Tag Archives: apocrypha

Sep15

Commentary on Wisdom, 1:12-16

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Commentary on Wisdom, 1:12-16

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Wisdom 1:12-16

(12) Do not seek death by the sin in your life, nor drag along destruction behind you by the works of your hands;

The word ‘seek’ here is used of attempting admission into one of the religious sects of the author’s day, therefore it brings to mind the picture of a sinner who instead of seeking the way of the Living God, instead seeks to enter into a cult of death by his sin. In doing this, destruction follows him and will plague him, but it is by his own hands that he does this.

But what kind of death? It is the death of Adam – spiritual and physical – separation from the living God. The immortality of the soul is not in question here, only the removal from God.

(13) God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living.

See Deut. 30.19. Except in certain narratives that involved historical accounts, (16.13, 16.16, 20), the author usually defines death in the spiritual sense, often ignoring physical death and having no moral significance. Physical death is barely a reality for the righteous who ‘appears to die’ (3.2) but lives forever (5.15). The immortality that is expressed in the passage, and indeed this book, is concerning the spiritual nature, of which the righteous will partake fully when they once again walk with the Lord, and in some small measure enjoy here through the Church when they are resurrected after Baptism.

(14) For he created all things that they might continue to exist, as the genesis of this world is preserved, and there is no self-destructive poison in them; for the dominion of the Grave is not on earth.

Here, ‘genesis’ carries with it several possible meanings,

  • Here the word means either races of creatures or generative powers
  • The Rabbi’s saw it as creative forces that became harmful only after Adam lost his immortality due to the Fall

It is the combination of these two ideas in which we find the meaning of the entire phrase. It emphasizes to the Jews and the Greeks God’s concerns to keep His creation going, not to seek and to destroy it, but to redeem it. God did not make Death, but Death was made by the works of the hands of man – sin. Church needs remember that the Grave – Hell, Death – does not reign on earth. It is interesting to note here the similarity of thought between this verse and the verse in Matthew 16.18, which reads,

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 NKJV

The Church is the living and immortal body of Christ, and we are enlivened by the Spirit of our God, and because of this, we will not longer face death and destruction, but eternal life. No more does the grave prevail and build palaces on earth. Because God’s righteousness is immortal (v15), and because He did not create death, this author points us to a future Redeemer, which becomes apparent in the following few chapters.

(15) For God’s righteousness is immortal.
(16) But ungodly men by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away, and they made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his party.

See Isa 28.15. This verse rightly belongs to the second chapter.

Here the ungodly are pictured as ‘pining away’, or wasting away as in the Greek. They have fallen in love Sin and thus they yearn for the fulfillment of their covenant which is the Grave.

      

Sep10

Commentary on Wisdom, 1.7-11

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Commentary on Wisdom, 1.7-11

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Wisdom 1:7-11

(7) For the Spirit of the Lord that has filled the world holds all things together and knows what is said;

This thought of Wisdom’s author is expressed throughout the book, that God holds the world together through His spirit,

But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls. For thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things. (11.26-12.1)

As well as being found in the New Testament,

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1.17)

Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3 NKJV)

Clearly this has lead to the Orthodox view of panentheism, or God-in-all. (This is opposite of the pagan belief that all material things are god). In panentheism, God is viewed as creator and/or animating force behind the universe, and the sole source, or perhaps first principle, of universal truth. This concept of God can be closely associated with the Logos of Heraclitus and Justin Martyr, in which the Logos pervades the cosmos and whereby all thoughts and things originate. An opposing thought may be that God, as any Creator, as imparted some of Himself into His creation. We note that in both Creation accounts (Genesis 2.7 and John 20.22) the Creator is seen as imparting His breath into the new Creature (Man in Genesis and the Church in John). The thought, which may interpreted differently, seems not so much as permeate this work, nor the epistles or theology of Paul, but serves as a backdrop as to why, especially in the New Testament, God would care so much for His Creation. 

Is this the Spirit of God, or the spirit that is Wisdom? Does God have two Spirits, or are they one with different attributes. On the Old Testament, the Spirit of God is God’s activity in the World. The Logos has been described as God active, of God in motion. One way of interpretation that is often overlooked is to interpret the pneuma in this verse as breath. Then we can connect this verse to the two creation accounts.

The author continues to emphasize the fact that God’s spirit which holds all things together is made manifest to the world of men as power, wisdom, and spirit, which becomes important as we deal with the next few chapters, and especially in the latter half of the book when Wisdom plays an intricate part in the Exodus story.

The author, still in the mind set of the Old Testament writers, uses the fluidity of manifestations as extensions of the God Absolute.

(8) Because of this no one who speaks unrighteous things will escape notice, and justice, when it punishes, will not pass him by.

