically attack him. That is certainly feasible.
Alternatively we can consider whether or not it was Jesus using the phrase "I AM" as a reference to the Name of God as found in Exodus 3:14 and since this was perceived as blasphemy they attempted to stone him. What we have at John 8:58 is a Greek translation of what Jesus originally spoke in Aramaic. Thus we can't be sure of whether or not Jesus did refer to the Divine Name in his expression and John chose the equivalent Septuagint phrasing of the Name recorded in Exodus 3:14.
With this in mind we consider Jesus arrest as recorded in John 18:4-6
"Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked the, "Whom are you looking for?" They answered, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus replied, "I am he." When Jesus said to them, "I am" they stepped back and fell to the ground."
We have to consider what was it about Jesus expression, "I am" that literally caused these men to fall to the ground? It doesn't seem likely that they were so stunned by Jesus forthrightness that they fell to the ground. If we do interpret this as Jesus saying God's Name then the reaction of the men and their falling to the ground seems very likely.
Continuing to Jesus' trial as recorded at Mark 14:61-63:
"Again the high priest began to question him and said to him: “Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One?” Then Jesus said: “I am; and YOU persons will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” At this the high priest ripped his inner garments and said: “What further need do we have of witnesses? YOU heard the blasphemy. What is evident to YOU?” They all condemned him to be liable to death."
Once again we have Jesus being charged with blasphemy. Casually looking at it this scripture we may assume that his blasphemy was saying he was the Messiah (Christ) or that he was the Son of God or the Son of Man. However legally neither of these technically constituted blasphemy. So why is that what Jesus said that so enraged the High Priest that he said, "you heard the blasphemy". Well once again we may have Jesus making reference to the Divine Name when he said "I am."
In conclusion we can summarize the evidences that Jesus used the Divine Name that we have considered.
1.) Jesus' words that he had made God's Name known.
2.) Rabbinic and Jewish sources that said that Jesus worked magic by using God's Name.
3.) That Jesus was repeatedly charged with blasphemy which was literally using God's Name in any way.
4.) The possibility that Greek expression "I am" eigo eimi is a codified form of the Divine Name and a reference to the Septuagint rendering of Exodus 3:14.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Remember The Poor
When the apostle Paul and Barnabas were separating from the Church in Judea, in order to continue missionary work among the people of the nations, they were given an additional instruction by the Judean overseers to "remember the poor". Paul reports in his letter to the Galatians that, "this very thing I also was eager to do." (Galatians 2:9,10 NIV)
It is interesting, on reading this account, that this was the only specifically-mentioned instruction these "pillars" of the faith sought to give to Paul. It is even more remarkable when you think about all the missionary instructions that could have been provided and recorded in God’s Word. It really encapsulates just how highly giving to the poor is esteemed in the Holy Scriptures.
Regrettably, the poor can sometimes be lost in the mix whilst we are fulfilling our Christian activities and ministry assignments, or even worse, neglected all together. As Christians, though, we do well to consider deeply, just how well we are doing in our obligation to remember the poor.
For starters let us consider the nature of the God whom we worship, since we are called to be holy in imitation of him. (1 Peter 1:15,16) The Scriptures show that our Heavenly Father cares very much for needy ones. Psalms 68 beautifully declares of Jah,
“A father of fatherless boys and a judge of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.”
