Wow….what blessing! My oldest daughter, Jessica, and her husband Mike, recently informed us (at Christmas actually….with gifts of baby bibs that say “I love my Grandpa” and “I love my Grandma”) that she is pregnant and due in September! I, of course….we are elated 
Her is the first picture of the baby:
While this picture may look like a little rock…this child is a diamond that is growing in our hearts! I will have more pics as they become available
Matthew 16:25-26 (NET)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?
Matthew 16:25-26 (TNIV)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you give in exchange for your soul?
NOTE: The Greek word here that is translated as “life” is “psuche” which is where we get the word “psyche” from. “psuche” is very often translated as “soul”. The soul is the very essence of us that is the core of all our feelings, desires, affections and aversions. The soul is that essence of ourselves that is not affected by death. It is our moral being designed for everlasting life.
One of the things I find amazing about this passage of Scripture is that Jesus is telling this to the disciples as he is preparing to go to Jerusalem to suffer. I would note that to Jews at the time of Jesus…the Messiah, was thought to be a glorious and powerful figure….not a suffering one. Here, Jesus, knowing fully that He will suffer and die soon, is preparing the disciples for what will happen.
The expected Messiah from the Old Testament –>>
<<– Jesus….the suffering servant…our Messiah
THE POINT here is that if you are coming to Jesus, if you “believe”, just so you can gain something in life……..you won’t. We will never gain true life as God intended and wants to bless us with unless we “follow” Jesus…..deny ourselves….take up our cross (which means to accept the rejection of those who do not follow Christ)…and follow Him.
As a condition of our heart, if we truly want to follow Jesus, if we truly believe that God is our Father and we choose to follow Him…..apply and obey God’s wisdom to our lives…..then we will truly gain life.
We are called to be different from the world if we are to be citizens of the kingdom of God/the kingdom of Heaven……which is here….right now in our midst (Luke 17:20-21). We need to look deeply at God
‘s wisdom and apply it to our lives rather than taking our cues from worldly wisdom.
Matthew 6:8 (TNIV)
Do not be like them [unbelievers], for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
It’s funny….actually interesting to me…that this all is no different than what God is telling us throughtout the Hebrew Scriptures (The Old Testament). Look at Leviticus 18:3 (this is God Himself speaking to Moses),
Leviticus 18:3-4 (TNIV)
3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God.
Jesus……..who IS God……gives us the same call to be different. When we follow Him…when we understand and apply God’s wisdom to our lives rather than worldly wisdom….we shine like a light in the darkness. If we want to save the very essence of ourselves, our innermost being, then we must lose the trappings of this worldly life (lust, greed, etc) and we must “follow” Jesus (compassion, empathy, honesty, love, etc)…..we must apply His wisdom to our daily life.
As for me…..I want to gain my soul…and lose this world….I’d rather live in the kingdom of God/the kingdom of heaven.
<<— Shannon say’s, “Yep, I’m ready to have the baby! Let me finish my popsickle!”
Liam see’s momma for the first time —->>
<<—- The proud family: Shannon, Liam and Tim Donohue
A proud Nana Kelly —->>
<<—- They dress me all up to go…..but I’m tired. That bein’ born stuff is hard work! All I wanna do is poop and sleep for awhile.
Grandma Teri doin’ what she loves best —->>
<<—- Grandpa Tim
Uncle Mike and Uncle Matt —->>
<<—— Proud Grandpa
Proud Nana doin’ what she loves best (Will she ever come home?) —->>
<<—- Aunt Jessi
Uncle Mike and Aunt Jessi —->>
<<—- Tim Sr. makes, hands down, the best deep fried Cajun turkey on the planet!
Proud cousin Isaiah —->>
What a great celebration of new life and family. Thanksgiving 2008. I can’t wait to take Liam fishing, picnicking in the park, finding cool leaves and watching ants dig their colonies. We are so incredibly blessed in life to have our families. As you can see, there is no shortage of love here….Okay…it’s my turn to hold Liam again.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE God bless!
I often ponder the breadth of God’s love for us……… and as I reconcile the Scriptures…I get these glimpses of God’s love that are even deeper than we might want to imagine in our religiosity.
