Thank you for commenting on my comments, Ginny,
If you could break up those enormous paragraphs, so that there is more "white space," it would be much more pleasant when visually scanning the material.
The Apostle Paul requires no defense, - nor is he on trial.
Jesus commanded him:
"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”…(Acts 22:21-22)
When Paul had completed his assignment, shortly before his death, he reported:
"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing." (2nd Timothy 4:6-8)
The only phrase, from the Mishnah Sotah 9, I required was that written regarding Gamail'el I, a.k.a., Gamail'el ha-Zaken, the first Rabbi given the title of Rabben, meaning Master (though Jesus' disciples routinely called Him Master).
That is not cherry picking (your term). That is precise selection on my part.
As to the Mishnah commentary, I was once told by a Reconstructionist Rabbi, while doing the payroll at B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation, that the Talmud ( translated into English comprises some 400 average size volumes) consisted of a series of giant brainstorming sessions, where every participant had a different opinion, and that all were recorded for posterity. She said that one could eventually find an opinion that validated their own on just about any subject...
This was before Pesach, in response to a frantic student's request for a Rabbinical opinion that would allow her to consider her favorite peanut butter "kosher for passover;" thus she could continue eating it that week.
(I have personally always considered the best part of the Pesach seder the charoset.)
By "mishnaic period," I assume you mean the completion dates: the Rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10-220 CE, - the period of the Tannaim lasted about 210 years.
I''m very interested in the history of the ancient Scriptures, which, in their original manuscripts alone were perfect, and are unfortunately no longer extant.
I'm not particularly interested in what the Rabbis said something meant for other than historical value, as their ideas were outside the inspired - God breathed Scriptures, and accordingly, are just the opinions of men (as are all Bible Commentaries).
I have the luxury of knowing my Salvation is assured, and I need not turn myself inside out in an effort to earn it through good works.
Any good deeds a Christian achieves are not to be boasted about to be seen by men, for God is always observing the heart's motives. When he observes me, after laughing hysterically, he sees that his Son's shed blood has obliterated my misdeeds, and he knows any accomplishments were performed through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the strength that He provides.
My physical Bibles are in every room in the house, many versions for comparison, ranging from those copywrited in the last year or two to a few that are 150 to 200 years old. The 5 different Bible programs residing on my hard drive, however, are the ones which I most often consult.
The Bible "mistakes" you list are NOT mistakes, Ginny. The information is right there:
1. The figures in 1 Chronicles are 1,100,000 available fighting men (whether battle seasoned or not) in Israel and 470,000 in Judah, but the chronicler wrote that the Levites and Benjamites (who would have come last) were not included, as Joab did not complete the numbering (1 Chronicles 21:5-6).
The reconciliation of the data is that 1,100,000 describes the grand total for Israel including the standing army, which consisted of 12 units of 24,000 men each (288,000, 1 Chronicles 27:1-15) plus 12,000 especially attached to Jerusalem and the chariot cities (2 Chronicles 1:14).
These 300,000 reserves of military age who had seen no combat are subtracted from 1,100,000 yielding the 800,000 figure in 2 Samuel 24:9, who are described as battle hardened "mighty men." Also the chronicler did not include the 30,000-man standing army of Judah (6:1) whereas they were included in chapter 24. This raises the 470,000 total of Chronicles to the 500,000 of Samuel.
2. Where in the world did you obtain a Bible with 40 Proverbs?
I have the Tanakh published by the Jewish Publication Society, the edition used in the local synagogue. It contains only thirty one (31) Proverbs, as does the Christian New King James, the NAS, the ESV, the NIV, the Enhanced Bible, the King James, the Amplified, etc.
3. By "King Harold," I assume you mean King Herod???
Since you mentioned it Jesus was tried through an illegal, late night semi-secret trial, and many members of the Sanhedrin were not informed of the proceeding. I've never seen Gamail'el mentioned with the proceedings, only Caiaaphas.
