Abraham's Walk

Is Adam our Federal Head?

2011-01-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

“Theology” is obviously driven by translation. In the following translation you will see that I chose to translate ἁμαρτία, κόσμον and θάνατος in ways that I believe more accurately reflect what Paul wrote to the Romans. Remembering that Rome was equivalent to our own hyper-political and corrupt Washington, D. C., those three words would have been understood as “legal technicalities.” 

ἁμαρτία hamartia—failure 
κόσμον kosmon—world-order [either legalities and/or customs] 
• θάνατος thanatos—death penalty pronounced by a judge

Romans 5:12 because of this, as it were, because of one human, the failure, in regards to the world order, came before the court, and because of the failure, the death-penalty also in this manner to all humanity, the death penalty, went abroad, upon this thing, everyone has failed. JWET

This verse, as can be seen does not speak of a “federal head” or even a “corporate head.” But as a result of Adam and Eve the world-order that had been established by God was disrupted. The miscreants were judged and pronounced guilty. Following the judgment came the penalty phase where “death” was pronounced. Therefore it can be seen that anyone who “fails” is under the death penalty. This is validated by Scripture itself—each person will judged for what they do—Romans 2:6. As a final thought, Theology also influences translation.

Legalism

2010-12-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

The issue is the difference between salvation and faithfulness.

Once a person is condemned as a sinner–he has sinned–he falls under the penalty of the law which is the death penalty. How are they then saved from that penalty?

The answer is that it is only by the grace of God–the favor of God–that we are saved. The condition of that grace being extended is by the “pistis” “assurance of good faith” that the supplicant makes to the court of God.

If we had been completely faithful in the beginning, there would have been no need for grace or favor of God. We would not have needed a Savior. However, as St. Paul states, “none has lived up to God’s expectations of faithfulness.” Therefore we need a savior.

Having sinned we cannot “unsin” ourselves by good works. We remain under the original death penalty until it is taken care of.

God taking care of the penalty by His grace–takes our pledge of fealty–faithfulness–to Him as a guarantee. If we fail in our faithfulness to His expectation again, “I would that you sin not,” we are once again in danger of coming under the penalty. Jesus told the woman in adultery to go and stop sinning unless another bad thing comes on her.

Our faithfulness in keeping God’s expectation is wrongly call salvation by works. Once we have had our position with God reestablished (saved), we are expected to keep the King’s law.

No salvation by works, just faithfully keeping the will of God after His mercy is given to us.

Joe

Romans 2:21-24

2010-11-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

…the one declaring not to steal, you are stealing. ²²The one saying not to worship idolatrously you are worshipping idolatrously, the one feeling a loathing towards those images you are stealing sacred property. ²³In that law you are boasting, because of the illusion of the Law of God, you are disfranchising. ²⁴For because of you the name of God is slandered by the peoples…^{Romans 2:21-24 JWET}

Aristotle deals with the same issue 400 years before Paul in Rhetoric …But since a man, while admitting the fact,  often denies the description of the charge or the point on which it turns—for instance, admits that he took something, but did not steal it; that he was the first to strike, but committed no outrage; that he had relations, but did not commit adultery, with a woman; or that he stole something but was not guilty of sacrilege, since the object in question was not consecrated…

Burning the Koran

2010-09-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

The advantage of commenting this far down the line is that I get to synthesize and remark on what has been said.

1. I want to ask what would have been communicated if a Koran had been burned.

2. And secondly, what has been communicated now that it wasn’t burned by Pastor?

It would have shown that Pastor and his congregation had a power over and a contempt for the Koran and the Muslim people. In some circles this is called a “power encounter.” In his mind this would have demonstrated the ascendancy of Christianity and the U.S. bill of rights and the inferiority of Sharia Law and Islam.

The answer to the second question should now be evident. Sharia Law and Islam have won the encounter and Christianity along with the bill of rights has been shown to be weak and morally inferior.

From the Western prospective this might not be obvious. But Islam defined the confrontation in such a way that with either outcome they had a “recruiting tool.”

If the Koran was burned it would be a tool to show that the “infidels” were waging war on Islam.
When it wasn’t burned, it proved the divine favor of Allah and validated the call to “jihad.”

I am not able to comment on the mental acuity of Pastor, but I’m sure he had no idea that this would garner such attention. I do think that he was used as a dupe. My proof? This past week in East Lansing, Michigan a Koran was burnt and thrown into the yard of an Islamic center. Where is the worldwide Muslim outrage? It doesn’t suit their purposes. For the moment they have gained what they want. They caused the “Great Satan” to back down. This coup will be exploited, have no doubt.

In my years of living in a predominantly Islamic country in West Africa, I have seen that a “radical Islamist” is easily created from “nominal Muslims” through intimidation. Even the most casual practitioner becomes violent when threatened in some way by the a radical Muslim extremists promising to harm them or their families.

However, take a Christian acting radically and the casual practitioner of Christianity will turn on him and eat him for lunch.

The Politics of Biblical Submission

2010-09-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that “political expediency” dictates our understanding of God’s instructions concerning submission?

Submission implies an authority to which you must submit. If you are the one in authority it is a prerequisite that someone is submitted to you. After all, “A leader without any followers is just a guy taking a walk.”^Unknown A leader is someone who: Goes before, Makes the hard decisions, Takes things in hand, Has his eye on the situation. All of these snippets remind me of another quote, “…the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”^Serpent

But you say, “Doesn’t the Bible teach that we are to submit to the authority that God has put over us?”

A side note: What is learned in Church about “authority/submission” directly depends upon the translation of the Bible and thus indirectly upon the translation committee’s theology, politics and culture.

Our effort will be to examine several passages and how they relate to “biblical authority and submission.”

Case study #1

In this examination of Holy Scripture we will attempt to examine the Master’s command concerning submission to “worldly” authority.

^{1Peter 2:13}Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
^NIV

Or a better translation:

^{1 Peter 2:13}You must be associated with every human establishment for the sake of the Lord, whether with a king as being elevated ¹⁴ or with leaders, as for His sake they being sent, avenging those doing ill but praising ones exerting beneficent influence. ¹⁵That in this way it is the will of God, exerting beneficent influence to restrain the ignorance of those thoughtless men. ^JWET

It is important to set the context as Peter’s letter. He begins by identifying the recipients as those who belong to God-the Master of all. God has given to us a “new birth” (1:3) through His pleasure as Monarch. This mercy is based on Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Therefore as “sons” we have both obligations and privileges.