I see God so much as having the qualities of a loving father. I am a loving father to my children. I can see where I get that love from…….God……..because He loved me so much. Even when I lived deep in sin (addiction with all it’s periphery sins). I see that just because we love someone in their sin…..that we aren’t condoning that sin (God, I do not believe, condoned the sin in my life…I DO believe that God grieved my choices). I can also see the truth of the story of the prodigal son……because God welcomed me back from that sinful place and time in my life (not that I don’t still have struggles)…and threw a big party for me……I am now an ordained Pastor. I believe that there is always hope when we cling close to the Father.
I also have a deep belief concerning Scripture. There are no contradictions. All Scripture, when looked at in context……..can…… and does reconcile. After all, Scripture is more than a “Codex” of books written over a period of 1600 years by over 40 people from a huge variety of backgrounds….lawgivers, kings, princes, physicians, peasants, and fishermen. Scripture is God’s story…a conversation with us. The Scriptures are His Words to us, His children. God’s wisdom…when put in context and understood….all reconcile.
I wrote about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in December of 2005 and recently about Peter and Cornelius the Centurion in October of this year (a story that shares some of the same prejudices as the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch). This fact alone is an interesting thing to share……God’s Words to us are alive…every time we open Scripture……it is a conversation with the Father. I take something new away every time I touched on the overcoming of prejudice in both stories…..but this time I read these Scriptures…it really hit me…the deepness of God’s grace and love.
THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH: A eunuch is a male who has been castrated. In the gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 12, Jesus mentions three types of eunuchs: “For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others have been made eunuchs; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven.“. Though he was a “God-fearer”, The Ethiopian Eunuch would have been barred from active participation in all Jewish rites by his race and his emasculation. We find this in Deuteronomy 23:1 (I especially find amusing this reading from the the King James Version). Additionally, the eunuch was traveling in a chariot (Acts 8:28) …a symbol of the evil empire of Rome.
PHILIP: A deacon in the early church, one of the seven chosen officials…one of the “evangelist” that was scattered abroad after the martyrdom of Steven. Philip (Not be be confused with Philip the Apostle) went to Samaria. His background? He was raised in the Jewish tradition….he was a nationalistic Jew. He would have viewed the Ethiopian Eunuch a gentile, as “ceremonially unclean”. Philip, however, reflected the way in which the gospel penetrated deep social barriers and dissolved racial and other prejudices, and demonstrated the endless grace of God in Christ Jesus that is freely available to ALL.
ACTS 8:26-39
The Eunuch is traveling through Samaria, reading Isaiah 53, Philip is led by the Spirit to talk to this man and helps him understand what he is reading in the light of Jesus. The eunuch accepts Christ and Philip baptizes him. I would point out that Philip does not display any of the prejudices that I would have expected him to display (social, societal, racial, religious, etc)…he simply talks to the eunuch. He should have refused to baptize the eunuch simply on the basis of Deuteronomy 23:1.
These questions are not meant to elicit guilt…my hope is that they will elicit thought and reflection.
While we most would agree that God’s grace is extended to ALL who believe…….
How often do social barriers, racial barriers or other prejudices keep us from realizing that God’s endless grace is available to all people also?
) 
I have found so many people that I used to harbor prejudices against…. to love God (like the Ethiopian Eunuch did)…and I didn’t even know….. (I am reminded of Genesis 28:16….since I have started looking through “spiritual glasses”….“Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” )
When we have people in our midst, the homeless, the addicted, people of other faiths (Muslim’s, Hindu’s, wiccans, etc.), how often do we turn to the social prejudice rather than trying to see them as God see’s them……loved. What about prostitutes, criminals, or homosexuals?
Like Philip…..I believe we need to love people where they are.
What a whirlwind day! My daughter, Shannon was induced at 7am and the anticipation heightened
I had a friend over for dinner at 6pm and an hour later, my wife, Kelly called and said that it was that time….Shannon started to push!