The Law that God gave the nation of Israel illustrates his care and concern for the poor. Therein, God instructed, "you must not harden your heart or be closefisted toward your poor brother." (Deut 15:7) Furthermore The Mosaic Law regulated different ways that the poor should be provided for. For example:
• The poor were allowed to glean the leftovers in the fields after a harvest. (Deu 24:19, 21)
• If they had to sell their possessions because of poverty they received them back during the Jubilee year. (Lev 25:28)
• The poor had a share in the tithes given to the priests. (Deu 14:28)
To the Hebrews, such action was not seen as charity, it was considered an act of justice and righteousness. To them the poor were owed a portion of the provisions of those richer than them by right. Thus, we find that righteousness, justice and almsgiving share the same Hebrew word tzedakah. The Hebrew Scriptures, consequentially, characterize the righteous by their willingness to give to the poor and to lend without interest. (Ezekiel 18:5-9)
The importance of taking care of the poor was something that carried over from the Jews to the Christians through the teachings of Jesus. Jesus as a perfect reflection of his Father too had deep compassion for the poor. (Hebrews 1:3)
In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from one that wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:42), he also tells us that, "there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving,"(Acts 20:35) and when speaking on giving, Jesus said, "But when you spread a feast, invite the poor people, crippled, lame, blind; and you be happy because they have nothing with which to repay you." (Luke 14:13-14)
Jesus told his followers to be "perfect, as [our] heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) Now in order to be perfect, or complete, we need to care for the poor just as Jesus told a young rich man, "If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.” (Matthew 19:21) Sadly the rich man would not do this but other disciples of Jesus answered this call to give their possessions to the poor. One notable example is the tax-collector Zacchaeus who declared “Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor" (Luke 19:8)
Jesus stressed that our everlasting reward would have basis on our treatment of the poor. In the 16th chapter of Luke Jesus provided parables to his disciples to illustrate the eternal rewards of using our "unrighteous riches" to provide for others. Jesus instructed them, "Make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous riches, so that, when such fail, they may receive you into the everlasting dwelling places." (Luke 16:9)
The account continues that the Pharisees who were "money lovers" sneered at Jesus' teaching. So Jesus provides them another parable of comparing them to a "certain rich man" who did not help the plight of a poor beggar named Lazarus. At the time of their death the poor beggar received his reward of being considered righteous by being placed in the bosom position of Abraham; however, the rich man found himself in a position of anguish and judgment. (Luke 16:19-31)
Similarly, in his Olivet discourse Jesus equates righteousness with providing for the poor and shows that judgment is dependant on our taking care of their needs. Jesus says that when he arrives to judge mankind, the righteous "sheep" will be characterized by their providing for the needs of the poor, the least of his brothers. (Matthew 25:34-40) By giving to these ones they are in turn giving to Jesus. (Compare Proverbs 19:17)
Jesus not only taught giving but he put his words into action. While Jesus' primary purpose was to care for the everlasting spiritual needs of the people, he didn't hesitate to provide for their immediate physical needs. Recorded in the Gospels are two separate occasions where Jesus provided food for thousands. (Mark 6:40-44; Mark 8:6-9). The Scriptures bring out that he carried a moneybox to collect alms for the poor. (John 12:4-6; 13:29)
The Christian Scriptures continue to show that those taking the lead in the early Church, such as the apostle John, followed Jesus' example. They taught giving and made sure that the material needs of the poor among them were being met. Thus, in a letter, the apostle writes, "But whoever has this world's means for supporting life and beholds his brother having need and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him, in what way does the love of God remain in him?" (1 John 3:17)
The Acts of the Apostles provides a remarkable example in the openhanded giving of the early Christian Church. It records how "all those who were possessors of fields or houses would sell them and bring the values of the things sold and they would deposit them at the feet of the apostles. In turn distribution would be made to each one just as he would have the need." This giving was so generous that it is boasted that, "there was not one in need among them." (Acts 4:34-35) The apostles also appointed the first servants (deacons) in the Church to oversee that all of their widows were receiving a share in the daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1-3)
Supporting this, James, an overseer of the Church in Judea, characterizes true and pure religion as, "looking after orphans and widows in their tribulation" (James 1:27) He illustrates that true faith would be evidenced by charitable works when he says, "If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, yet a certain one of you says to them: "Go in peace, keep warm and well fed," but you do not give them the necessities for their body, of what benefit is it? Thus, too faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself." (James 2:15-17)
The apostle Paul likewise couples the Gospel message with charitable giving in his letter to the Corinthians saying, "the ministry of this public service is not only to supply abundantly the wants of the holy ones but also to be rich with many expressions of thanks to God.” He further complimented their obedience and bigheartedness saying, “you are submissive to the good news about the Christ, and you publicly declare you are, and because you are generous in your contribution to them and all." (2 Cor 9:12,13)
[It is interesting to note Paul’s use of the Greek word leitourgia (public service) in the aforementioned scripture. This word is used three other times in the Christian Scriptures in relation to the priestly service. (See Luke 1:23; Hebrews 8:6; 9:21) So by using it here Paul equates giving to the needy with the sacrifices that the Jewish priests offered to God. Since the entire Christian Church is called to be priests (1 Peter 2:9) our priestly service is to give thanks to God and provide for the needs of others. (Compare Hebrews 13:15,16).]