Another part of this context is the “Roman World.” The “father” or paterfamilias held a position both cultural and legal in Roman society that has no equivalent in Western societies. There was only one “father of the family” per “gens” or what might be called a clan.

The paterfamilias had the “power-authority” over the family. He was head of all slaves, servants and members of the extended family. This power was a near absolute authority over those in his gens and he was also responsible for the good order of the family and liable for the wrongs the family members committed.

In the context of 1 Peter, the “sons of God” only were submitted to God and not to any other paterfamilias! But the permission to associate with other “families” was permitted for the purpose of the Paterfamilias.

^{1 Peter 1:16}…for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."^NIV What some might misconstrue as an injunction against any association with the ungodly, is explained by 1 Peter 2:13-15 JWET. Be holy but be associated with those of other gens in order to influence for your Paterfamilias-God.

Are there any examples of this concept in the Old Testament? The answer is yes.

1. Daniel

a. Nebuchadnezzar

b. Belshazzar

c. Darius

2. Esther

a. Ahasuerus

Daniel was successful with two out of three kings in influencing them for the good. We know that he did not submit when it was contrary to his Paterfamilias-God. Esther also influenced the king for the salvation of her people.

Is there anything detrimental in teaching that we are to submit to the rulers of this world?

1. The answer is definitely.

a. The harm is a “confusion” of allegiance. I am “always” submitted to my paterfamilias never to another.

b. I am hindered in my influence of the “political” system when I think that I am to submit to it instead of associating with it for God's purpose.

It is time to associate to influence for “good.” Think about it.

We will deal with “women submit to men” in another place.

St. Paul's opinion of himself...

2010-09-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

What did Saint Paul think of himself?

^{Romans 1:1}Tiny, a slave of Anointed Savior, assigned an ambassador…^JWET

Paulus is Roman for: insignificant, small, least
A slave—a person of no status in the Roman world. They had no right whatsoever. What ever the master wanted done to or with the slave was their right. A slave was considered a “tool” to be used up as desired.

Acts 19 Paul's effect on Ephesus

2010-09-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

Paul’s effect on one city (Ephesus);

In the space of two years he:

§ started people “talking in tongues”

§ caused an uproar in the Jewish synagogue

§ was imitated by seven exorcists who were cast out by demons

§ allowed his converts to publicly denounce the evils of the religion of Ephesus

§ permitted the believers to burn religious texts.

The end result was a citywide riot.

See Acts 19

Matthew 5:43-45

2010-09-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

You heard, because it has been said, “You will greet with affection your near one, also you will not put up with the one alienated from you.”

But I, I am saying to you, “You must entreat the ones hateful to you, even you yourselves must offer prayers on behalf of the ones driving you away. (Just as you yourselves came to be sons of your Father, the One in exalted places, in that the light originates from Him, as regards worthless ones and capable ones, even it is bathing righteous ones and unrighteous ones. For if haply you might have welcomed affectionately those affectionately welcoming you, what recompenses are withheld you, even the custom collectors this thing itself they are doing. And if you yourselves might have kissed and embraced your kinsmen above all others, what beyond the ordinary you are doing? Not even the outsiders are doing this thing.) You yourselves will then exist, you, fully without spot or blemish as your Father the Exalted One is fully without spot or blemish.” ^(JWET)

The Raging Battle

2010-09-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Culture is the sum total of rules and regulation that govern a society in its internal and external interactions. It tells us what is good and bad, beautiful and ugly, right and wrong.

So, when we speak of a "Christian culture" we are speaking of something that "tells us what is good and bad, beautiful and ugly. right and wrong." But we have to hesitate when we encounter some issues that are a matter of our own personal taste. For example: "Is limburger cheese good or bad?" or "Is your neighbor beautiful/handsome or ugly?" or "Is it right to paint you house neon pink?"

All three of these questions probably would provoke violent debates between "Christians." From these three we would begin to eliminate some things that being a "Christians" has no say over. But even if all American "Christians" could agree on what makes a "Christian Culture" undoubtedly there would not be agreement with African "Christians" on what makes a "Christian Culture." Why? Because the standard by which an item-action-idea is judged as good/bad, beautiful/ugly or right/wrong cannot be exactly agreed upon.

Some "Christians" might say the standard is: "The Bible-The Word of God" or "The Bible + Tradition of the Church", some say "The Bible + Science", there are even those who say "The King James Version of the Bible." Where is truth found? How are the cultures of the world to be judged equitably? It has even been suggested that each culture is the its own judge. For “Trekkies” this is also known as “The Star-Trek Prime Directive.”

My position is that God has revealed His estimation of what is morally right/wrong, good/bad and beautiful/ugly. His baseline of morality is bound up in those things delivered by His messengers in the Old and New Testament.

At this point it might be well to state that every culture has both Good/Right/Beautiful parts and each and every one has Bad/Wrong/Ugly aspects. And, that each culture has a third “None of the Above” category that does not fall into either of those other two niches. Said in another way, “All cultures have aspects that the Bible commends, aspects that it condemns and aspects that are neither commendable nor condemnatory.”

To throw in one more curve ball, “Our understanding of what the Bible is telling us about our culture is understood through the filter of our culture.”

The Bible is supposed to speak to my culture, while at the same time my culture influences how I understand what the Bible is saying.

How do we unravel this difficult knot that seems to have no end.

The purpose of the Bible is to communicate God’s thoughts to mankind. God is the perfect communicator because He knows which words and phrases will accurately convey His thoughts to those men who originally read or heard His words. What about us? We live in a different time, in a different culture and speak a different language. How can we expect to understand God’s communication to the past, today?

Let us look at an example to see how this might have an influence on our understanding of God’s message to us. Following are three translations of a well-known portion of Paul the Apostle’s letter to the Ephesians:

\

Ephesians 6:12

because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places;^(YLT)

This translation in the Young’s Literal Translation gives the correct word order of what God communicated to Paul to write in Greek—blood and flesh.