Technology is amazing! Kelly put us on one speaker phone and her husband Tim’s parents (Tim and Terry, in Texas) on another speaker phone. I called my eldest daughter, Jessica and her husband Mike and they ran over. There we were …..all of our families gathered around speaker phones like they were old timey radios……”push…push…one more time”….”You’re doing great”……”He has a whole head of dark hair!”……….and………. a little over an hour later…….”wa—a—a—a—ah—a”…..Liam was born.
Liam Jacob Donohue
Born 8:21 PM, 13 November 2008
Warner Robins, GA
6 lbs 10 oz
I’m a GRANDPA!!!!! What a blessed day! What a great Christmas present! I am so proud and so happy!
God bless!
As many of you know, my youngest daughter, Shannon, is soon (maybe next week) to have our first grandchild….a little boy…..Liam Jacob. I am so excited and proud.
<<– Here is a picture of Liam in April of this year:
Here’s a picture of Liam in July –>>
And here….I discovered as I looked close at the other pics Shannon sent me from April……is Liam studying……..HE’s going to be a scholar! I am so proud!
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Having been a part of LifePoint Christian Church since that very first day, (January 23, 2002), I have wanted to share with you some of the great people who have come through our doors and been a part of our church family. As you know, God calls us each individually and has a plan for each of us. I would like to introduce to you, my friend, Jeff Gerke.
Jeff and his family were very active at Lifepoint in 2004/2005. He worked at Strang Communications (a national a multi-media communications company based here in Lake Mary, Florida) as an editor in their book department. This was the during the time that Lifepoint met each Sunday at the Seminole Town Center Movie Theater and as we moved our services to the YMCA. I remember the Sunday Jeff performed a dramatic monolague before the sermon……..he became the character…..he wasn’t “Jeff” anymore……what passion and what talent he possesed! I also remember meeting with the men for a regular weekly breakfast Bible study. Jeff always had such insight and great knowledge concerning Scripture. He inspired me to go deeper and deeper into God’s Word. In fact, he inspired the name of our Sunday Night Live Group, “Deeper”. Those were really good days for me as God was calling me on His mission. I owe much to my friend Jeff! In 2005, he and his family relocated to Colorado Springs to accept a position at NavPress, another publisher of Christian books. I knew that God certainly had a plan for him!
I recently was in communication with Jeff, congratulating him on the big launch for Marcher Lord Press, his very own Christian Publishing company. I knew that this had been a dream of his. The Marcher Lord Press store went live and the books officially debuted. Wow! What a great encouragement to see my friend moving on in God’s will to serve in such a creative way!
JAN: So, Jeff, tell me about Marcher Lord Press. I am so excited about where God has been leading you!
JEFF: Even when I was at Strang I had begun dreaming about launching my own Christian publishing company. When I left NavPress I put that project on the front burner. On October 1, 2007 the Marcher Lord Press web page went live and one year later, on October 1, 2008, the first books officially went on sale.
I’ve always loved the “weird” Christian fiction–science fiction, fantasy, time travel, etc.–and always felt it wasn’t given a fair shake in Christian publishing. I operate a popular web page dedicated to these genres, WhereTheMapEnds.com, and became known as “the editor who likes weird fiction” when I was at the various publishing companies I’ve worked at. So it made perfect sense that if I ever did launch my own company, it would publish that kind of fiction.
The debut release list of Marcher Lord Press includes three full-length Christian novels. Summa Elvetica is a philosophical fantasy that asks what would happen if something like the medieval Catholic Church existed in a fantasy world and decided to tackle the question of whether or not elves have souls. The Personifid Invasion is a far-future story about what happens when humans transfer their consciousness to artificial bodies–and find out that demonic spirits want to live in those bodies too. And Hero, Second Class is a comic fantasy set in a world in which Heroes owe monthly dues and Villains are allowed only one eclipse per fiscal quarter.
Launch Day went great and things are looking super as we head toward Christmas. The next lineup of books will release in April 2009. God willing, I’ll be releasing a new set of novels every six months: every October and April.
JAN: Tell me more about this “weird” Christian fiction. In today’s world of fantasy video gaming and the like, it sounds like you may be turning the Christian book world inside out with this genre.