(9) For inquiry will be made into the counsels of an ungodly man, and a report of his words will come to the Lord, to convict him of his lawless deeds;

Who will make these examinations? The Greek is passive and leaves the interpretation open. We can take the last attribute mentioned, Justice, or we may take the Spirit of the Lord who we are told knows all things that are said. Justice is a personification of God that the author uses later in 11.20. We have to turn to the Jewish belief that along with the book of life there is a book of remembrance written to record the deeds of man.

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. (Malachi 3:16 KJV)

We see here that this Spirit of the Lord will search the counsels of the unrighteous and a conviction will be made. The thought is echoed in Jude who quotes from the Book of Enoch,

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1:14-15 KJV)

In Jude, just as in these verses, we have the Lord who will convict the ungodly of their ungodly deeds as well as the ungodly words spoke against Him.

(10) because a jealous ear hears all things, and no whispered syllable escapes the vigilant ear.

(11) So, then, beware of useless murmuring, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret word is goes unpunished, and a lying mouth destroys the soul.

See Numbers 21.5, Psalms 78.19 (77.19 LXX). These ‘hard speechs’ of Jude, or defiant words, against God, whether whispered or shouted, will be remembered when Justice passes by.

      

Sep9

From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 10.1-25

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From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 10.1-25

I have grown to enjoy these posts a great deal. (Here, here, here, and here) It is my blog, after all, and it has allowed me to discover the style and manner of writing and investigation into scripture that I like, and this seems to be one of them. Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus to the Protestants out there, was written well before Christ and was wrestled over until after Christ by the Jews.

I endeavored to read this book one a while ago, but go no further than the 10th chapter when i realized that at that time it was futile to investigate this book if the results would do no one any good. Now, I focus on my own edification and hope that others will be built up as well. I don’t mean to be selfish here, but there are times that we have to strengthen ourselves (1st Samuel 30.6) in the LORD our Great God. I have found encouragement in the pages of Sirach and hope to continue to do so.

We can approach this passage from Sirach in one of two ways:

  • First, we can see it in the socio-political light that most likely it was written in. Here in the States, we are embroiled in a political election for the President of these united States. It will get ugly and bitter and cause much strife even among those that call each other brother. If we should choose to do this, then we cause a division in the universal body of Christ, be it British or American, Chinese, or Indian. Further, we fail to show our separation from this world that is so well illustrated in Diognetus chapter 5.
  • Second, we can understand that with Christ, rather since Christ, and His Church, those things that once applied nationally to Israel now apply to the Church. In doing this, we understand that the leaders and magistrates of Sirach are the pastors and ministers of the Body of Christ. If we take this second route in understanding, we pay heed to Christ’s command to render to Caesar and to the understanding that the Kingdom of God is not a physically attainable goal, but the Church which is both visible and invisible.

I will approach it primarily, if not in totality, from the second stance.

Sirach 10:1-25 from the Revised Standard Version-Modified

(1) A wise leader will educate his people, and the rule of an understanding man will be well ordered.
(2) As the leader of a people, so are his officials; and the inhabitants of the city will reflect the ruler.
(3) An undisciplined king will ruin his people, but a city will grow through the understanding of its rulers.
(4) The authority of the earth is in the hands of the Lord, and over it he will raise up the right man for the appointed time.
(5) The success of a man is in the hand of the Lord, and he confers his honor upon the person of the scribe.
(6) Do not cherish anger with your neighbor for any injury, and do nothing by acts of insolence.

We are talking about these wise leaders, or magistrates as older translations have them (judge in the NETS) – who are prevalent among the people of God. In Sirach’s time, most likely these were perhaps the Hasmonean Kings, or even the generation earlier, both in which the temple priesthood was being used by those in power. We know from history that Judas Maccabeus saw the near complete degradation of the Jewish elite as they gave away to paganism and encourage the people to do so.

We have pastors and ministers, or those that say that they are such, that are neither wise nor well-ordered. I speak, of course, from experience. Now, I am not speaking about the wisdom of books or man’s words, but the beginning of all wisdom – the fear of the LORD (Psalms 111.10). They are filled with arrogance and this pride will cause not only them to fall, but the congregation as well. It by the leader that the city will either grow into glory or fall into perdition.

Have you every seen a congregation bitter and destroy by gossip or sin or by apathy for the things of God. I am not speaking about one or two, but the entire congregation. (There will always be those that choose not to live up to the examples set by the pastor or ministers and called for by the Scriptures). Look at the pastor of that congregation. What example is he setting? Does he gossip? What about his fear of God? The reverence paid to the things of the Lord? What of his love of the the Spirit? Are they themselves disciplined? Do they in a godly reverence watch over your souls so that when the accounting is called, they may give a good one?

