"And if thy hand or they foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into a fire of unconditional-being."
Much of the Bible is not literally true. That sounds like an odd thing to say. "God is Light." Literally true? Of course not, God is not a set of photons (or particles, depending on your theory of light). We know that God is spirit (or "wind" as in the Etymological New Testament). But we still speak of many of his bodily parts in a very anthropomorphic way.
But some readers of the NT tend to miss the point of this figure of speech, above, as Matthew quotes Jesus. Yes, Jesus is using hyperbole to make a very clear point about offending other human beings. And about the importance of life and entering into it as freely and gracefully as possible.
To become a stumbling block in the way of others is to find ourselves "cast into a fire of unconditional-being." Another figure of speech to help us grasp the importance of his teaching. As noted earlier, the family of words typically translated as "age" or "eternal" or "everlasting" stem from the literal three part word UN-IF-BEING. Or, unconditional-being. We can find ourselves growing into this "life without limits." Or spiraling downward into a fire of our unconditional being.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Matthew 18:7
"Woe unto the system because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come; but woe to that human through whom the occasion cometh!"
The Greek word KOSMOS indicates an orderly or systematic arrangement. It is translated most frequently as "world" in conventional Bibles. But they also translate this word as "jewelry" and "order" etc. The Etymological New Testament consistently translates with the ultra-literal English word "system." In the verse above, the system is the culturally organized system of human beings. Too often this system works against human life. The structures of our society can become our enemies if they become an end unto themselves.
Jesus pronounces a woe upon the type of culture, or system, that harms children. Because of the way society is structured, this occasion will come, but woe to the particular people who implement the harm to others. Just because the system is evil, we are not innocent in our participation within it. To listen to Jesus' teaching is to feel the imperative to challenge the system within which we find ourselves.
The Greek word KOSMOS indicates an orderly or systematic arrangement. It is translated most frequently as "world" in conventional Bibles. But they also translate this word as "jewelry" and "order" etc. The Etymological New Testament consistently translates with the ultra-literal English word "system." In the verse above, the system is the culturally organized system of human beings. Too often this system works against human life. The structures of our society can become our enemies if they become an end unto themselves.
Jesus pronounces a woe upon the type of culture, or system, that harms children. Because of the way society is structured, this occasion will come, but woe to the particular people who implement the harm to others. Just because the system is evil, we are not innocent in our participation within it. To listen to Jesus' teaching is to feel the imperative to challenge the system within which we find ourselves.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Matthew 18:1,2
"In that hour came the learners unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the realm of upward-vision? And he called to him a little girl, and set her in the midst of them,"
Those who travelled with and followed Jesus were not called "disciples", but "learners." That is, the Greek original stems from the word for learning rather than from the word for discipline. Our attitude toward life is to be one of learning. And part of this learning involved the understanding the essential nature of greatness. At least in the "realm of upward-vision", this openness to life, that every child begins with, is the hallmark of greatness.
The Etymological New Testament twofold purpose is to provide literal etymological information concerning the Greek text AND to cause the reader to think a little more deeply of Jesus' message. In this passage, the Greek word means a boy or girl. Virtually all English translations imply through male pronouns that the child is a boy. In order to convey the possibilities, the ENT opts for the feminine sense. Thus, Jesus calls "a little girl" to himself and "set her in the midst of them."
May our hearts and minds continue to be open to Life.
Those who travelled with and followed Jesus were not called "disciples", but "learners." That is, the Greek original stems from the word for learning rather than from the word for discipline. Our attitude toward life is to be one of learning. And part of this learning involved the understanding the essential nature of greatness. At least in the "realm of upward-vision", this openness to life, that every child begins with, is the hallmark of greatness.
The Etymological New Testament twofold purpose is to provide literal etymological information concerning the Greek text AND to cause the reader to think a little more deeply of Jesus' message. In this passage, the Greek word means a boy or girl. Virtually all English translations imply through male pronouns that the child is a boy. In order to convey the possibilities, the ENT opts for the feminine sense. Thus, Jesus calls "a little girl" to himself and "set her in the midst of them."
May our hearts and minds continue to be open to Life.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
New Lower Price
The price for the complete Etymological New Testament has been reduced for the paperback edition to $18.60. The price for the Kindle edition remains the same at $2.99 each. This is effective immediately, August 6th.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Matthew 5:48
"You therefore shall be mature, as your upward-vision Abba is mature."
The Etymological New Testament consistently translates the Greek "TELOS" family of words by the root sense of maturity. The basic meaning is that of full grown, perfect, ripe, etc. It is striking to see the various contexts in which this word is used. In this verse, we are to grow into maturity in the same way our "upward-vision Abba" is mature. Rather than a call for religious perfection, Jesus' concern if for grown-ups: people who are mature and ready for living life to the full.
The Etymological New Testament consistently translates the Greek "TELOS" family of words by the root sense of maturity. The basic meaning is that of full grown, perfect, ripe, etc. It is striking to see the various contexts in which this word is used. In this verse, we are to grow into maturity in the same way our "upward-vision Abba" is mature. Rather than a call for religious perfection, Jesus' concern if for grown-ups: people who are mature and ready for living life to the full.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Matthew 5:45
"that you may be children of your Abba who is in upward-vision: for the same maketh the sun to rise on the misery-gushing and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust."
After teaching us love our enemies and to "toward-good-have" those who persecute us, Jesus make clear the result of this non-violent love: we are then children of our Abba who is in upward-vision. And this is the same One who oversees the indiscriminate sunlight. Rather than "the evil and the righteous", the Etymological New Testament has more literally "the misery-gushing" and "the just." There are those humans who are passionate about justice/righteousness. And there are those who gush with misery/evil. Yet, upward-vision's sunlight blesses all. And so should we.
After teaching us love our enemies and to "toward-good-have" those who persecute us, Jesus make clear the result of this non-violent love: we are then children of our Abba who is in upward-vision. And this is the same One who oversees the indiscriminate sunlight. Rather than "the evil and the righteous", the Etymological New Testament has more literally "the misery-gushing" and "the just." There are those humans who are passionate about justice/righteousness. And there are those who gush with misery/evil. Yet, upward-vision's sunlight blesses all. And so should we.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Matthew 5:43, 44
"You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy; but I say unto you, love your enemies, and toward-good-have for those who persecute you."
There had been a time when Israel understood that they were to kill their enemy without pity: men, women, children and suckling babe. 1 Samuel 15. Nursing children were to be exterminated for what their ancestors had done almost four centuries previous. Now Jesus brings a new message and increasing light.
Part of this new message is that we are to "toward-good-have" for those who persecute us. This three part Greek word is translated with hyphens in the Etymological New Testament. Typically "prayer", this word indicates that we are to hold others (even those who hate us) in goodness or well-being. This is the concrete practice of loving one's enemies: the willingness to pray or hold them toward the good.
There had been a time when Israel understood that they were to kill their enemy without pity: men, women, children and suckling babe. 1 Samuel 15. Nursing children were to be exterminated for what their ancestors had done almost four centuries previous. Now Jesus brings a new message and increasing light.
Part of this new message is that we are to "toward-good-have" for those who persecute us. This three part Greek word is translated with hyphens in the Etymological New Testament. Typically "prayer", this word indicates that we are to hold others (even those who hate us) in goodness or well-being. This is the concrete practice of loving one's enemies: the willingness to pray or hold them toward the good.
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