Even before Jesus' trial began, the law was broken because His arrest was illegal. The Jewish law prohibited a legal proceeding in capital offenses to take place at night, and Jesus was arrested at night, nor could He be tried by only one judge, illegal under Jewish law, yet He was.
God's glorious purpose was served, so it's all good.
I have one question, Why does the Shabbat morning Torah portion always omit the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, and I do mean always?
My daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren are visiting today from the East Coast, so I must now fortify myself with strong expresso.
There is no idolatry in my house. I'm commonly called an iconoclast, but thanks for your concern.
Pennylynn wrote:
Again, you present interesting insights and I will reply only to those which are not personal. You partially quote from the Mishnah Sotah 9:15. This is interesting for a number of reasons, but mostly because you use it to infer that it is more than what it is… the Mishnah is not a world of uniformity; far from it. Most passages in the Mishnah contain a dispute between different rabbinic sages. Further, the Mishnah is not a code of Jewish law; it is a study book of law. Mishnah 9 can confuse some folks. It opens with what or when or even if a heifer’s neck should be broken. Then it goes into mishnayoth discussion of various historical events and what ceased at those times. The first section is an opinion of what ceased when the great teachers of Torah of the mishnaic period died.
The second and third sections contain laments at the great deterioration that Israel experienced when the Temple was destroyed. The last part of the third section and the final section contain messages of hope for better times.
--omitted for space--
So many Christians have this book in their homes, however most have not read it…. They simply cherry pick the verses that prove their points. And they faithfully tuck it under their arms every Sunday (which is a day named for after the planets of Hellenistic astrology) as they head off to church to listen to their appointed teacher, preacher, minister….. who will cherry pick verses to add emphasis to his or her understanding. Many Christians, knowingly or unknowingly, worship the Bible. It has unknowingly become their idol, and the idea that the Bible might have a tiny error in it is as blasphemous to them as saying that G*d makes mistakes.
G*d does not make mistakes. G*d is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. G*d is not confined to or limited by our finite understanding of who G*d is, and He is not confined to any writings, no matter how great and how inspired. G*d is not limited to written or spoken human language. Humans, on the other hand, even when given a spiritual truth or revelation, can only process it through our own finite mental and spiritual understanding.
The Bible is not one book but a compilation of 66 different inspired writings, written in several different genres by many different authors over a span of many centuries. Some writings are personal letters, like Saul’s, others are poetry, or allegory, or law, or history, or prophecy . . ., each of which should, by nature of the genre, be read a little differently. The Biblical writers, just as writers today, wrote to and within the confines of the cultures of which they were a part.
We all read through the eyes and ears of our own education and experience. Most of us developed our own interpretations from those of our spiritual leaders past and present (pastors, teachers, parents, spouse . . .), although we may be totally unaware of their influence. All of us interpret, but not always responsibly. By explanation, we rarely ask what did the words mean in their original language? (If you have ever mastered a second language, you know that translation is definitely not an exact science.) How would the original readers have understood it? One of the most widespread errors in interpretation is thinking the Bible was written primarily as a rule book for our 21st century American lives.
Again, G*d does not make mistakes. G*d is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. But, there are mistakes in the bible. I will give you only one example for consideration, so get out your bible…. I am sure it is quite near your armchair, and turn to 2 Samuel 24…. And now read 1 Chronicles 21. David sends Joab and the commanders of the army to take a census of Israel and Judah. Two discrepancies between the two stories: 1) One version (2 Sam.) says The Lord incited David to take the census. The other (1 Chron.) says Satan incited him. 2) 2 Sam. numbers the men of Israel as 800, 000 and the men of Judah as 500, 000. 1 Chron. numbers the men of Israel as 1, 100, 000 and the men of Judah as 470, 000. There is also Proverbs 40….. it is a direct translation from an Egyptian text written many years before Solomon.
I leave you with one book, John…. Read chapter 5 carefully, for in it is truth…. Be mindful of verses start at 39 onward. Perhaps you may see this as a warning…. Or perhaps not. In the end, you must decide who you will follow…. And who you will worship.
Again, you present interesting insights and I will... (
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