Remember King Saul who, when had disobeyed God, had his kingdom taken from him. God alone is the giver of liberty and sovereignty. Too many people desire to be a pastor or a minister and for what? For what glory, rather, for whose glory? For God? More than likely it is for themselves. We see numerous pastors and so-called evangelists stand in the spot light but give no room for God. Even in the local congregations, how many desire the holy titles of Bishop, or Pastor, Elder, minister, deacon? Who many would choose them if they were all called servant and called no vestments of authority?

Verse 4 connects well to Wisdom 6.3

For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

Yes, there are times I believe that God will set us up to fail, so that we may be useful to Him when we remove ourselves.

Sirach, as you know, is a translation into Greek of the Hebrew original. In the Hebrew original, ‘scribe’ is ‘statute-maker’, or perhaps it is better to say ‘law-maker’. The authority that God gives His judges and leaders is an awesome power, and one which God will grant success if you abide in His fear.

(7) Arrogance is hateful before God and all of humanity, and injustice is outrageous to both.
(8) Sovereignty is transferred from nation to nation on account of injustice and insolence and wealth.
(9) How can he who is dust and ashes be proud? for even as he lives, he insides are decaying.
(10) The physician scoffs are a long illness, but the king of today will be dead tomorrow.
(11) For when a man is dead he will inherit reptiles, and wild animals, and worms.
(12) The beginning of man’s arrogance is to depart from the Lord, for his heart has forsaken his Maker.
(13) For the beginning of arrogance is sin, and the man who clings to it will pour out an abomination. Therefore the Lord will bring upon them extraordinary afflictions, and completely destroyed them.
(14) The Lord has pulls down the thrones of rulers, and seats the gentle in their place.
(15) The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations, and plants the humble in their place.
(16) The Lord overthrows the lands of the nations, and destroys them to the foundations of the earth.
(17) He has removes some of them and destroys them, and puts an end to the memory of them on the earth.
(18) Arrogance was not created by humanity, nor fierce anger by the offspring of women.

The original Hebrew serves as an interesting backdrop to the Greek here. As this is not a pure commentary, I will not go into detail here, but only provide a few points.

In this section, we find the beginning of arrogance, or pride, and in some ways, the end result of pride. We find that pride is hateful before a holy God and even before all of humanity. Both must consider pride as an injustice.

In 8b the Hebrew reads (replace on account of…) ‘because of violence of pride). Because of the violence that pride causes, or perhaps pride itself is a violence before God and Man, the sovereignty of a nation (or the ministry of a man) is removed and bestowed upon another. We know of all manners of violence – abuse, rape, libel, slander, physical, emotional – but pride? Is pride really a type of violence? Think of it this way: Pride causes a sin; sin is a rebellion against God; rebellion is violence; thus pride is violence.

Verse 9 is made the more poignant in the Hebrew which reads, ‘Why should dust and ashes be proud when his entrails are decaying even as he lives?”

In verse 12 the Hebrew reads ‘The beginning of arrogance is when a man becomes shameless’. The Hebrew and the Greek both offer the truth. When a man forgets his Maker, Saviour, Redeemer, and becomes his own ruler, judge, god and lord, he is without shame and has departed from the Lord, the only God.

(19) What race is worthy of honor? The human race. What race is worthy of honor? Those who fear the Lord. What race is unworthy of honor? The human race. What race is unworthy of honor? Those who transgress the commandments.
(20) Among brothers their leader is worthy of honor, and those who fear the Lord are worthy of honor in his eyes.
(21) The fear of the Lord goes before the gain of authority: but in roughness and pride one will loose it.
(22) The rich, and the eminent, and the poor – they glory in the fear of the Lord.
(23) It is not right to despise an intelligent poor man, nor is it proper to honor a sinful man.
(24) The nobleman, and the judge, and the ruler will be honored, but none of them is greater than the man who fears the Lord.
(25) Free men will be at the service of a wise servant, and a man of understanding will not grumble.

Sirach closes this section with the passage that has stuck with me for the past 5 years, so I will start there. A bishop has a great job indeed, as does the pastor and the evangelist. The music director is talented. The youth leader is great with children. The grounds committee has the best looking campus in town. The bulletin and newsletters are done with professionalism. The well-off fund every project needed. The pastor has well-prepared sermons. The evangelists are leaders revivals all over the world. Yet, the man who fears God is greater than all of these.

What? Do I think that these wonderful things can be done with the fear of God? Yes. It is well written and documented that God is not always behind the scenes in the things that ‘give Him glory’. Yet the poor wise men and women who glory in the the fear of the Lord, in whose fear the authority is gained, and who is honoured among the brothers and sisters, in these men and women, often nameless, is the greatest work of the Lord.

