A Light to the Nations

Naked Deception! part 2: 

Nothing New Under The Sun.

Recently my son, who is 10, was asking about God - does he love us and does he punish us? I said yes, both of those are true. I reminded him of the story of Noah and the flood. Then he asked, how could God love us if he wanted to wipe us out from the face of the earth? But son, I asked, don’t you see? You and I are still here. Did God send a flood to wipe us out from the face of the earth? Clearly he did not. But precisely because he loves us he gave us instead the story of the flood as an instruction. 

That’s how the biblical story works for us. Since the teaching is written and since we are its recipients, whenever we hear the instruction as a punishment, it is still grace. Because we are given yet another opportunity to go forward and correct our behavior. 

In part one of this episode, we discussed the functionality of some terms in the original Hebrew of Genesis chapter 3, particularly how the play on arum (naked) and arum (subtil/crafty) literarily underscores the susceptibility of Adam and his wife to the deception of the serpent. In the story, the consequence of that deception was a series of curses issued by the Lord God. In this episode, part 2, we will look at how some of the same terminology re-appears in chapter 27 of Genesis. 

Indeed, “that which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Notes
sadeh - field
hereb - sword
Genesis 6:5-6; 27:1-17; 39-40

Decoding Genesis 1-11 by Paul Nadim Tarazi (OCBS, 2020)

Music: “Brand New Orleans” performed by Prince

Artwork: “Isaac Blessing Jacob” by Assereto 

Naked Deception, Part 1:
Smooth Criminal.

You don’t need a theological degree to understand the Bible. If you have ears to hear what the text is saying, the message can be quite clear. That’s why, in the Gospels, Jesus teaches in parables - to make the message so straightforward that the only excuse people could have for not getting it is their own unwillingness to hear and to submit: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” The problem is that the Bible wasn’t written in our language. What we read and hear are translations. Yet even the King James English can’t convey what the authors of the Bible are saying in their language, which is Hebrew. Even if we can’t or don’t want to study ancient languages, we should at least acknowledge the fact that the Bible wasn’t written in English. Then we might be willing to learn from people who do know Biblical Hebrew how the language works so that we could better understand the text so we could do what it commands. 

In part 1 of this special episode, we take a look at some wordplay in Genesis 2:25-3:1 that really sheds light on the meaning of the text, but that can only be captured in the original Hebrew. 

Notes:
עֲרוּמִּ֔ים - a-rũm-mîm (naked)
עָר֔וּם - a-rūm (subtle/cunning)
הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה - hā-ǎ-dā-māh (ground)
Genesis 2:4-6
Isaiah 47:2-3
Job 5:8-13; 15:4-5

Brand New Orleans performed by Prince.

You know what he said. So what are you doing here?

In the Gospel of Luke, the women go to the tomb and do not find Jesus; they meet two men who remind them what Jesus said; they remember what he said; and they go and report all to the eleven and all the rest. The “all” here refers to everything Jesus said while he was still with them. The phrase “he is not here; he is risen” is not found in all manuscripts; as such, its addition may be understood as a clarifying statement. In Luke, the solution is not the resurrection per se, but the reaffirmation of what Jesus had been teaching throughout the gospel, specifically about the suffering of the Son of Man. As Son of Man, Jesus is first and foremost a teacher. And although in the Gospel of Luke, there is a literary movement pointing towards his return in glory, as hearers we are commanded not to get excited about it. Yes, there is a kingdom ahead, and judgment. But until it comes, the thing to do is await it patiently and continue to hear and obey all the teacher said while he was still with us. 
Join me in a discussion of Luke 8:49-56.

Notes:
Luke 16:31; 21:27; 24:6-7, 27
Ezekiel 6:1-4
ἀναλήμψεως (analēmpseōs) - ascension 

“Brand New Orleans” performed by Prince.

Episode 43 - A Common Table.

In the culture of the ancient Near East, to sit at a table and share a meal with someone means you are at one with that person. It is with this understanding, which is still prevalent in middle eastern culture today, that we hear the Pharisee’s complaints against Jesus in the Gospel: why would he accept “unclean” tax collectors and sinners at his table? And yet when Jesus said to Levi, “Follow me,” it says that he left all, rose up and followed him. It is Jesus’ word of teaching, which Levi accepts, that cleanses him and allows him a place at the table. The corollary to “all are one” at the table is that all are under the house rule of the host, the one master at whose table they are seated. In their inability see their own need to be fed, the scribes and Pharisees separate themselves from the one table to which the Lord has invited all; and through whose teaching, all are made clean. 

Join me in a discussion of Luke 5:27-31.

Notes:
Leviticus 19:34
Deuteronomy 8:3
Matthew 22:36-40
Luke 9:11
Romans 1:5-6; 11:29-32;14:15
Galatians 2:11-12

Original music composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen.
Photo by Askar Abayev.

“The Lordship of Jesus is on you if you trust in the word of the gospel and you become doulos xristou.”

This is an extract from an audio commentary on the Gospel of Mark by the Rev. Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi. In his reading of Mark 3:11-12, Fr. Paul makes an aside about what the titles “Son of God,” “Christ” and “Lord” mean and why, in the narrative, Jesus systematically rejects them.

