Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Hebrews 11:15, 16

"And if indeed they had been mindful of that place from which they went out, they would have had a season to return. But now they crave a better place, that is, of upward-vision: Therefore Placer is not ashamed of them, to be called their Placer; for he hath prepared for them a city."

One of the current "in" words of our times is mindfulness. And it can, indeed, be a very useful one. In this case, the significance lies in what Abraham was not mindful of: his place of beginning, the journey's starting point. For someone who is trusting fully, the importance of this journey is where we are going in our lives...not where we began.  Our mindfulness is focused on an "upward-vision": the highest and best of the divine plan.  In fact, as the Etymological New Testament has it, we "crave" the better.  It is with the most intense of longings that we press on in this life of faith, of trust in Placer.     

Monday, October 8, 2012

Hebrews 11:13, 14

"These all died in trust, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having out-like-said that they were strangers and pilgrims on the land. For those who say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after an abba-place of their own."

The thirteenth verse touches on the essence of faith ("trust").  Contrary to some versions of pop-theology, the person of deep trust may not actually receive the promise. But, as the Etymological New Testament has it, they did see them "and greeted them from afar."  A New Testament faith is not a guarantee of safety or riches.  Instead, this kind of trust is one that sees and greets the new heaven and new earth.  We may sometimes feel like pilgrims, even strangers, but we know and feel the promises of a better, more just world.  And we are, indeed, seeking such a homeland now.  Or, as the ENT has it, an "abba-place."  The Greek word is derived, not from the word for "home," but from the word PATER.  It is a place of family, a place of divine intimacy, that we seek. 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Hebrews 11:11

"By trust even Sarah herself received power to down-cast seed when she was beside prime season, since she counted him trusting who had promised."

Sarah is one of the great persons of faith in all the Bible.  Because genuine faith is trusting what one knows, she was able (received power) to "down-cast" seed at this late point in her life.  Too often the idea that "faith is believing what you don't know" is proclaimed as a virtue.  Genuine faith ("trust") is relying on what one is sure of.  And that trust paid dividends.  Note that the same word is used of God later in the verse: "she counted him trusting."  The trust is mutual.  And it is not "intellectual assent." Yes, it can be translated as "trustworthy" when used of God or others, but the Etymological New Testament is providing consistent, literal information.

Most versions of the New Testament will translate KATABOLN as "foundation" in all of its occurrences except this one, in Hebrews 11:11.  The Etymological New Testament translates ultra-literally as "down-cast" in all of those passages.  To cast down something could possibly mean to disrupt it, though it usually means to begin to build something of value.  In this case, Sarah's trust led to the foundation of a new life when she was past (beside) prime season. And that's the essence of divine trust: being able to begin life again when we're past the prime season.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Hebrews 11:10

"for he out-received for the city which hath the foundations, whose artisan and public-worker is Placer."

By trust Abraham was enabled to "out-receive" for a special kind of city.  Typically, most cities are comprised of buildings with foundations.  Rare, indeed, is a city where every building has a true foundation.  In this verse, it is the entire city which has foundations.  And the reason? According to the Etymological New Testament is that this city has a unique "artisan" and "public-worker": God.  

The two part Greek word "public-worker" is thought provoking.  Often, it is stated, even by top flight apologists, that God's presence in the world is "secret" or "invisible."  And, of course, there is a sense in which that is true. But, according to this passage in Hebrews, in an ultra-literal sense, our Placer is also a public-worker.  These divine works are all out in public view...including the promise of a city which truly has foundations.  

May we all be enabled to intensively receive, "out-receive," this dwelling place.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Hebrews 11:9 ...and the Etymological New Testament's Reason for Being

"By trust he beside-homed in the land of promise, as other-placed, down-homing in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise."

The purpose of the Etymological New Testament is to provide information.  Specifically, to make available etymological information of various words within their biblical context. In the verse above, rather than saying Abraham "lived" in the land of promise, the ENT says that he "beside-homed."  As the Introduction to the ENT states, etymology is not meaning.  The function of very literal, etymological translation is not to be another re-make of the NIV Bible.  We have plenty of that type of translation out there...and most of them are very good.  They translate, paraphrase, convey subtle shades of meaning, and otherwise discharge their function very well.  But that's not the purpose of the Etymological New Testament.  Some critics seem to be very obtuse in their ability to grasp that point.

In the case of "beside-homed" above, the reader can quickly note the difference between this word and one that follows a few words later.  According to Hebrews 11:9, Abraham "beside-homed" in the land of promise and he and family "down-homed" in their tents.  The modifier "beside" is often used to indicated  intimacy while the word "down" is often used to show intensity.  Seeing these two words, both based on the same root of "home", but with different prefixes, is fun information.  No, it doesn't change the meaning of the verse, but it provides information and...perhaps...allows the reader to slow down and meditate on the text a little longer.  That's the ENT's reason for being.  

And this blessing of having a home in the land of promise was particularly sweet because Abraham had been "other-placed."  He was foreign in this new land.  He had left his original home by trust.  And, had been "other-placed" by the one true Placer.