Finally, let us say that in wisdom do we fear the Lord and it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. Let us support our clergy and pray that God strengthens them. Let us pray that we no more than the wise servant, no more than one who fears the Lord. Let us ora et labora that our city will not see ruin, but grow and prosper for the Kingdom of God

      

Sep4

From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 15.11-20

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From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 15.11-20

Do not say, “Because of the Lord I left the right way”; for he will not do what he hates. Do not say, “It was he who led me astray”; for he had no need of a sinful man. The Lord hates all abominations, and they are not loved by those who fear him. It was he who created man in the beginning, and he left him in the power of his own inclination. If you will, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. He has placed before you fire and water: stretch out your hand for whichever you wish. Before a man are life and death, and whichever he chooses will be given to him. For great is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power and sees everything; his eyes are on those who fear him, and he knows every deed of man. He has not commanded any one to be ungodly, and he has not given any one permission to sin. (Sirach 15:11-20 from the Revised Standard Version RSV)

I remember being in grade school, 2nd grade I believe, and quickly running a foul of a classmate. He was a PK – preacher’s kid and new to the school. I remember sitting in the cafeteria before school began and having a conversation about the devil – yes, I know, but hey, I didn’t have the blog then! – and he said that it was the devil who makes him do ‘bad things’. It is the same excuse that many people use today – speeding, cursing, violence – ‘the devil made me do it.’ Obviously, this was a problem a few centuries before Christ as well. Sirach confronts it with a very abrupt statement – Don’t blame anyone but yourself. We have free will as a creation of God – we can employ it for good or evil.

Recently, I have been asked about the idea of apostasy. Apostasy involves the idea of falling away from God. It is right to be reminded that nothing can remove us, but we sure can jump ship! The very idea that people would blame God for their sin, transgression, or apostasy appalls Sirach. I have actually met people that blame either the Church or perhaps the Pastor (or the easiest thing to do, is to blame the pastor’s wife) or perhaps a member. The real fault lies in the person themselves. They have chosen to ‘leave the right way’, to ‘fall away’ as the King James Version puts it.

The Greek here is a paraphrase of the Hebrew (yes, contrary to the KJVO myth Sirach was written in Hebrew originally) which reads ‘Say not, From God is my transgression, for that which he hates he made not.’ This leads us to a slightly different understanding of the verse, but both implying that God does not make sin and would not lead people into it. James clearly echoes Sirach here, when he says,

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. (James 1:13 NKJV)

It is interested to note the Hebrew addition to verse 13(b). The Greek says, ‘The Lord hates all abominations, and they are not loved by those who fear him’ to which the Hebrew adds ‘and he will not let it come hear those that fear him.’ Again, Paul agrees here when he says,

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NKJV)

Sirach here sees the orthodox idea of sin – that it is by our own inclination, will, and choice. We must choose to live sinless lives. Sirach says that before us is fire (the curse) and water (the blessing) and it is up to each and everyone of us to choose between the two, but if we choose the fire, then it is not because of God that we do this, the blame falling on our own shoulders.

      

Aug21

From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 24:1-12

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From the Bible that is rarely read: Sirach 24:1-12

Wisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people. In the congregation of the most High shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power. I came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud. I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar. I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep. In the waves of the sea and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession. With all these I sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide? So the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest, and said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine inheritance in Israel. He created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail. In the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion. Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power. And I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the Lord’s inheritance.
(Sir 24:1-12 KJVA)

One of the first things that must be stated is that in Greek, the word sophia is feminine gender; therefore in many translations, all pronouns are translated in the feminine. We can understand this as a primitive way of expressing the economy, as the (not so) lesser Emanation from the One Source. Or, we may dismiss the gender in the translation and simply replace ‘she’ with ‘it’.

Just as in Baruch, Sirach speaks prophetically of the Incarnation of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Here, instead of the Logos of John, we see the Sophia of the Deuterocanon. Here, as a Word would be described, we see Wisdom coming out of the mouth of the Most High God.

and covered the earth as a cloud

She is pictured here as the creating Force, the channel by which Creation took place. Here also is a remembrance of Genesis 1.2,

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
(Gen 1:2 RSVA)

The earth was covered with water until the great continents separated it and formed the Land. If we compare Sirach with Genesis, we see that the writer sees Wisdom as the same attribute as the Spirit of God.

Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest, and said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine inheritance in Israel.

Instantly is seen a prophecy of the Incarnation when the Word tabernacled with man. In John 1:14, the same word, σκηνόω, is used to describe the Incarnation (Latin, in the flesh) We see here the command, the moment in time when the generation of the Son, or the Emanation of the Word as the Economy of God, took place. Here, God the Father – meaning Creator, as the Apostles and Apologists understood it – sent forth His Wisdom as a Word from the mouth of the Most Hight, to tabernacle with Man, in the flesh.

Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.

Here we are reminded of the awful hour of the Cross of our Lord Christ, the moment when in Jerusalem, separated by days from the adoration of the people who shouts ‘Hosanna!’. We also see the prophecy of the power of God that fell up the Church during the Jewish celebration of Pentecost.