JEFF: This kind of fiction is called Christian speculative fiction. That’s an umbrella term that includes all the weird genres. It’s difficult to reach the readers of this kind of fiction, mainly because they’ve been basically ignored by mainstream Christian publishers. They’ve essentially quit expecting to find fiction they can like. So they’ve turned to the secular science fiction and fantasy authors, hating the worldly content but loving the stories. So it’s been fun trying to find these folks and let them know that someone is actually producing the kind of fiction they’ve all but given up hope of finding.
The good news is that I’ve become known as king of this niche. It’s no bad thing to be king of a niche. You become the go-to person for anything pertaining to these genres. Eventually everyone who wants to write or read weird Christian fiction ends up hearing about Jeff Gerke and Marcher Lord Press. That’s pretty cool. I also tend to attract the more…interesting and…alternative…folks in the Kingdom of God. It’s awesome.
JAN: Wow Jeff, I am so excited for you. There are so many young people that go deep into the dark recesses of the science fiction and fantasy world and as a father…this has always concerned me. It is so awesome that you are redefining this genre in terms that are so God inspiring without losing the thrust and excitement of the genre. So, how does the publishing world look at what you are doing?
JEFF: People ask me if I’ve launched Marcher Lord Press because I’m trying to change Christian publishing. I’m really not. For twelve years I worked inside the Christian publishing industry, both as a novelist (under the pen name Jefferson Scott) and an editor, trying to change the industry to make more room for Christian speculative fiction. But I finally realized it was essentially a lost cause. Aside from Dekker and Peretti and Jenkins, there’s not a lot of warm welcomes given out to writers of this kind of fiction. I’m not trying to change the industry anymore. I’m trying to bypass it and meet the needs of a wonderfully weird niche.
JAN: Thank you Jeff, for sharing with us. We are all excited here at LifePoint to see you doing such great things in the Kingdom of God. I’ll be talking to you again soon! God bless!
If you get the opportunity or you want to know more about Marcher Lord Press, drop Jeff an email of encouragement by clicking here.
A friend emailed me and asked about my understanding of Peter’s vision as recounted in the book of Acts, chapter 10, verses 10-16. In order to get a clearer understanding of Peter’s vision, we must look at context, both the Scriptural context as well as cultural context.
It is important note is that what Luke wrote about here was an important event…it was recounted no less than three times in Acts. Here, Acts 10:1-23, Acts 11:4-17, and Acts 15:6-9.
Cornelius the Roman Centurian –>>
Acts 10:1-2 (TNIV)
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
The important thing to note here is that Caesarea was a thoroughly Roman city that served as Rome’s seaside capital of what is now Israel. Cornelius was a Roman commander who worshiped God, prayed regularly and gave much to charity. However…..here’s the kicker… he wasn’t a full convert to Judaism …he had not been circumcised and he didn’t eat only kosher food (see Acts 10:28). This simple fact created a big problem for Peter who as a devout Jew.
It is also important to note that most of Luke’s Jewish readers at this time would not be fond of Roman officers stationed in Syria-Palestine, and this story in Acts would challenge their prejudices. Roman centurions had all sworn oaths of allegiance to the divine emperor.
The angel of God speaking to Cornelius –>>
Acts 10:3-8 (TNIV)
3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
<– Joppa was about thirty miles South of Caesarea on the coast of Israel. Luke tells us that Cornelius had a vision at about three in the afternoon. This was traditionally one of the times of Jewish prayer. In fact, later in verse 30, Cornelius shares with us that he was in prayer. I would note also in verse 30, Cornelius called this angel “a man in shining clothes“. God speaks to us in many and often times remarkable ways (through the written Scriptures, through the words of others, through circumstances and events)…I believe that one of the primary ways that God speaks to us is through prayer….which is more than simply talking to God…it also encompasses listening to God. It is important for us to listen….it is important for us to be perceptive and alert. God answers the sincere prayers of those who seek him by sending the right person or the right information at the right time. What is God trying to say to you today?
Note also in verse 4 that Cornelius stared at this angel in fear. Cornelius…a Roman centurion, a soldier in charge of 80-100 troops….in fear. I believe that God saw his sincere faith!
