Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Notes Author: Robertus Minimus Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | "THE LAW" AS WHOLE O.T. TEACHING | James 4:11 | Robertus Minimus | 180143 | ||
I understand James to be speaking of "the Law," that is, the Teaching of God found in what we call the Old Testament. Remember, James is a leader of the Jerusalem congregation whose members are primarily Jewish, so his listeners/readers understood the phrase to be referring to the Torah. As for a specific verse or passage, consider Leviticus 19:18. In context, chapter 19 has several admonitions how to behave toward other people. The teaching in verse 18 is to love your neighbor as youself, and not to hold a grudge against those who wrong you, nor to take revenge against them. Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 22:39 as a key teaching in the OT that His followers should practice. James writes his exhortation in 4:11 in the broad context of Lev. 19 and the teaching of Jesus in Mt. 22. Earlier in his epistle, James referred to "law" differently but in a related way. In 2:8, he calls the teaching about loving others the "royal law of love," and then quotes Lev. 19.18. Similarly, Paul writes in Romans 13:10 that love is the fulfillment of "the Law" -- that is, the whole body of Law (Teaching) that God transmitted through Moses. It is this "law of love," according to Paul, that does no wrong toward one's neighbor. And we understood from Jesus that our "neighbor" is anyone else (Luke 10) -- especially someone of a different Ethnos (People-group). In summary, then, James in 4:11 first speaks of "the Law" in the sense of the whole body of teaching in the Pentateuch. But he is also thinking of the "royal law of love" as explained by Jesus and Paul. The application for us is not to judge or slander other people -- both "neighbor" and "brother" -- but rather, to practice showing God's love toward them. Then, as James teaches, we would be "doers of the law." This is the main point of James' epistle -- and a key teaching of Jesus, Paul and John (as repeated in the latter's epistles). |
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2 | SYMBOL OF ANOINTING OLIVE OIL | Ex 30:30 | Robertus Minimus | 180142 | ||
In Exodus 30:30 - 35, God gave specific instructions to Moses about preparing an anointing oil to set apart Aaron and his sons so they can serve as priests. Traditional Judaism associates this oil with olive oil, though the text of chapter 30 indicates that something else was mixed in to make it different from regular olive oil. The secret ingredient or recipe has been lost, though some people who are interested in reviving Temple worship in Jerusalem claim to know how to make this ointment. Anointing with oil was commonly done in Old Testament times as a symbol that leaders -- specifically priests and kings -- were set apart to do God's work. Common people also anointed themselves with a different perfumed oil so they would smell and look nice in the harsh climate. |
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3 | Pastors as "angels," witness as "lamps" | Rev 2:5 | Robertus Minimus | 180141 | ||
My understanding is that the "angels" who are associated with the seven congregations of Asia Minor are actually pastors. This interpretation is based on the Greek word angelos which is better translated as "messager," not angel. It was the congregational leader's responsibility to correct people and address trends in their flock, but not the normal role of winged heavenly messagers. Therefore, Yeshua (Jesus) directs John to write instructions to leaders of seven specific assemblies. The warning John passes on to the Messager of Ephesus is that if the congregation doesn't "return to their first love," that is, Yeshua, then He will "remove their lampstand," Rev. 2:5. I understand this to mean that their light as a witnessing community would be extinguished if they didn't correct the prevailing trend within their group. Tough love from John! According to Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History (written about 200 CE), John lived in Ephesus before and after writing Revelations from Patmos. So John had a personal connection to the congregation, pastor, and populace of Ephesus. He had a vested interest in the Ephesians actively revealing Yeshua's love to the community. It was important that this message be given to the Messager of Ephesus -- the pastor, not an angel -- so the congregational leader could act on it. Evidence of John's pre-occupation with the Yeshua's command to love one another is seen in the recurrence of this theme in the Johannine Epistles. And according to Eusebius, when John later returned to Ephesus, he continued to emphasize how vital it was that this congregation continue to show Messiah's self-sacrificing love in action. |
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4 | "Know the Lord" means intimate knowledge | Hos 6:6 | Robertus Minimus | 180136 | ||
Hosea's use of the phrase, "to know the Lord," in 6:3 and 6:6 is da'at Elohim in the Hebrew. It refers to intimate knowledge; that is, having a personal relationship with God. This kind of knowledge is far different than head-knowledge that many unsaved people possess -- including some who are religious. God's love was revealed through Hosea's faithfulness toward his wife and children. God crafted Hosea's life and preaching to be a demonstration of Elohim's love toward Israel (and by application, to Humankind). In this context, "to know the Lord" means that individual Jews were given the opportunity to be in a personal, and meaningful, relationship with the Lord. The Scripture does not record all the ordinary people who took Hosea's message to heart. But we do know from this Book that Hosea knew God intimately, as is evidenced by his continued, lifelong sharing of Adonai's mercy, grace, and forgiveness. |
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