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
(Luk 23:46-47 KJVA)

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
(Luk 24:49 KJVA)

And I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the Lord’s inheritance.

We are often reminded that the Incarnation did not end well to the mortal eye, but upon the Resurrection of our Lord, the teachings and sayings, His Spirit, His Church, took firm hold in the hearts and and minds of the Apostles.

      

Aug20

From the Bible that is rarely read: Baruch 3:35-37

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From the Bible that is rarely read: Baruch 3:35-37

This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him. He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men. (Bar 3:35-37 KJV)

We know that the personification of Wisdom, an emanation from God, was completed in Jesus Christ, the very Incarnation of God the Father, for Paul calls Christ the Wisdom of God. (1st Corinthians 1.24). Until that time, we have but prophecies pointing to the glorious appearing of our Lord God and Saviour. We read of Wisdom lightly in Job and Proverbs in the Common Canon, but Wisdom is expounded upon thoroughly in the Deuterocanonical books of Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. It is these books that provide a firm Christological foundation not only for the Apostles, but for the Apologists and, yes, even for us. In these books we see a foreshadowing – and for some such as myself, a prophecy – of the economy of God (οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ).

In this passage, we see Wisdom as being they way to the knowledge of God (John 14.6) and this knowledge is given among men. This passage in the Deuterocanonical book was used by both the modalist Noetus and the Trinitarian Thomas of Aquinas to describe the Incarnation.

John Chrysostom says,

It is not then of that we are now to speak, but of this beneath, this which took place on earth, which was amongst ten thousand witnesses. And concerning this again we will relate in such wise as it may be possible for us, having received the grace of the Spirit. For not even this may any one set forth altogether plainly, forasmuch as this too is most awful. Think not, therefore, it is of small things thou art hearing, when thou hearest of this birth, but rouse up thy mind, and straightway tremble, being told that God hath come upon earth. For so marvellous was this, and beyond expectation, that because of these things the very angels formed a choir, and in behalf of the world offered up their praise for them, and the prophets from the first were amazed at this, that “He was seen upon earth, and conversed with men.” (Homily on Mt 2)

In Cyprian’s book ‘Three Testimonies against the Jews’ he quotes this passage, giving it to Jeremiah, when he discusses that Christ is God, applying the pronoun to God, although some modern commentators (Philip Schaff) on the works of the Fathers declare that the Incarnation that is so easily understood by the Apologists to refer to ‘knowledge’. I would tend to agree with the historical and Traditional understanding of this passage would rather disagree with a man many centuries removed correcting the Apostles and Apologists.

Baruch, Jeremiah’s Scribe, spoke about a moment to come when the Word of God, which is the Wisdom of God, would tabernacle with Man, and converse with them. It is the point of Incarnation that Chrysostom spoke so beautifully about, when God came to Man, to make an atonement for the Sin that had plagued Creation since Adam’s Fall.

Further, this passage so rightly illustrates that the Jews were looking for an Incarnation of some type in order for God to converse properly with Humanity once more. The idea that Christianity took centuries to mold the idea of an Incarnation is abated with the mere fact that so many passages, especially those of the so-called Inter-testamental period point to, declare, and insist upon an Incarnation of God with Man.

      

Aug4

KJVO – Pt 2, Deuterocanonical Quotes in the New Testament

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KJVO – Pt 2, Deuterocanonical Quotes in the New Testament

Pt 1

As I mentioned last time, one of the objections to the printing of the Deuterocanon in the KJV is:

No apocryphal book is referred to in the New Testament whereas the Old Testament is referred to hundreds of times.

The Deuterocanon is a collection of eleven books that are sometimes mistakenly referred to as the Apocrypha. “Deutero” means “second” and so the deuterocanonical books refer to a second canon, the first canon being the Old and New Testaments. The deuterocanonical books include: Tobit, Judith, Esther 10:4-16:24, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch (Letter to Jeremiah), Song of the Three Children, History of Suzanna, Bel and the Dragon, and 1-2 Maccabees. These books are considered to be inspired by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. Note, it was not until Luther that the canoncity of these books were called into question. Of course, Martin Luther called into question, and tried to prevent the inclusion of Esther, Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation as well. To him, these books were antilegomena, although it is reported that he changed his views somewhat later in life.

Of course, the easy answer to the above mentioned charge is that neither Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, nor the Song of Solomon is quoted by the New Testament. Others would add Lamentations, the Chronicles, as well as perhaps Judges and Joshua to that list.

The statement bu KJV-Only advocates is misleading in of itself. Only in Hebrews (8.13) do we find a mention of the Old Testament/Covenant, but that is in reference to the actually Covenant of between God and Israel, not to the collection of books that came to be called the Old Testament. It was actually Tertullian who first developed the idea that the two sections of books are testaments (vetus testamentum (“old testament”) and novum testamentum (“new testament”)). Tertullian, however, never separated the Deuterocanon out of the Old Testament, as he regularly quoted from them.