\

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.^(NASB)

The New American Standard Bible translation illustrates the common understanding of what God was communicating to His church. From this, the most common understanding in Evangelical circles emphasizes the struggle that Believers are engaged in is with “spiritual beings” as contrasting to a conflict with “earthly” rulers. It is assumed that Paul goofed-up and what he intended to write was flesh and blood, so the translator “corrected” the word order from blood and flesh to flesh and blood.

\

Ephesians 6:12

So that, it is not for us the battling in reference to bloodlines even tearing the body, on the other hand with a view to the empires, with a view to the magistrates, with a view to the emperors in ignorance of this One (with a view to the inflated things of the wickedness in high favor).^(JWET)

In this translation, Joe attempts to keep the word order along with the cultural understanding of the terms through which God was communicating to the 1^st century in a way that carries His meaning so that it imparts the same thing to us. But as can quickly be seen, it turns what is universally understood on its head.

Finally, how do we know which to take as the communication that God intends? The simplest way is to examine the context of the entire letter. It is very evident that God wants His people to understand that they are “one People.” There is no difference in His body between the Jewish and the Gentile believer! Therefore, any contention over the supremacy of “bloodline” which leads to the “tearing apart with sharp teeth” hopelessly distracts us from the real battle. The Battle is against those in positions of power, those trying to suppress the teaching of God and His Christ. Truly the conflict is directed at us from the “political” powers of this world.
“Yes Virginia there is a Satan.” But be aware that it was human organizations that took it upon themselves to forbid public expressions of “Christianity.” It was a woman who fought to remove prayer from public schools. It is politics that shuns any consideration of God’s laws in making rules that govern this world!

Is it time to recognize the forces that we are really struggling with?

Riddle

2010-09-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

A riddle: His parents named him “Prayed For,” but others knew him as “Pip-squeak.” Who was he?

His parents named him Saul, but other knew him as Paul.

John 16:7-16

2010-08-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

^{John 16:⁶But that these things I told you, your heart's grief filled.}

⁷Still I am at least telling the reality to you: It is a benefit to you that I am dying now, for if I might not die, the One called to aid will not walk with you, but if I be driven out I could dispatch Him on your behalf. ⁸And having arrived, that Person refutes the world-order

§ concerning failure-sin and

§ concerning righteousness-justice and

§ concerning judgment-separation.

⁹Concerning failure-sin,

certainly that because they are not putting faith in me. ¹⁰but

concerning righteousness-justice

in the presence of the Father I am being brought to the seat of judgment and you no longer observe me.

¹¹But concerning judgment-separation

in that the King of the universe this One He Himself has condemned.

¹²Besides I have too many things to say to you but you are not empowered to presently consider.

¹³But whenever He might arrive, that One the Spirit of Truth, He will lead you on your way with every truth, for He will not speak out of Himself (His own authority), on the other hand of all that He is hearing He will speak, even to the things to come He will carry back tidings to you.

¹⁴I am that One He will hold in honor, in that out from the One, Me, He Himself will obtain and He will carry back tidings to you. ¹⁵Everything, as much as the Father possesses, those things, because of this I said that out of the One, Me, He takes hold of and He will carry back tidings to you. ¹⁶A little and you will no longer behold me also once more a little and you will see me. JWET

1 Timothy 5:1,2 Women Elders

2010-04-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 5:1 For a male Elder you might not reprove but exhort like a father, male novices like kinsmen. 2 to female Elders as mothers, female novices as kinswomen, in every observance of religious duties. JWET

To Whom Should A Woman Submit?

2010-04-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

To whom should a woman submit?

Ephesians 5:21Submitting together in terror of Anointed One, 22the women with their own men thus to the Lord-Master, ²³with regard to the fact that a man is the source of the woman thus also the Anointed One source of the assembly, same a Savior of the body-group ²⁴but thus the assembly is associated with the Anointed One, in this way even the women with the men in everything. ²⁵(The men must greet with affection the women even as also the Anointed One greeted with affection the assembly, as He surrendered His own in place of her.) ²⁶Wherever she might be consecrated (purifying with the bath of the water) with a spoken word^Nu6:2. ²⁷There she might be brought forward, of one’s own accord absolutely, to the assembly (honored not having a moral blemish or pucker of anything of such) but there she might be a one devoted to God and a blameless one. ²⁸In this manner they are obligated (the men) to welcome affectionately their women like their bodies (the one treating with affection his woman is himself treating with affection). ²⁹For no one at any time his own flesh hated, but he is rearing and comforting it as even the Anointed One the assembly, ³⁰in that we are members of His body. ³¹Compared with this, he, a man, will leave behind the father and the mother, and he will cleave to the woman and they will be, the two into one body. ³²This is a great mystery, but I, I am speaking about Anointed One and about the assembly. (JWET)

After reading what the Apostle Paul says to the Ephesians, it is clear that he wants everyone to be submitted—to the Lord! Paul has been stressing the “oneness” of the body-No Jew and No Gentile. Both are one in the Lord. He continues the “oneness” theme by stressing that same unity of women and men. He goes on to say in verse 26 that a woman can consecrate herself to the Lord’s service and the church must accept that. His scriptural support comes from the Torah-Numbers chapter 2 concerning the Nazarite vow. If a woman had to be accepted as a Nazarite, she must be accepted as one dedicated in service to God just as a man!

Ephesians Chapter 6 (New Translation JWET)

2010-03-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

Paul’s Letter to those of Magic City

Chapter 6

¹The young must give an ear to your ancestors in the Lord's presence. For it is a duty, ²”You must honor your father and mother,” which is a command (first one with a summons), ³in that fortunately for you, He might have been born and you yourself will be entering into a long lasting dwelling (besides the earth). ⁴Also, the fathers, you were not provoking to anger the youth but you were bringing them up from childhood by training and teaching even Master's warning.

⁵The subjects-slaves must give ear with the lords-masters (according to physical order) with fear and trembling in single-mindedness to the Anointed One ⁶not while being watched as man-pleasers but as citizens-slaves of Anointed One (ones doing the pleasure-will of the God of souls-lives) ⁷with devotion, being a slave-citizen even to the Lord-Master and not to men, ⁸having perceived that each one (if any good thing might be done) this thing he will gain from Lord-Master, either slave or freeman. ⁹Also the lords-masters, the things you must do in your name, ceasing from threats, having known that even of them and of you the Lord-Master is in heavens and a partiality exists not with Him.