Another important note is that Luke mentioned in verse 2 that Cornelius “gave generously to those in need“…and here the angel speaking to him says, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”. We must never forget God’s love for the poor (James 2:5) and the importance of caring for them and having compassion (Exodus 22:22-27; Leviticus 25:35-37; Proverbs 14:31; Luke 6:21; Galatians 2:10; 1 Timothy 5:3-5). Jesus made it so clear when He spoke in Matthew 25:44-45. Instead of making excuses, ask what can be done to help.
It is also important to note that the angel calls Cornelius to action, “send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter“. It is important, as we seek God, listen to Him and live with Him in our hearts…that we obey…though we often do not fully understand at the moment why God wants us to do something.
One of the primary points to ponder here is that God has a great plan of redemption for this world. We can see Him bringing this plan together in the lives of ordinary people like you and me. Are you willing allow God to use you? Are you willing to ask God what He wants you to do and then do it? My prayer is, “God, cross my path today with someone who needs to hear Your encouragement…and also cross my path today with someone who would have some encouragement from You to me. Yes…I am here and I am willing……”.
Peter’s Vision –>>
Acts 10:9-16 (TNIV)
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
It is interesting and appropriate that in both these encounters where God revealed more of Himself….both Cornelius and Peter were praying.
So here we have Peter going up on the roof to pray at noon. This was normal. The flat roofs of those ancient times were often cooler, even at midday, than the poorly ventilated rooms below. And the roof of the home was a usual place to get away from the “noise of the day” to offer prayers. Additionally, it is interesting to note that ancient Christians customarily offered prayers at the third (9am), sixth (noon), and ninth hours(3pm) [a note alluding to this is offered by the early church father, Clement of Alexandria in chapter 7 of his writing, "The Stromata or Miscellanies" penned around 202 AD. The Stromata is the third of Clement of Alexandria's writings on the Christian life].
The point here is that Peter understood that prayer is such an important link to our living God. It’s not something we do every once in awhile when we need something. It’s a relationship building practice that creates an intimate link with our Father. If we want to experience the presence of God in our lives we must talk with God….this is prayer (just as communication with people we love deepens those relationships).
And…we must listen. God speaks to us in many ways. In this case, Luke (the author of the book of Acts), tells us that Peter fell into a trance and God spoke to him through a “vision”. This is a fairly bizarre vision in many respects. It is interesting to note that in Genesis 6:20, the three classifications of the animal kingdom that God tells Noah to take on the Ark, are the same three mentioned here. Essentially, God is telling Peter in this vision that he is free to eat these animals. To a first century Jew this would have posed a huge problem as birds and reptiles were considered unclean and defiling if they were eaten (Leviticus 11). For this reason….and here we are getting to the point of the vision…..Peter, first century Jews, and Christians (actually still a sect of Judaism at this time in history) would not be able to eat with Gentiles (non-Jews) without risking defilement because they ate these animals as food. And here…… God is orchestrating an encounter with the Christ follower Cornelius……a Gentile. Note here that Peter does not yet know that Cornelius has dispatched servants to invite him to Caesarea.
Peter, always one to question something he disagrees with, says, “Surely not, Lord!” …..“I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” . Just like us, we often need repetition to learn. Peter objects three times and God answers three times, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
I guess it couldn’t be any clearer than that. I would point out that Jesus taught (see Mark 7:14-19): “…..Don’t you see that nothing that enters you from the outside can defile you? 19 For it doesn’t go into your heart but into your stomach, and then out of your body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.).
Ah…….and now the encounter that God has been orchestrating….
