Dear Don;
Thank you for your well thought out post. I appreciate the respect you are able to show when sharing your views on God.
I concur with your point that God is able to preserve His word and does so through many good translations. It is simple laziness that causes many Christians to misread or misuse the text. The original languages are readily available as well as many good Greek and Hebrew lexicons through which the original meaning can be reached. I am quite fond of the Hebrew as you noted. For the New Testament, I find that the Expanded Translation by Weust is very illuminating. Dr. Weust translates each word of the Greek using as many English words as necessary to convey the full meaning of the original. In some instances thirty or more words must be used to express the thought behind one word of the Greek, it is that rich.
I welcome the chance to discuss the Messiah Yeshua with you. You are correct in pointing out that Yeshua died on cross. This was of course His act of sacrificial love that is the heart of the Gospel. I Cor. 1-5 provides a good definition of the Gospel.
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
I love this definition of the Gospel because it calls upon the Word of God as the reason for faith --"according to the Scriptures"--and not on subjective opinion or the revelations of men.
I believe that Yeshua was speaking clearly of this Gospel when he spoke in John 2, which is the text that I would like to begin our discussion on the person and mission of Yeshua HaMashiach.
John 2:18-22
The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
I have chosen the New American Standard, which from my studies is the best word for word translation in English. Perhaps you would share with me your views on Yeshua in light of this passage. The same question Yeshua asked Peter and the disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?", I ask of you. Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Who do you say He is Don?
Shalu Shalom Yerushalim, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
Shalom uv'rachah b'Yeshua HaMashiach - Peace and blessings in Messiah Yeshua - DLL |