¹⁰Any one remaining must be strengthened with Lord-Master and by His prevailing military force. ¹¹You yourselves must have put on the suit of armor from God towards the one to be made strong enough to have stayed the wiliness of the slanderer-Devil. ¹²So that, it is not for us the battling (in reference to bloodlines even tearing apart the body), but yet with a view to the empires, with a view to the magistrates, with a view to the emperors, from ignorance of this One (with a view to the inflated things of the wickedness in high favor). ¹³Because of this thing you must take up the suit of armor from God, so that you might have been made strong enough to have stood against (in the day) the wickedness even everything, having achieved—to have made to stand. ¹⁴You set in place then, having wrapped around the lower part of your back with truth also having put on the breastplate of the business of a judge ¹⁵and having bound the feet in readiness of the reward of good tidings of the peace ¹⁶with all, having taken up into your hands the shield of that thing entrusted, with it you will be equal (to every missile of the worthless one, the ones having been ignited) to extinguish, ¹⁷also the helmet of the deliverance you yourselves must offer and the short sword of the divine inspiration (this one is a saying of God). ¹⁸Because of every place of prayer and entreaty having been offered, prayers by every vital part with divine inspiration even as far as this having passed sleepless nights with every persistence and entreaty standing over every one devoted to God, ¹⁹even over me. There for me might be given a word with my frankness, out of my mouth with freedom of speech to make known the mystery of the good news.

²⁰Beyond this, I am to be the elder in a chain so that in it I might have spoken freely, thus, it is binding on me to have spoken. ²¹But, so that even you might have perceived these things, about me, any thing I am accomplishing, everything he will make known to you, Tchius, the beloved brother and trusted servant by Lord-Master. ²²He I dispatched to you, to this so that you might know these things about us, and he might have demanded your feelings.

²³Peace to the brothers and love in confidence of God Father and of Lord Savior Anointed One.

Ephesians Chapter 5 (New Translation JWET)

2010-03-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Paul’s Letter to those of Magic City

Chapter 5

¹You must be born in fact God's imitators like beloved children. ²Also you must live by love, just as the Anointed One greeted you with affection and handed Himself over to others (your sacrifice to God a sweet smelling odor), ³but idolatry-fornication and every ceremonial impurity or arrogance (never the name applied to you, when you are clearly seen as the ones devoted to God) ⁴and filthiness and fooleries and lies or a quick wit (those amounting to nothing) but on the other hand exceedingly giving thanks. ⁵For this you must have seen that every homosexual or foul or greedy one is an idol-worshipper is not having an inheritance in the Anointed One's kingdom, even God's. ⁶No one must outwit you by empty words, for through these things the natural impulse-anger of God was on those sons of the ones refusing compliance.

⁷In all events you must not become joint-accomplices with them. ⁸For at some time or other you were an ignorant one but now an enlightened one by Master-Lord, as children of enlightenment you must live. ⁹For the offspring-fruit of the man with all goodness even justice and truth, ¹⁰one approved after scrutiny as fit, which is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹And you must not be connected with the unprofitable deeds of the ignorant but even you must also cross-examine exceedingly to refuting, ¹²for the occult things being born of them it is causing shame even to speak. ¹³But every thing being cross-examined (under the influence of man) is being made known, for all things being made known are public. ¹⁴Because of this he is saying, "You must arouse yourself, the one sleeping in death, and you must make to stand up from the dead ones and the Anointed One will shine forth for you." ¹⁵At all events you must see accurately by any means, you, be not living like unwise one but as wise ones, ¹⁶the opportunity being bought up, in that the days are painful. ¹⁷Because of this you must not be becoming senseless ones, but you must take notice of the pleasure of the Lord. ¹⁸Also you must not get drunk with fermented juice, this is wastefulness but you must be made full with Spirit, ¹⁹making music to yourselves by stringed instruments and hymns and odes with blowing wind and plucking with your feelings for the Lord-Master. ²⁰Being thankful at all times, because of everyone in our Lord's name (Savior Anointed One) to God and Father.

²¹Submitting together in terror of Anointed One, ²²the women with their own men thus to the Lord-Master, ²³that because a man is the source of the woman thus also the Anointed One a Source of the assembly, same one a Savior of the body-group ²⁴but thus the assembly is associated with the Anointed One, in this way even the women with the men in everything. ²⁵(The men must greet with affection the women even as also the Anointed One greeted with affection the assembly, as He surrendered Himself in place of her.) ²⁶Wherever she might be consecrated (purifying with the bath of the water) with a spoken word^Nu6:2. ²⁷There she might be brought forward, of one’s own accord absolutely, to the assembly (honored not having a spot or wrinkle of anything of such) but there she might be a one devoted to God and blameless one. ²⁸In this manner they are obligated (the men) to treat with affection their women like their bodies (the one treating with affection his woman is himself treating with affection. ²⁹For no one at any time his flesh hated, but he is rearing and comforting it as even the Anointed One the assembly, ³⁰in that we are members of His body. ³¹Compared with this, he, a man, will leave behind the father and the mother, and he will cleave to the woman and they will be, the two into one body. ³²This is a great mystery, but I, I am speaking about Anointed One and about the assembly. ³³In addition, even you, the ones each to the one (your woman) in this way he must treat with affection as himself, but the woman that she may be respected of the man.

Ephesians Chapter 4 (New Translation JWET)

2010-03-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Paul’s Letter to those of Magic City

Chapter 4

¹Therefore, I am summoning you (I, the captive by Lord-Master) to live worthily of the summons (of this you have been summoned) ² in complete humility and gentleness with patience having been sustained by one another with love,³paying serious attention to preserve the union (from the Spirit) with the peace’s binding ⁴(one body and one Spirit) even as also you were summoned with one reason to believe your summons; ⁵(one Lord-Master, one faith-trust, one baptism, ⁶one God-Authority even Father-Author of everyone, the One over everyone and between everyone and within everyone) ⁷ but to each one of us it was given, a grant made in legal form (towards the measure of content of the Anointed's granted estate-gift).