Paul gave pastoral instruction to Timothy in taking care of the needs of needy widows. (1 Timothy 5:9, 10) He also wrote to the Church in Ephesus regarding the need to work hard so as "have something to distribute to someone in need" (Ephesians 4:28) Furthermore he wrote to two congregations regarding his personal desire to hand carry their material gifts to poor Christians residing in Jerusalem. (Romans 15:25,26; 1 Cor 16:1-4)
With the passage of the first-century Church era giving to the poor did not end. The writings provided by 2nd century Christians show that they continued to "remember the poor" in apostolic tradition.
Regarding such, Christian apologist Justin Martyr wrote, "The wealthy among us help the needy. . . . Those who are prosperous, and willing, give what each thinks fit. And what is collected is deposited with the president, who gives aid to the orphans and widows." (Justin, Apology, chap. LXVII)
Likewise Tertullian in his apology wrote, "Though we have our treasure chest, it is not made up of purchase money, as of a religion that has its price. Rather, on the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation. . . . to support and bury poor people, to supply the needs of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons now confined to the house. These gifts also help those who have suffered shipwreck. And if there happens to be any of us in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in the prisons - for no reason other than their faithfulness to the cause of God's Church - they become the nurslings of their confession." (Tertullian, Apology, chap. XXXIX)
Sadly though, the extreme generosity in taking care of the needy that marked the early Church diminished over the next centuries turning for the worse when Roman Emperor Constantine granted State favor to Christianity. Because there were no “church” buildings or salaried clergy in the early Christian congregation all of the money donated by the congregants could be used in the caring of others, particularly the poor. Under Constantine things would change.
Originally the Christians met in private homes; however, in order to legitimize and popularize the Christian religion Constantine started constructing “church” buildings. These were built over the burial sites of Christian martyrs and were far from modest. Porphyry, a pagan critic of Christianity, noted that these buildings were "worthy of an Emperor".
Among the early Christians for an elder to receive a salary for his ministerial duties was seen as a heresy. [Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, vol. V, chap. XXVIII] However Constantine would institute a salaried clergy whose wages came in part out of the church funds. Originally the funds that were earmarked for the poor were not encroached upon, however later the clergy would dip in there as well.
Also at the time of Constantine many new converts that were not fully committed to the Christian way of life inundated the church. Some of these individuals only converted to Christianity in order to share the religion with the head of the State and have all the privileges thereof. As such they did not fully embrace the kind of radical giving that was the hallmark of the early Church and required by Christ. Over the centuries giving and taking care of the needy, while not being abandoned totally, diminished to something of lesser importance.
Today we are left with this legacy of misappropriation of donated funds and an overall lack of generosity in taking care of the needy. Even if Christians would return to selling all of their superfluous possessions and donating the receipts to their denomination only a portion of these moneys would be given to the poor. A large, or even the majority of congregation receipts would be used to sustain bigger and better “church” buildings and maintain salaried clergy. We have to look at this situation and see if such misappropriation could be considered outright theft from the moneybox for the poor, exactly in the same manner that Judas stole from the poor. (John 12:6)
As Christians we too need to examine our giving and see if our attitudes reflect that of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus as well as the early Church. Are we conscious of the needs of the poor? Are we generous with our unrighteous riches? And whether we are giving half of our possessions or only two small coins of little value we need to consider if our donations are being used to really help the poor. Upon close scrutiny we may find that our money is being used to maintain “church” buildings and salaried clergy, practices that have no basis in Christian Scripture or the early Church example.
--
This is an article that I wrote during July. It appears in the August 2006 Common Truth newsletter.
It is interesting, on reading this account, that this was the only specifically-mentioned instruction these "pillars" of the faith sought to give to Paul. It is even more remarkable when you think about all the missionary instructions that could have been provided and recorded in God’s Word. It really encapsulates just how highly giving to the poor is esteemed in the Holy Scriptures.