It would be unwise for me to post a complete list of Deuterocanonical quotes by the New Testament writers, however, here is a good place to start. Regular readers to this blog will note, either with joy or the fires of heresy hunters, that I most often use Wisdom as a weapon and have even posted on 1st Maccabees. For the record, I have also found great solace in Sirach, although I have not had much time to study this ancient book. (Although in the depths of prison, John Bunyan of Pilgrim’s Progress fame, received a moment of inspiration, and after years of searching, found the passage in Sirach 2.10 – Look at the generations of old, and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded? or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him?)

Before we go one, I should state that my favorite bible is the Cambridge, Calf-skin leather KJV, black letter and with the Protestant Apocrypha. What is of special interest to me is that the original cross references include links to the Apocrypha and that the Apocrypha includes links to the Old and New Testaments. If the KJV translators, these supposedly inspired men (Trinitarians the lot of them) thought that the Apocrypha was of no or little help to the Christian, then why was so much, or any really, time devoted to translating it and creating a system of cross references to it and from it?

In the following list, I have not even begun to scratch the surface of the quotes and allusions found in the New Testament relating to the Deuterocanon. I have used the King James Version for both the Deuterocanon and the New Testament. What we can take from this is that it was not the early Church Fathers that used the Deuterocanon, but the New Testament writers. In future posts, I will attempt to explore the use of Wisdom in Luke-Acts as well as in the Christology of John. In my commentary on Wisdom, I will further show that this book alone was a silent tool wielded by Paul in his composition and thought.

I have not done justice to these books, this I know, but I hope that I have excited some interest in realizing that the Deuterocanon should be studied by serious students of the New Testament.

See the list (very partial)

      

Jul30

KJVO – Pt 1, Sam Gipps and the Apocrypha

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KJVO – Pt 1, Sam Gipps and the Apocrypha

A few years ago I left the KJVO (King James Version Only) when their scholarship could not stand the test. Their doctrine was based on falsehoods and promoted by inept men and women who themselves promoted erroneous knowledge of very late Tradition. Upon closer examination, the KJVO doctrine falls to pieces. One of it’s proponents is a man by the name of Sam Gipp. (Peter Ruckman and Gail Riplinger are others). He claims to be a pastor and evangelist as well as claiming to be a staunch defender of the ‘perfect bible’.

I view the King James Version like this: It served it’s purpose, but 400 years later, with the English language having changed, it is outdated. I use it as my primary bible, not only because I grew up nursing on it, but because it is the only bible used in our Church. For myself, I would rather stick with the NKJV or my own translation; however, in reaching people you use their language. I do not view the KJV as the only inspired Word of God, and when it comes down to preaching from it, I could care less about textual criticism. I have to followed the advice that if something is in the Bible that I use that does not belong, it will not hurt me. I have yet to see any doctrinal changes from textual variants, so until then, I will hold to what many call the Received Text, or the Textus Receptus.

Some time ago, Sam Gipp published a book entitled the Answer Book, in which he defends his position while attempting to justify the many changes that the King James as underwent since 1611. (It was a revision of the English bible before it.) It is one of these answers that first opened my eyes to the error that is King James Onlyism. He attempted to answer the question concerning the Apocrypha, or as I call it the Deuterocanon. As many of you may know, the 1611 printing, and nearly every printing until the 19th century included the Apocrypha, so a reasonable question to ask is why if they were translated and printed with the KJV, this pure and perfectly inspired Word of God, does the modern King James Version no longer carry them?

I all attempt to answer his ‘answers’ for the benefit of those interested in the Truth.

1. Not one of them is in the Hebrew language, which was alone used by the inspired historians and poets of the Old Testament.

Sirach is a well-known book among the Wisdom writings that does in fact have a Hebrew original. As a matter of record, Sirach was in debate by the Jewish leaders concerning it’s inclusion. Along with the Book of Jubilees, a Hebrew version of Sirach was found in Cave 2 during the discovery at Qum’ran. Psalms 151, included in the Orthodox Church’s canon, was found in Cave 11. Linguists can point to the fact that Judith was originally written in Hebrew, as was Tobit. Speaking of Tobit, 4 versions of Tobit written in Aramaic was found in Cave 4. As well as a single Hebrew version of the book. A simply reading of Tobit will reveal a connection to John’s vision of the New Jerusalem.

2. Not one of the writers lays any claim to inspiration.

The same can be said of Esther, Ruth, Proverbs and Job of the common canon; however, if we go further, we read in Baruch

The Book of Baruch 2:21 Thus saith the Lord, Bow down your shoulders to serve the king of Babylon: so shall ye remain in the land that I gave unto your fathers.