⁸On whose account it says, "Having ascended to grandeur, He took prisoner a body of captives, to have given gifts to mankind." ⁹But, the One ascended. How is it, if not that also He descended to the earth's less prestigious district? ¹⁰The One Himself having descended is also the One having ascended above everyone of the universe, so that He could have paid in full everyone.

¹¹Also, He assigned envoys-sent ones: the ones who speak or interpret the will of God, the ones who proclaim the good news, the ones who shepherd and other teachers—¹²for the purpose of the restoration of the ones devoted to God, for deeds of a body of attendants, for the Anointed's whole household ¹³until we might have arrived (everyone into the union of trust-faith even from the full knowledge of God's Son) to a "man's estate of majority" from Anointed's completeness. ¹⁴So that we no longer might be childish (being tossed like waves and being turned round to every quarter, from the instruction by men's roll of the dice, from the imposture's wiliness) ¹⁵but arriving at the truth because of love we might have been added into Him (to all the ones this One is the source, Anointed One). ¹⁶From this One you all (the body) to be fitted together, even being reconciled because of everyone gripping a provision (according to cosmic force by each one's measure of growth) from the whole being brought into existence (into His structure by love-charity). ¹⁷This one thing certainly I am saying, even I might have been called by Lord-Master to invoke, "You no further live as the peoples living with purposelessness of their perception" ¹⁸(having been blinded by existing intellectual capacity) being separated from God's existence because of their ignorance, because of the obtuseness of their heart. ¹⁹Those having no longer felt pain for one another they taught a doctrine (for the wanton violence) to everyone's depravity (a work in their arrogance). ²⁰But you never in this manner learned the Anointed One. ²¹So be that you were a pupil, even by Him you were taught in what manner reality exists in the Savior. ²²To have put away from yourself, in accordance with the former confusion from the old corrupted man according to the objects of desire of the deceitful one, ²³but to be revived for your intellect's spirit ²⁴and to have clothed the new nobility, the one from God having been established by righteousness and truth's holiness. ²⁵On that account, having put away fallacies, you must speak truth, (each one with his neighbor) so that we are mutually in tune. ²⁶You yourselves were provoking to anger and you must not sin. The sun must not set upon your provocation ²⁷nor must you tender a part of body to the enemy [devil]. ²⁸The one stealing must not be stealing, but he must toil exceedingly, laboring with his own hands good things, so that he might have in order to share to the hand to possess. ²⁹Every rotten word must not go forth from your mouth, but if anything good for building, for the advantage, in that it may have given favor to the ones hearing. ³⁰Also you must not cause pain to God's Holy Spirit, by this One you were authenticated as real towards a day of redemption through a payment of ransom. ³¹Every bitterness and inclination and natural impulse (even shouting and profane speech) must be put an end from you (together with every cowardice). ³²But you must be made into mutually beneficial ones, compassionate towards each other even as God by Anointed One gave graciously to you.

Ephesians Chapter 3 (New Translation JWET)

2010-03-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

Paul’s Letter to those of Magic City

Chapter 3

¹Because of this kindness, I (Paul) am the captive of Anointed Savior on your nations' behalf, ²if (at any rate), you understood the contract of God's kindness (the one being given to me) and for you. ³But separately a revelation being made known to me (the mystery as I have written above briefly) ⁴concerning which you are made capable of knowing, certainly to have considered my knowledge in the case of Anointed's mystery. ⁵This thing (in another time) was not made known to the sons of men as now, it was revealed to His (ones devoted to God) envoys-sent ones (even to prophets-those speaking for God by divine inspiration) ⁶to be the joint-heir nations, even united in the same body-group and common civil rights even partners of the promise by Anointed Savior because of the good tidings. ⁷This thing (I was born into being an attendant to the fief of God's pleasure) the one having been assigned to me (His power's workmanship), ⁸to me (the least of all the ones devoted to God) the pleasure was given, this one for the nations, to have myself announced good news (Anointed's unreachable wealth)⁹even to have taught this, namely the mystery's arrangement (from the ages) by God for the One, everything having been established. ¹⁰So that it might have been made known, now, (to the powers-authorities even to the magistrates in the exalted places) through the assemblies (God's unifying wisdom) ¹¹in accordance with eternities' public announcement that He made by the Anointed Savior our Lord-Master. ¹²By this we have the outspokenness also bringing with confidence because of His faithfulness. ¹³Wherefore, I myself am asking you not to lose heart in my oppression in defense of you, which is your expectation. ¹⁴ From this honor I am bending my knees to the Father ¹⁵out of Whom every lineage (in heaven and on earth) was named-categorized, ¹⁶in that, He might have given to you (according to His pleasure's wealth) for power to be strengthened because of His Spirit within man. ¹⁷The Anointed One, to have administered because of the pledge-guarantee in your heart ¹⁸by love (having been planted and grounded firmly) so that you might have comprehended (together with all the ones devoted to God) what the plane and magnitude and height even sublimity, ¹⁹to have formed a judgment (even the exceeding love of the Anointed One) in that you have been made complete by God, ²⁰but for the One Himself being capable beyond all things to have made superabundantly these things we ourselves begged or understood, according to the strength the One-Spirit acting in us. ²¹For Him-Spirit, the expectation of the assembly, even in Anointed Savior to all the family from age to ages truly.

Ephesians Chapter 2 (New Translation JWET)

2010-03-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Paul’s Letter to those of Magic City

Chapter 2

¹Even you, being dead ones, because of your transgressions and failures, ²in these you once walked in accordance to the course of this world (opposite the Ruler with the authority from the clouds-air, the Spirit now being effective with the sons of the disobedience) ³with whom we all also lived (by the desire for what is forbidden our flesh) we were carrying out the wishes of the flesh and the intellect, and we were made wrath's natural offspring even as the rest.