Regrettably, the poor can sometimes be lost in the mix whilst we are fulfilling our Christian activities and ministry assignments, or even worse, neglected all together. As Christians, though, we do well to consider deeply, just how well we are doing in our obligation to remember the poor.
For starters let us consider the nature of the God whom we worship, since we are called to be holy in imitation of him. (1 Peter 1:15,16) The Scriptures show that our Heavenly Father cares very much for needy ones. Psalms 68 beautifully declares of Jah,
“A father of fatherless boys and a judge of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.”
The Law that God gave the nation of Israel illustrates his care and concern for the poor. Therein, God instructed, "you must not harden your heart or be closefisted toward your poor brother." (Deut 15:7) Furthermore The Mosaic Law regulated different ways that the poor should be provided for. For example:
• The poor were allowed to glean the leftovers in the fields after a harvest. (Deu 24:19, 21)
• If they had to sell their possessions because of poverty they received them back during the Jubilee year. (Lev 25:28)
• The poor had a share in the tithes given to the priests. (Deu 14:28)
To the Hebrews, such action was not seen as charity, it was considered an act of justice and righteousness. To them the poor were owed a portion of the provisions of those richer than them by right. Thus, we find that righteousness, justice and almsgiving share the same Hebrew word tzedakah. The Hebrew Scriptures, consequentially, characterize the righteous by their willingness to give to the poor and to lend without interest. (Ezekiel 18:5-9)
The importance of taking care of the poor was something that carried over from the Jews to the Christians through the teachings of Jesus. Jesus as a perfect reflection of his Father too had deep compassion for the poor. (Hebrews 1:3)
In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from one that wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:42), he also tells us that, "there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving,"(Acts 20:35) and when speaking on giving, Jesus said, "But when you spread a feast, invite the poor people, crippled, lame, blind; and you be happy because they have nothing with which to repay you." (Luke 14:13-14)
Jesus told his followers to be "perfect, as [our] heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) Now in order to be perfect, or complete, we need to care for the poor just as Jesus told a young rich man, "If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.” (Matthew 19:21) Sadly the rich man would not do this but other disciples of Jesus answered this call to give their possessions to the poor. One notable example is the tax-collector Zacchaeus who declared “Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor" (Luke 19:8)
Jesus stressed that our everlasting reward would have basis on our treatment of the poor. In the 16th chapter of Luke Jesus provided parables to his disciples to illustrate the eternal rewards of using our "unrighteous riches" to provide for others. Jesus instructed them, "Make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous riches, so that, when such fail, they may receive you into the everlasting dwelling places." (Luke 16:9)
The account continues that the Pharisees who were "money lovers" sneered at Jesus' teaching. So Jesus provides them another parable of comparing them to a "certain rich man" who did not help the plight of a poor beggar named Lazarus. At the time of their death the poor beggar received his reward of being considered righteous by being placed in the bosom position of Abraham; however, the rich man found himself in a position of anguish and judgment. (Luke 16:19-31)
Similarly, in his Olivet discourse Jesus equates righteousness with providing for the poor and shows that judgment is dependant on our taking care of their needs. Jesus says that when he arrives to judge mankind, the righteous "sheep" will be characterized by their providing for the needs of the poor, the least of his brothers. (Matthew 25:34-40) By giving to these ones they are in turn giving to Jesus. (Compare Proverbs 19:17)
Jesus not only taught giving but he put his words into action. While Jesus' primary purpose was to care for the everlasting spiritual needs of the people, he didn't hesitate to provide for their immediate physical needs. Recorded in the Gospels are two separate occasions where Jesus provided food for thousands. (Mark 6:40-44; Mark 8:6-9). The Scriptures bring out that he carried a moneybox to collect alms for the poor. (John 12:4-6; 13:29)
The Christian Scriptures continue to show that those taking the lead in the early Church, such as the apostle John, followed Jesus' example. They taught giving and made sure that the material needs of the poor among them were being met. Thus, in a letter, the apostle writes, "But whoever has this world's means for supporting life and beholds his brother having need and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him, in what way does the love of God remain in him?" (1 John 3:17)