As a counter point, there has been numerous books to claim inspiration, but a mere claim – or lack thereof – is not enough to remove a book from the bible.

3. These books were never acknowledged as sacred Scriptures by the Jewish Church, and therefore were never sanctioned by our Lord.

Actually, that is false as well. There was no common Jewish canon, as the Talmuds from Palestine, Babylon and the Traditions from Alexandria related differences in the acceptance of Scriptures. Sirach, as we have demonstrated, was still in debate until around the time of Christ. Even Esther was in doubt. The Septuagint, which included these books, was not a Christian invention, so if the Church took over the Septuagint from the Jews, then the Jews, or at least some of them, must have used these books as well. Another way to look at this, is to inquire concerning the provision in Scripture where the Jews were allowed to dictate to the Church which books to use? More than likely, the closing of the Jewish Canon was precipitated in direct opposition to the establishment of the Church’s Canon, which seemed to happen around the same time.

4. They were not allowed a place among the sacred books, during the first four centuries of the Christian Church.

This is clearly false as well, since several of the early Canon lists included Wisdom. The early Church Fathers even quoted from them. Further, when Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate’s Old Testament from the Hebrew, he actually placed the Deuterocanon into a secondary place in Scripture, thereby removing them for a time from the canon list. Not every area of the Church did this, though. (Rome is a favorite villain for the Fundamentalists, yet they willingly accept the removal of the Deuterocanon by the Catholic Church.)

5. They contain fabulous statements, and statements which contradict not only the canonical Scriptures, but themselves; as when, in the two Books of Maccabees, Antiochus Epiphanes is made to die three different deaths in as many different places.

This may be true of some of the books of the Deuterocanon and only in part, as we know that Judith contains historical inaccuracies; however, Protestants have thrown out the baby with the bathwater, as it were. With Judith and Esdras, they have dismissed Sirach, Wisdom, and 1st Maccabees, some of the most powerful post-captivity writings of the Jews.

6. The Apocrypha inculcates doctrines at variance with the Bible, such as prayers for the dead and sinless perfection.

“Sinless perfection” is actually taught by many denominations today, without the Deuterocanon. Generally, no verses are used to substantiate the claims of these variant doctrines in the Deuterocanon.

7. It teaches immoral practices, such as lying, suicide, assassination and magical incantation.

Again, generally nothing is submitted for proof.

Sometimes an eight point pulled out to teach that the Deuterocanon does not belong in the Bible. It states:

No apocryphal book is referred to in the New Testament whereas the Old Testament is referred to hundreds of times.

I will answer this in the second part to this series; however, by giving fully accredited responses to these seven objections, it seems that in the very lest, the KJVO promoters are using a lie in defending their truth.

      

Jul22

Commentary on Wisdom, 1.1-6

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Commentary on Wisdom, 1.1-6

Protestants have created this myth that the books commonly called the Apocrypha or Deuterocanon was suddenly accepted by Rome at the Council of Trent. This is far from the truth. In reality, the canon list was solidified due to Luther and others insistence that the disputed books be discarded. Many of these books have been used since before the time of the Apostles and even by the Apostles themselves. Whispers of Wisdom (of Solomon) can be heard from Luke’s Gospel and Paul’s pen. I hope to eventually get to those at a later date, but for now, I will occasionally blog about the book of Wisdom in hopes that we can attract some attention due to this ancient work.

The Wisdom of Solomon (although many simply call it Wisdom now) was written anywhere from 300b.c. to 50 years before Christ. (Author David Winston puts the date after Christ). From the evidence that I have seen, I would put the date between 175-50b.c. The Logos doctrine is not Philo’s, and somewhat undeveloped. It is a simply statement on Logos, much like I believe John’s to be. It is also not so Jewish as Sirach, and yet joined at the hip with the Maccabean revolt.

To be frank, I consider this book to be as inspired as John and Romans, so I cannot place this book anytime near or after Christ. I will explain that when we get to later chapters. At times, I have found great solace in these pages. When I could not read the words, for various reasons, I often times have my dear wife read them. Just as in Isaiah, the words in these pages belong more with the New than with the Old. They are wholly Christian and yet still Jewish. We find in them not just an expectation of Christ, but thoughts that helped to shape the Christological controversies, and I believe would have done more to limit those controversies had this book not been quickly tossed aside. We also find a structure that helps to see Luke-Acts and the deep things in that series in a different light.)

I will try to do my best to go through the entire book, passage by passage, but there may be times when I have to revisit a verse or two. I will be using the KJV as my primary translation. (Maybe just to show the KJVO crowd that ole King James thought it was a good idea to have the Apocrypha included)

In the following passage (Wisdom 1:1-15) seeks to develop the ideas of Proverbs 1:7, something that we see this author doing several times. The first idea offers immortality to them man who pursues righteousness, or justice.

Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth: think of the Lord with a good (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him. For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and sheweth himself unto such as do not distrust him. For froward thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise.
(Wis 1:1-3 KJVA)

It is clear from the pointed expressions and exegetical relations that the judges (or rulers, in some) are apostate Jews. This should apply to the Jew (or in today’s case, the Christian) whether Egyptian or Palestinian, which is perhaps why this book traveled so far, so fast and was held in high esteem in antiquity. In 1Maccabbees 1:11-15 we read of such Jews (in Palestine, no less) that given the license to perform as the heathen did. Philo, writing some time after Wisdom, tells of the Jewish apostates that lived in Egypt that constantly ridiculed the holy scriptures.

The basic premise given in this single line is one that is maintained throughout the rest of the book and indeed gives credence to the unity of the work. The rulers, which is every child of God, are to love the Lord and in His ways seek Him. In the first half of the book, we are told of the Righteous Man and given the model of our life with Christ while in the latter half, we are reminded that through it all, God has always been there.

The phrase Diligiti iustitiam qui iudicatis terram (1:1a), appears around the blond head of Justice in Lorenzetti’s Fresco at the Palazzo Pubblico at Siena, Italy and seems to the central part of the painting. (See Chiara Frugoni Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 43. (1980), pp. 239-241.)

‘Judges of the Earth’ originates with Psalms 2:10 and not does simply mean kings or rulers, but should be pointed to the everyman. It is a rhetorical device used but later seemingly dropped in favor or urging the every man to strive to kingly lives.

Righteousness/Justice in Hebrew is used both of God and man and means what is right, just, and normal (as opposed to sin, which is abnormal or missing the mark). It can be said that Righteousness/Justice is God (see verse 3) which is a thought later developed by Rabbis, but in light of the rest of the book, the word means acting in harmony with God, which is the opposite of wickedness.

In Verse 2 more light is shed upon what is meant by the sincerity of heart: We must approach God with a heart and truly wants to know God and know of His Wisdom, not one that is tempting God. In Luke 4:12 we find that Christ is reminding the adversary of what has been written: that we are not to tempt the Lord. There is a world of difference in the way that we approach God. Do we approach Him as a scientist? Trying to fit God into a pre-determined existence or do we approach Him asking Him to reveal Himself to us? The writer here says that we must approach the Lord with sincerity of heart, and that is where we will find God (because He will not reveal manifest Himself to those that do not believe in Him.)

In Verse 3 we here the echo of Isaiah 59:2. In the New Jerusalem Bible, the last phrase reads: confounds the stupid. Confound is not the proper sense of the word, but rebuke/reprove is. It is God’s power that will rebuke the unwise. This thought is connected to verse 4 in describing what the Power of God is. When a foolish and perverse ruler tries to test God, the power quickly puts him to shame. The Alexandrian Jewish leaders were being reprimanded for their departure into heathen ways and by doing this, their testing of God.

For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin. For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in. For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
(Wis 1:4-6 KJVA)

Verse 4 continues verse 3 in telling us plainly that Wisdom is the power of God. Romans 1:16 we read that the gospel concerning Christ is the power of God; in 1st Corinthians 1:18, the power is the preaching of the cross and just a few verses later in 1st Corinthians 1:24, we see that Christ is not only the power of God but also the wisdom of God.

If we are able to read that the Power of God of verse 3 is the Wisdom of verse 4 (and the Holy Spirit of Discipline in Verse 5), and then we read in Paul that Christ is both the power and wisdom of God, we start to receive a revelation about the oneness of the Godhead. ‘Wisdom, ‘spirit’, and ‘holy’ all seem to be synonyms but that idea that God manifests Himself as Wisdom persists throughout the rest of the book.

The word ‘malicious’ is rarely found in the Bible and means ‘to act fraudulently’

We find the thought expressed here fully developed by Christ in John 8:34 and with Paul in Romans 7:14-25. We will show several times that Paul echoed Wisdom, and here is our first time. Further, in Rom_8:9 and 2nd Corinthians 6:16 we see that Paul is saying the same thing in that the Spirit of God, or Wisdom, will not enter and dwell in an unclean temple (body), i.e., one that is enslaved to sin.

Verse 5 is the continuation of the thought in verse 4. In Wisdom 7:25-26 we found out why this Spirit cannot stay near deceit or unrighteousness, because she is the effluence from God. This Spirit is pure and required purity.

Verse 6 we find confirmed in Mark 3:28-29 by the word of the Lord. We find that John in 1st John 3:20 also holds that God knows the heart and it is from within our heart that we can have condemnation. And one does not have to read far into James to know the rules of the tongue.

Witness is ἐπίσκοπος and elsewhere in the LXX it means taskmaster or captain. In the NT it is used as overseer (Bishop) and applied to God in 1Peter 2:25. What we might draw from this is another echo of Wisdom in the Gospels.