⁴But the God Opulent, being surrounded by mercy owing to His great love which He entreated us, ⁵and we (being dead ones because of the trespasses) He endowed with life together, by the Anointed One, by grace-kindness having been saved ⁶and He raised together and He made to sit down together in the exalted places with Anointed Savior. ⁷There in that place He might point (by the generations to the ones having been at hand) to the transcending opulence of His pleasure with kindness on us by Anointed Savior. ⁸For by the kindness you are saved by reason of a pledge of good faith and not from you, from God the gift ⁹not out of works (that not any one might have boasted). ¹⁰For Him we have been a work, having been brought into being by Anointed Savior through valiant works which God prepared beforehand, that by them we may have lived. ¹¹On that account you must remember that once you the foreigners in flesh (those being called uncircumcised by those called the circumcised in flesh by hand) ¹²for which cause you were separated from the ideal world of Anointed One (being alienated from the conditions and rights of a citizen of Israel, also alien from the covenant of the summons) not having an object of hope, even abandoned of God with the world, ¹³but now (by Anointed Savior) you, the ones once being remote, you were brought to kinship by the blood of the Anointed One. ¹⁴For He Himself is our treaty of peace having made the both into one, also the party wall having been dissolved (the feud) by His flesh ¹⁵(the commands' law with judgments rendered, having been left idle) there the two might have transformed (for Him) into one nobility giving rise to peace. ¹⁶Also, He might reconcile both into one whole body-community for God because of the crucifixion (He having killed the hatred by Himself). ¹⁷And having come, He himself brought good news (a treaty of peace) to you (the remotest parts) also a treaty of peace to those near at hand, ¹⁸for inasmuch as (because of His favor) we are having the access (the ones all together by one Spirit) to the Father.

¹⁹Thus, as I was saying, you are no longer foreigners and sojourners in another's family-house, but you are citizens among the ones devoted to God even among the family-house of God ²⁰(being built on the foundation of the messengers and prophets) existing because of its corner-stone Anointed Savior. ²¹With Him, a whole structure being fitted together (taking the augmentation) into a holy temple by Lord-Master, ²²by whom also you were built together into a dwelling place of God (in Spirit).

Ephesians Chapter 1 (New Translation JWET)

2010-03-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

Paul's Letter to those of Magic City

Chapter 1

Paul, envoy of Anointed Savior by reason of God's

pleasure, to the ones devoted to God existing in Magic City even faithful ones in Anointed Savior, ²A grace to you even a treaty of peace, originating from God our Father and from Lord-Master Savior Anointed One.

³Blessed, the God and Father of our Lord Savior Anointed, the One having blessed us, with every spiritual blessing in the exalted places, with Anointed One. ⁴Even as He Himself picked us out by love (with Him before founding of cosmos) to be devoted to God, even without blemish in His sight, ⁵having been determined in regards to our adoption (because of Savior Anointed One) to Him in accordance with His pleasure's satisfaction, ⁶for the purpose of commendation of grace’s judgment, which He showed to us by means of the One having been loved ⁷through whom we possess the ransom (because of His blood) the remission of the penalty of transgressions according to the abundance of His favor ⁸which has overflowed to us (in complete wisdom and understanding). ⁹The mystery of His favor (having been made known to us) according to His pleasure, which He Himself had exposed by Him, ¹⁰in an arrangement-contract from the fulfillment during this time.

To sum up the argument, everyone, because of the Anointed One (the ones in the heavens and the ones on the earth), by Him ¹¹(through whom also it has fallen to us) having been predetermined according to the setting forth of that thing [arrangement-contract] (for everyone) being executed according to the purpose of His pleasure ¹²(for the One Existing) we (the ones hoping in the Anointed One) are for a praise of His glory. ¹³By whom also you, having heard the word of Truth (the Good Tidings of your salvation) in which you having believed--you were confirmed authentic by the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴who is a deposit of your inheritance (a redemption by payment of ransom) procuring approval in His judgment.

¹⁵Because of this (I likewise having heard this concerning your faith in the Lord Savior and love towards all the ones devoted to God) ¹⁶I do not stop being thankful over you, making remembrance in my prayers; ¹⁷that the God (of our Lord Savior Anointed One) the Father-Author of the judgment, might give to you divine inspiration from wisdom even of revelation by a knowledge of Him, ¹⁸the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, this One you have known who is hope's object, His summons which is a treasure (from an expectation of His inheritance within the ones devoted to God)¹⁹also which, the exceeding greatness of His manifestation of divine power towards us, the ones believing (in reference to the supernatural action out of His victory). ²⁰This [victory] showed effectiveness by the Anointed One having raised Himself up out of death and having sat down by His right hand in the exalted places, ²¹above all sovereignty and magistrates and forces for war and every notable name not only in this time but also in the future. ²²And every one He subjugated below Him and He appointed Him source over everything for the assembly, ²³which is His body, the full complement of the One, completing Himself, the whole in all things.

Are you asunetos?

2009-11-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

ἀσύνετος asunetos-n. stupid, witless, not able to understand

But the One said, "Yet also you are witless.”

There is a sense in the world that certain people do not say certain things. This is because a “mystique” has been created that surrounds them not allowing the real person to be seen. This in fact distorts the message that the person intended to give.

Jesus is of course one of those around whom a false image is created to build him up, (it is thought) but it damages the message that He intended. This image is often manipulated by well-intentioned translations that “soften” the harshness of certain words.

“And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?” KJV Matthew 17:16

This translation as well as others, dampens down the shocking statement that Jesus made when he used the word asunetos when He addressed a question by Peter.

But the One said, "Yet also you are witless.” Matthew 17:16 JWET

Jesus follows with an explanation of what makes a person defiled. What comes out of the mouth, not what go into the mouth.

Matthew then leads us to another encounter, one with the Canaanite woman where Jesus makes a couple more shocking statements:

Matthew 17:24 But the One after being singled out He said, "Was I not sent if not to those stupid lazy people, the ones being destroyed from house Israel." JWET

The word πρόβατον-probaton is an insult when used in reference to people! (stupid lazy person).

Then Matthew relates another parable given in two parts, Jesus starts it and the Canaanite woman finishes:

Jesus: "It is not good to have taken the bread of the children even to have let it fall to the puppies." JWET Matthew 17:26

Canaanite woman: "Yes Master, for even the puppies are eating from the crumbs having fallen from their masters' table." JWET Matthew 17:27

Matthew 17:28 Then having been singled out the Savior said to her, "Oh woman, your great trust, the thing you ask must have been brought about for you even as you are purposing", and her daughter was healed from that hour. JWET

The point of that parable was not to insult the woman--but to show that she knew were she had to go to get relief the Master!

Law and Beatitudes Part I

2009-07-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Also Lord He spoke, all these words to these saying: Exodus 20:1(JWET)
God speaks from the mountain.