The Acts of the Apostles provides a remarkable example in the openhanded giving of the early Christian Church. It records how "all those who were possessors of fields or houses would sell them and bring the values of the things sold and they would deposit them at the feet of the apostles. In turn distribution would be made to each one just as he would have the need." This giving was so generous that it is boasted that, "there was not one in need among them." (Acts 4:34-35) The apostles also appointed the first servants (deacons) in the Church to oversee that all of their widows were receiving a share in the daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1-3)
Supporting this, James, an overseer of the Church in Judea, characterizes true and pure religion as, "looking after orphans and widows in their tribulation" (James 1:27) He illustrates that true faith would be evidenced by charitable works when he says, "If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, yet a certain one of you says to them: "Go in peace, keep warm and well fed," but you do not give them the necessities for their body, of what benefit is it? Thus, too faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself." (James 2:15-17)
The apostle Paul likewise couples the Gospel message with charitable giving in his letter to the Corinthians saying, "the ministry of this public service is not only to supply abundantly the wants of the holy ones but also to be rich with many expressions of thanks to God.” He further complimented their obedience and bigheartedness saying, “you are submissive to the good news about the Christ, and you publicly declare you are, and because you are generous in your contribution to them and all." (2 Cor 9:12,13)
[It is interesting to note Paul’s use of the Greek word leitourgia (public service) in the aforementioned scripture. This word is used three other times in the Christian Scriptures in relation to the priestly service. (See Luke 1:23; Hebrews 8:6; 9:21) So by using it here Paul equates giving to the needy with the sacrifices that the Jewish priests offered to God. Since the entire Christian Church is called to be priests (1 Peter 2:9) our priestly service is to give thanks to God and provide for the needs of others. (Compare Hebrews 13:15,16).]
Paul gave pastoral instruction to Timothy in taking care of the needs of needy widows. (1 Timothy 5:9, 10) He also wrote to the Church in Ephesus regarding the need to work hard so as "have something to distribute to someone in need" (Ephesians 4:28) Furthermore he wrote to two congregations regarding his personal desire to hand carry their material gifts to poor Christians residing in Jerusalem. (Romans 15:25,26; 1 Cor 16:1-4)
With the passage of the first-century Church era giving to the poor did not end. The writings provided by 2nd century Christians show that they continued to "remember the poor" in apostolic tradition.
Regarding such, Christian apologist Justin Martyr wrote, "The wealthy among us help the needy. . . . Those who are prosperous, and willing, give what each thinks fit. And what is collected is deposited with the president, who gives aid to the orphans and widows." (Justin, Apology, chap. LXVII)
Likewise Tertullian in his apology wrote, "Though we have our treasure chest, it is not made up of purchase money, as of a religion that has its price. Rather, on the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation. . . . to support and bury poor people, to supply the needs of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons now confined to the house. These gifts also help those who have suffered shipwreck. And if there happens to be any of us in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in the prisons - for no reason other than their faithfulness to the cause of God's Church - they become the nurslings of their confession." (Tertullian, Apology, chap. XXXIX)
Sadly though, the extreme generosity in taking care of the needy that marked the early Church diminished over the next centuries turning for the worse when Roman Emperor Constantine granted State favor to Christianity. Because there were no “church” buildings or salaried clergy in the early Christian congregation all of the money donated by the congregants could be used in the caring of others, particularly the poor. Under Constantine things would change.
Originally the Christians met in private homes; however, in order to legitimize and popularize the Christian religion Constantine started constructing “church” buildings. These were built over the burial sites of Christian martyrs and were far from modest. Porphyry, a pagan critic of Christianity, noted that these buildings were "worthy of an Emperor".
Among the early Christians for an elder to receive a salary for his ministerial duties was seen as a heresy. [Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, vol. V, chap. XXVIII] However Constantine would institute a salaried clergy whose wages came in part out of the church funds. Originally the funds that were earmarked for the poor were not encroached upon, however later the clergy would dip in there as well.