Acts 10:17-20 (TNIV)
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three [One early manuscript two; other manuscripts do not have the number.] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
<<– Peter in the house of Cornelius
Before the servants of Cornelius find Peter, the Holy Spirit gives him clear instructions to go with them. In my mind, the linking of this vision with Cornelius (Peter had this vision not knowing of Cornelius…but now….the link will become clear), tells me that there is much more here than a simple lesson about food! At this time in the history of Christ followers….in order to be a follower of Christ…one would have to submit to Jewish laws and regulations. This simple vision to Peter from God at this crucial and God orchestrated time profoundly affected the change in Gentile-Jewish Christian relations! We know this by jumping far ahead to Acts 10:44-45, “…the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. ” 
Acts 10:21-23 (TNIV)
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The church Peter established in Caeserea where he baptized Cornelius the Centurion –>>
<<– Cornelius and Peter
The story of Peter’s vision ends here…….but story continues. Peter goes to visit Cornelius at Caesarea. Cornelius was devoted, believed in and followed the one true God, was generous and sincere…..however………he was still spiritually separated from God. He still needed to understand the Gospel. God sent Peter to present the Gospel to Cornelius and his family. God prepared Peter first and laid aside his prejudices. Before this, Peter would have never invited “Gentiles” in his home…..let alone travel and stay in their home. How often do we not share God’s love and the truth, that Jesus is God, with someone because they are of a different religion or social standing? How often do we travel to that “Third Place”…the place outside our comfort zone to share the truth of God’s love?
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Whew! What a whirlwind week! I spent a good portion of the week painting, cleaning and preparing my new office. LifePoint is growing! We hired an administrative Assistant prompting office moves. My new office was the “children’s playroom”…..now it’s the “Pastor of insane details playroom”!
<<—-Here’s the room before I started work on it. Yes….the mural had to go…….
<<— Ah………painted…..A/C installed….furniture moved in…..
Now I can get busy and catch up with all the work I missed and put on the back burner last week…….
Pastor Phil has started a series titled, “The Bible That Jesus Read”. So………….what were the Scriptures that Jesus and the Apostles read?
It might be surprising to know that Jesus and the Apostles did not primarily read the Hebrew Scriptures in their original Hebrew…but that they read the Greek translation of these Scriptures called the Septuagint.
How do we know this? Because most of the quotes by both Jesus and the apostles from the Greek Scriptures (The New Testament) are quotes from the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew Scriptures (Paul usually quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures).
What is the difference? Translation. The Septuagint was the Bible of early Christianity before the New Testament was written. After the New Testament Scriptures came on the scene, they were added to the Septuagint to form the completed Scriptures of Christianity.
What is the Septuagint? The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (The Old Testament).
Why were the Hebrew Scriptures translated into Greek? Many Jews had moved into Egypt and other places outside of Palestine, and as a result, were unable to read or speak Hebrew. So a translation was prepared in the common Greek language of the day.
Why is it called The Septuagint? It is often abbreviated as the “LXX” (the Roman Numerals for 70). In fact, the word “Septuagint” is Latin for “seventy”. Its alleged seventy-two translators (six from each of the twelve tribes) is traditional, the number seventy apparently being an approximation for seventy-two; or the number seventy may have developed in the course of tradition. Note that Exodus 24:1, 9 refers to the seventy elders of Israel, and the membership of the Sanhedrin was composed of that number.
Where was the Septuigant translated? It was translated piecemeal in Alexandria, Egypt.
When was the Septuigant translated? Between 250 and 150 BC
TIDBITS:
– The Hebrew Scriptures were the first book (library of books) as far as I have been able to determine, known to be translated into another language. This was the Septuagint.
– It is important to note that the Septuagint is based on a Hebrew text one thousand years older than our existing Hebrew manuscripts.
– Codex Sinaiticus—This was an ancient manuscript of the Greek Septuagint, written approximately a.d. 330. The Codex Sinaiticus contained 199 leaves of the Old Testament and the entire New Testament.
– The New Testament book of Hebrews quotes from the Old Testament about 100 times……. from the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew text.
Below is an example of the translation differences:
(MT) The Masoretic Text is the Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible (called the Tanakh). It defines not just the books of the Jewish canon, but also the precise letter-text of the biblical books in Judaism.
(TNIV) Today’s New International Version of the Holy Scriptures
Here is Matthew 1:23 (TNIV) quoting the Old Testament Scripture Isaiah 7:14:
23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Here is Isaiah 7:14 (TNIV) :
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin [or young woman] will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.[which means God with us]
Here is Isaiah 7:14 (According to the Masoretic Text):
14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
And finally, here is Isaiah 7:14 (According to the Septuigant):
14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel.
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