And opening His mouth He was teaching them saying: Matthew 5:2(JWET)
Jesus speaks from the mountain.

There is a clear comparison between the Deity’s meeting with Moses and Aaron on Mount Sinai and Jesus' meeting with the Twelve Disciples on the Mount of the Beatitudes. In the first instance the Lord spoke the law of the Mosaic Covenant; in the second instance the Lord spoke a clarification so the Law could be fully observed.

Let us compare what God said in Exodus 20 with what He said in Matthew 5.
They will not be for you other gods except Me.Ex 20:3 JWET

God-Yahweh Himself codified monotheism-the belief that there is one supreme all-powerful deity through His message to the freed Hebrew slaves at Mount Sinai. The “Ten Words” that He spoke to the descendants of Israel begins with the injunction against polytheism and is the premiere of the “commands” that followed.

This was an idea that the Hebrews quickly agreed to observe but likewise quickly rejected. This back and forth backsliding and repentance went on for over 600 years until the Israelites returned from the Babylonian captivity. During the 70 years of exile in Babylon the monarchy lost its dominance allowing the priesthood to became the authority for all things Jewish.

One would believe that this tenacious monotheistic-Yahwehism would have meant a spiritual awakening and real relationship between Israel and their God, such as Abraham the "Friend of God” had enjoyed. Regrettably this was not the case. Instead a Priests-Scribes-Pharisees-Sadducees caste developed into the rigid self-righteous monotheistic cult that Jesus found and confronted.

Jesus spoke to those unrighteous “righteous” leaders who thought that the strict adherence to God’s laws would guarantee they satisfied God. Jesus Christ-Savior the Anointed One, taught the proper view of the law by clarifying or fulfilling the first commandment in teaching:
Worthy ones, those beggars having the Spirit, in that theirs is heavens' kingdom. Mt 5:3 JWET
• Those beggars having the Spirit, worthy ones in that theirs is heavens' kingdom.
This would have staggered His hearers on a couple of fronts:

1.Beggars having the Spirit.

Those of the elite class (Priests-Scribes-Pharisees-Sadducees) looked on beggars as rejected by God as evidenced by their obvious condition. Therefore, when Jesus said they could have the Spirit, He was making a non-sense statement. It was totally illogical to say that ungodly people were full of the Spirit!

Some who are reading this are thinking that “... poor in spirit…” is a better translation;
a. because of grammatical reasons I choose to translate ptokoi to pneumati (πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι) “…beggars having the Spirit…” as a dative of possession.
b. some might suggest that because Jesus had not yet been crucified the Spirit had not been given. It is forgotten that the giving of the Spirit was related to the Day of Pentecost also called the Baptism of Jesus/Baptism with the Spirit and not the separate event of the Baptism of the Spirit/Salvation extended to every person of faith in God. Salvation-Yeshua’-Jesus always was, is and always will be.
2. Jesus followed up with an equally as shocking—the “Beggars having the Spirit also have heavens’ kingdom!” Heavens’ Kingdom is God’s Kingdom. The “teaching” of the Priests-Scribes-Pharisees-Sadducees was that the beggars/uneducated were effectively locked out of that Kingdom.

Monotheism, as necessary as it is, is not a guarantee of salvation and having the Spirit. Jesus’ intent in announcing the Beatitudes was to clarify His initial intent when issuing the Law as conditions of the covenant. “Do not consider that I have arrived to dissolve the law or the prophets, I have not come to overturn on the other hand to have them fully observed.” Matthew 5:17 JWET

From the Mountain

2009-07-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Exd 19:20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up
21 and the Lord said to him...

3.	Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4.	Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5.	Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6.	And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7.	Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8.	Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9.	Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10.	But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11.	For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12.	Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13.	Thou shalt not kill.
14.	Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15.	Thou shalt not steal.
16.	Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17.	Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (KJV)

Mat 5:1. But having seen those crowds, He (Jesus) ascended the mountain and taking a seat His students-disciples came to Him.
2. And opening His mouth He was teaching them saying...

3. Worthy ones, those beggars having the Spirit, in that theirs is heavens' kingdom.
4. Worthy ones, those mourning, in that the same will repent.
5. Worthy ones, those gentle ones, in that the same will be entitled to the earth.
6. Worthy ones, those hungering and thirsting for justice, in that the same will eat their fill.
7. Worthy ones, those compassionate ones, in that the same will arouse compassion.
8. Worthy ones, those straightforward in purpose, in that the same towards God they will look.
9. Worthy ones, those diplomatic agents, in that the same will be named God's sons.
10. Worthy ones, those pursued as a consequence of following the law, in that of them exists heavens' kingdom.
11. Worthy ones you are, whenever they might upbraid you and pursue and speak everything grievous against you, cheating on account of me.
12. You must take pleasure and rejoice exceedingly in that your great recompense in the heavens, in this way the prophets were pursued before you.
13. You are the "salt-wisdom" of the earth, if but the "salt-wisdom" might have been made "tasteless-foolish," in something it will be gathered together, to naught will it be made strong still, if not, having been thrown outside to be trampled from under by the men.
14. You are the world's light; a city cannot be concealed from a mountaintop, being situated in place.
15. Also lamps are not lit and set in place under a measuring vessel, but upon the lamp stand and it is caused to shine for all those in the dwelling. In this way must shine your "light-glory" in front of men in such a manner that they might perceive your virtuous deeds and they might hold in honor your Father, the One in the heavens.