Fr. Paul’s audio commentaries on the New Testament are available from the Orthodox Center for The Advancement of Biblical Studies (OCABS). See the link below to access.
https://www.ocabspress.org/new-testament

Original intro and outro music composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen.

Chapter 21 of Luke parallels the mini-apocalypse in Mark 13. Whereas Mark warns his hearers against joining in the revolt and against putting their hope in the earthly Jerusalem, Luke is writing at a time when the city had already collapsed to Rome. Still, the Lord will continue to instruct his people with words out of his own mouth. When they put their trust in those words and follow his commandments with patient endurance, it will be the Lord himself who speaks when they give their martyria. Just as Ezekiel delivered God’s word to the exiles in Babylon away from Jerusalem and its temple, Jesus, as Son of Man and thus teacher, will bring the redemption of those who patiently await his coming. In Luke, the place from which Jesus ascends is depicted as the Mount of Olives; as in the prophet Zechariah, this is also the place from whence the Lord will come when he returns as judge. This movement in the Gospel of Luke is neither geographical nor mystical, but Scriptural.

Join me in a discussion of Luke 21:13-19.

Notes:
μαρτύριον - testimony, witness
σοφίαν - wisdom 
ὑπομονῇ - patience, patient endurance 
Psalm 78:1-2; 121:1
Mark 13:5-7
Luke 8:15; 9:23; 21:25-28

“Sing A New Song Unto Me” composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen.
Photo by Brett Jordan.

In the Gospels, miracles and marvelous works are not signs in and of themselves. They must be based on something else. Jesus’ opponents even accuse him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, and how would one know this wasn’t the case unless what was done was in fulfillment of Scripture? Jesus systematically affirms that Scripture- that which is written - is the sole valid reference for everything, even for the authority that he gives to his apostles over demons.

Join me in a discussion of Luke 10:16-21.

Notes:
Exodus 7:9-11; 8:19; 31:18
Luke 7:22-23; 11:19-20
ἐνγέγραπται - written
εὐδοκία - well-pleasing
“Sing A New Song Unto Me” composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen.
Photo by Eduardo Braga.
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Was Jesus A Carpenter’s Son?

The word tekton, translated “carpenter,” appears first in the Gospel of Mark. Its only other occurrence in the New Testament is in the parallel text from Matthew, and both times it is said of Jesus.* In the former he is referred to as “the carpenter” and in the latter, “the carpenter’s son.” This change may be attributed to the fact that Matthew addresses his gospel to a new generation -  identified in his gospel twice as ekklesia, the Church. Throughout, Matthew follows closely the narrative in Mark, but he modifies it to reflect a new audience, the next generation of believers. The changes in Matthew thus underscore the urgency of the Gospel message, something that is particularly prevalent in his narrative of Jesus’ Transfiguration. Join me in a discussion of Matthew 17:1-11.

Notes:
*The term likely originated with Paul, who refers to himself as architekton (master builder) in 1 Corinthians 3:10.
Mark 6:13; 9:5, 11-13.
Matthew 11:14; 13:55.

“Sing A New Song Unto Me” composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen.

Icon of the Transfiguration by the hand of Nick Papas.

Scripture In Nutshell.

Each of the synoptic gospels handles the choosing and sending out of Jesus’ twelve disciples differently. Matthew, the last of the four gospels to be produced, takes a unique approach: he combines the calling of the twelve and the sending out in one section. His gospel also includes the following instruction: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” What are we to make of this oddity - that the gospel is exclusive to Israel - which doesn’t seem consistent with the rest of Matthew or with scripture as a whole? Matthew is following a program in his Gospel which reflects the teaching of Paul in a nutshell: the gospel is offered to Gentiles, but they are not first. Israel is. It is their refusal that opens the door for Gentiles to accept the same teaching. The call and sending of the twelve in Matthew accomplishes two things: it affirms the Scriptural primacy of the mission to Israel; additionally it puts pressure on the Gentile addressees by reminding them of the seriousness of the matter; that when the gospel is offered to them, it will have already been offered to and refused by Israel; thus it is coming to them as a last opportunity.
Join me in a discussion of Matthew 10:1-8.

References:
Matthew 9:35, 36; 15:24, 28; 24:14; 28:16, 20
Romans 9:30
Revelation 21:12-14
1 Corinthians 10:1-10
ὄχλους ochlous (crowds)

“Funky” performed by Miles Davis and Prince.

Emasculation of the Priesthood.

In the Orthodox Church on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and Forerunner, the gospel reading is complied  from Luke. It includes the first 25 verses of chapter 1, plus a selection of additional verses dealing specifically with John. Despite offering an abridged version of the first chapter of Luke, this pericope expands on Mark’s approach of beginning the Gospel of Jesus with the origin of his Forerunner. In this “back story” we can note important details in the text and glean key Scriptural points for teaching. The  silencing of Zachariah represents a total emasculation of the priesthood; at the same time it reinforces the implementation of grace according to the will of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable one to open his mouth and utter words of praise unto God.

Join me in a discussion of Luke 1:1-25; 57-68; 76; 80.

References 

Genesis 6:9
צַדִּ֛יק (ṣad·dîq) - righteous
תָּמִ֥ים (tā·mîm) - blameless
Malachi 4:5-6
Matthew 17:13
Luke 1:39-42

“Crystal Ball” performed by Prince.