Also at the time of Constantine many new converts that were not fully committed to the Christian way of life inundated the church. Some of these individuals only converted to Christianity in order to share the religion with the head of the State and have all the privileges thereof. As such they did not fully embrace the kind of radical giving that was the hallmark of the early Church and required by Christ. Over the centuries giving and taking care of the needy, while not being abandoned totally, diminished to something of lesser importance.
Today we are left with this legacy of misappropriation of donated funds and an overall lack of generosity in taking care of the needy. Even if Christians would return to selling all of their superfluous possessions and donating the receipts to their denomination only a portion of these moneys would be given to the poor. A large, or even the majority of congregation receipts would be used to sustain bigger and better “church” buildings and maintain salaried clergy. We have to look at this situation and see if such misappropriation could be considered outright theft from the moneybox for the poor, exactly in the same manner that Judas stole from the poor. (John 12:6)
As Christians we too need to examine our giving and see if our attitudes reflect that of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus as well as the early Church. Are we conscious of the needs of the poor? Are we generous with our unrighteous riches? And whether we are giving half of our possessions or only two small coins of little value we need to consider if our donations are being used to really help the poor. Upon close scrutiny we may find that our money is being used to maintain “church” buildings and salaried clergy, practices that have no basis in Christian Scripture or the early Church example.
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This is an article that I wrote during July. It appears in the August 2006 Common Truth newsletter.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
When You Fast
Two times in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, "When you fast . . ." and proceeds to give instruction regarding fasting. What is interesting is that Jesus does not say "If you fast" as if fasting was an option. (Matthew 6:16-18) The text assumes that the disciples would fast in the same manner that was expected that they would give to the needy (v. 2-4) and they would pray. (v. 5-8)
Yet today in the Church, unlike prayer and charitable giving, fasting is not a familiar element of the Christian lifestyle. This is strange because Jesus said that his disciples would fast, saying: "But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast." - Luke 5:35
As Christians we are in a constant spiritual war "against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 4:12) We recognize the absolute necessity the role that prayer plays in aiding us in this battle because we are told to, "pray in the Spirit on all occassions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (v. 18) Fasting can further equip us in times of great trial or particular challenge.
A interesting variant reading of Mark 9:29 says that "prayer and fasting" were required to expel the toughest of the demons. It is certainly true that supplementing our personal prayers with a period of fasting can be highly effective in our stand against the evil forces around us. By example, when Jesus was preparing himself for his ministry and readying himself to face the tempations of the Satan, the leader of the demons, "he fasted forty days and forty nights". (Matthew 4:1,2)
The Acts of the Apostles records that the apostolic Church fasted as a course of religious observance, in preparing for ministerial assignment, and seeking God's direction. Acts 13:2,3 reads, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Baranabs and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."
(Likewise the writings of Clement from Alexanderia & Tertullian document that fasting, particularly on Wednesday and Friday, was routinely observed by the Christian Congregation in the 2nd century.)
Yet today in the Church, unlike prayer and charitable giving, fasting is not a familiar element of the Christian lifestyle. This is strange because Jesus said that his disciples would fast, saying: "But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast." - Luke 5:35
As Christians we are in a constant spiritual war "against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 4:12) We recognize the absolute necessity the role that prayer plays in aiding us in this battle because we are told to, "pray in the Spirit on all occassions with all kinds of prayers and requests." (v. 18) Fasting can further equip us in times of great trial or particular challenge.
A interesting variant reading of Mark 9:29 says that "prayer and fasting" were required to expel the toughest of the demons. It is certainly true that supplementing our personal prayers with a period of fasting can be highly effective in our stand against the evil forces around us. By example, when Jesus was preparing himself for his ministry and readying himself to face the tempations of the Satan, the leader of the demons, "he fasted forty days and forty nights". (Matthew 4:1,2)
The Acts of the Apostles records that the apostolic Church fasted as a course of religious observance, in preparing for ministerial assignment, and seeking God's direction. Acts 13:2,3 reads, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Baranabs and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."
(Likewise the writings of Clement from Alexanderia & Tertullian document that fasting, particularly on Wednesday and Friday, was routinely observed by the Christian Congregation in the 2nd century.)
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