(JWET)

matthew 5 - GreekBible

2009-07-21T08:14:00.001-07:00

matthew 5 - GreekBible

1. But having seen those crowds, He ascended the mountain and taking a seat His students-disciples came to Him.
2. And opening His mouth He was teaching them saying:

3. Blessed ones, those beggars having the Spirit, in that theirs is heavens' kingdom.
4. Blessed ones, those mourning, in that the same will repent.
5. Blessed ones; those gentle ones, in that the same will be entitled to the earth.
6. Blessed ones, those hungering and thirsting for justice, in that the same will eat their fill.
7. Blessed ones; those compassionate ones, in that the same will arouse compassion.
8. Blessed ones, those straightforward in purpose, in that the same towards God they will look.
9. Blessed ones, those diplomatic agents, in that the same will be named God's sons.
10. Blessed ones, those pursued as a consequence of following the law, in that of them exists heavens' kingdom.
11. Blessed ones you are, whenever they might upbraid you and pursue and speak everything grievous against you, cheating on account of me.
12. You must take pleasure and rejoice exceedingly in that your great recompense in the heavens, in this way the prophets were pursued before you.
13. You are the "salt-wisdom" of the earth, if but the "salt-wisdom" might have been made "tasteless-foolish," in something it will be gathered together, to naught will it be made strong still, if not, having been thrown outside to be trampled under by the men.
14. You are the world's light; a city cannot be concealed from a mountaintop, being situated in place.
Also lamps are not lit and set in place under a measuring vessel, but upon the lamp stand and it is caused to shine for all those in the dwelling.
15. In this way must shine your "light-glory" in front of men in such a manner that they might perceive your virtuous deeds and they might hold in honor your Father, the One in the heavens.

Does God Tempt? The Epistle of James a.k.a. Jacob

2008-03-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Epistle of James deals with the problem of problems. Why do some bad things happen? Below is a rough translation that I did of the 1st chapter of James to investigate whether God tempts or not. Read through it and see. I will make comments through out.

1 Jacob a slave of God and of Lord Savior Anointed, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion
Greetings.

2 You must consider for yourselves my Brothers a complete delight, inasmuch as you might have been surrounded with trials of a varied kind. 3 You understand that the method of testing your faith itself is achieving endurance. 4 Yet, the endurance must hold a blameless work, so that you might be blameless and perfectly sound with nothing being uncompleted.

5 But if any of you is left behind of wisdom, he must ask for all things sincerely from the One
giving, from God, and not from casting in
one’s teeth, and it will be given to you. 6 But he must ask in
assurance/faithfulness, not one who is separated from others,
for the one separated from others was like a washing
of sea, being agitated and being tossed, 7 (for he, the man himself,
must not suppose that he himself will receive anything from the Lord?)
8 A double-minded unstable man in all of his ways.

9 But the lowly brother must speak up in his dignity, 10 but the
wealthy one in his loss of rank, for this way a grass' flower will
perish. 11 For the sun has risen with the heat and it has parched the
grass and its flower has fallen out and the gracefulness of its
appearance has been destroyed and the wealthy with their careers will
be extinguished.

12 A happy man that is enduring testing,
because he having become a tested one, he will receive the crown of
life which has been promised to them for loving Him. 13 No one while
being tried must say, (in that from God he is being tested)
“therefore the temptation proof God is evil, He is tempting, Himself by
no one!”

14 But everyone being tested, by the one's own
longing, being dragged out, even being baited, 15 next the longing
having been conceived gives birth to sin, but the sin having brought
forth young, bearing death. 16 You must not be caused to go astray, my
beloved brothers. 17 All good giving and all blameless gifts are from
above descending from the Father of fires from whom there is not a
fickleness neither from turning a shadow.

18 Having been willing He gave birth to you by a word of truth, the one to be
their entrance fee, anyone from the one of Himself from a created one.
19 You must be known brothers, my beloved, but he must be a whole man a
quick one to have heard, a slow one to have spoken, a slow one to
anger. 20 For anger of a man a righteousness of God is not itself
working.

21 For this reason having put them away (all sordidness and superabundance of
malignity) for a humble one you yourselves have received the implanted
word (itself being strong enough to have saved your soul). 22 But you
must yourselves become a performer of a word and not alone hearers
deluding yourselves. 23 Because if any one is a hearer of the word and
not one who performs, this one is like a man observing the aspect of
his nature in a mirror, 24 for he has observed well himself and having
understood and departs and immediately has neglected himself, what sort
is he being? 25 But the one having peered into a blameless law the one
of liberty and he having remained not a hearer from negligence, on the
other hand a performer of work this one a blessed one by his
performance himself is.

26 If anyone thinks a religious one to be, not bridling his language but on
the other hand cheating a heart of himself of this vain one the
religious one. 27 A religion, a clean one and undefiled one from the
God and Father, this one being itself to visit/relieve orphaned ones
and widowed ones in persecution themselves, itself a spotless one to
guard from the world.

Jacob--This gives us a clue on how to choose whether God tempts or not. Jacob is Hebrew. He is very well versed in God's activities in the Torah-Old Testament.

Exodus 15:25 Then he cried out to the
LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters,
and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and
regulation, and there He tested them. (NASB)

This is only one example of God testing, trying, tempting someone. The question is-would James/Jacob have directly contradicted this portion of Holy Scripture?

No!
The translation of James 1:13 hinges on one tiny word--hoti--that, so that, for, because. Moule wrote "...the interpretation of a passage turns upon deciding with
which word the hoti is to be logically connected."

I choose to translate 1:13
" No one while being tried must say, (in that from of God he is being
tested) “therefore the temptation proof God is evil, He is tempting,
Himself by no one!”
It was a temptation to say that it was evil of God to tempt people when He in turn said that "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah."

Why was it fair for God to tempt and He not to be tempted?

The quick response to that is God is always faithful but man fails
often. God's testing of man is to prove what is in doubt. The next
question that arises is, "did God make me sin when He tempted me? The
answer is no! See James 1:14.

Truth

2005-10-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Pilate asked Jesus--"What is truth?"

Do you know what truth is?
Is your truth only a subjective truth?
Do you have an objective truth?
Do you know the difference between objective and subjective?

The Apostle Peter was faced by just such a dilemma. He needed an objective measure of a truth.

No Gentile had been allowed into the fledgling church. He had had the audacity to go preach to a house full of Gentiles. And then he returns to the leaders of that Jewish church and tells them he had baptized those Gentiles in water.

The questions was, how did he know the truth of their repentance? The Italian and his family had not proven themselves as Jewish procelytes. How could he have included them in the church? They were "unclean" Gentiles, excluded from the community of faith!

Peter did not say, "I knew it in my heart. I sensed their sincerity. They were really happy!" He may have had these subjective proofs to share with the other Apostles. However, he did not use those as vindication of baptizing them in water.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

An objective proof of their salvation.

Do you ever wish for an objective truth of your salvation? Seek the Baptism of Jesus with the initial physical evidence of SPEAKING IN TONGUES.