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NASB | Matthew 1:25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 1:25 but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The LORD is salvation). |
Subject: Was Mary a virgin her whole life |
Bible Note: Emmaus, thank you for your decorous remarks. You write with clarity and felicity, and though some of your theological views differ from mine, it's always a pleasure to engage in dialogue with you on the forum. In your post you touched on the subject of the English language and how the lack of understanding of the exact meaning of English words can and does affect even one's religious views. I concur without reservation. I've loved to hang around words since first I learned to speak a few of them. This affinity for the spoken and written word led me no doubt to major in English and its literature. I know and appreciate good writing when I see it and, conversely, know and deplore bad writing when I see it; and these days one sees far more of the latter than of the former. So there is a possibility that few users of this forum become nearly as exercised as I by the appearance of so many carelessly written, often incomprehensible, posts. And the irony of it is that those who dash off a sloppy and obviously hastily-written piece of theological gobbledlygook are the very ones who have the most imperfect understanding of their subject and of the words they use in an attempt to address it. Yet chances are better than even that it will be they who are most adamant that the only right view is their view, that anyone opposing them is a knucklehead at best or an infidel at worst. Much of this confusion and invective could be averted by learning basic English usage and communication skills. Day after day we see on the forum some shade-tree Greek or Hebrew scholar attempting to parse those ancient tongues while failing in his attempt to write a clear sentence in English. There is no royal road to proficiency in English. It takes time and hard work. But it is absolutely necessary to learn how to read before one can learn the Bible. And it is equally necessary to learn how to write before one can contribute anything of value on this forum or any other medium that depends on understanding the exact meanings of English words and their relationship to each other in a sentence. So ends, Emmaus, Lesson 1 of English 101, directed not to you who does not need it, but to some of the other users who do. --Hank |