Thursday, October 28, 2010

1 Clement 5:1-7

(Taken from Michael Holmes' The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations 3rd Edition)

But to pass from the examples of ancient times, let us come to those champions who lived nearest to our time. Let us consider the noble examples that belong to our own generation. Because of jealousy and envy the greatest and most righteous pillars were persecuted and fought to the death. Let us set before our eyes the good apostles. There was Peter, who because of unrighteous jealousy endured not one or tow but many trials, and thus having given his testimony went to his appointed place of glory. Because of jealousy and strife Paul showed the way to the prize for patient endurance. After he had been seven times in chains, had been driven into exile, had been stoned, and had preached in the east and in the west, he won the genuine glory for his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world and having reached the farthest limits of the west. Finally, when he had given his testimony before the rulers, he thus departed from the world and went to the holy place, having become an outstanding example of patient endurance.


I tried looking up information to see what Clement meant when speaking about Peter's martyrdom when he said he "went to his appointed place of glory", but found nothing. Clement also says of Paul, after "having reached the farthest limits of the west" which is probably Spain (compare Romans 15:24, 28), he "won the genuine glory for his faith."

Anyone have a clue what Clement meant by that? I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about heaven (though he might have meant that).

Won't be Happening this Year

I contacted BeDuhn and said he was on "research leave this semester" so it won't be happening this year.

I'll try at some other time.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Interview Questions

Hello!

I'm planning on trying to get an interview with Jason BeDuhn for my blog (WordPress). If I am able to get it, are there any questions in particular which you would like asked concerning him or his book? (making no guarantees, of course)

If you don't know who Jason Beduhn is, he's the author of Truth in Translation, a book that is as famous as it is infamous, depending on who you ask.

Any thoughts?

New Amazon Species

New Bubble-Bottom Frog



Electric Knifefish 



Intelligent Bacteria: Cells are Incredibly Smart

Introduction to 1 Clement

(Adapted from Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations [Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007] Third Edition, pp. 33-39)


Overview:

Letter from Christians in Rome to the Christians in Corinth. Written around the time John was completing the Book of Revelation, revealing much "of both the circumstances and attitudes of the Roman Christians, circumstances and attitudes that differ dramatically from those of their Christians sisters and brothers in Asia Minor to whom Revelation was addressed." (see Rev. 1:4)

Occasion:

"The same kind of of factiousness that Paul had earlier encountered in Corinth apparently flared up once again in that congregation near the end of the first century. It appears that some of the younger men in the congregation had provoked a revolt and succeeded in deposing the established leadership of the church (3:3; 44:6; 47:6)." Roman Christians heard about what happened and wrote this letter and also sent people to help resolve the issue, namely, mediators (63:3; 65: 1).

Author:

Tradition, specifically Eusebius (Church History 4.23.11.), identify the author as Clement of Rome, probably a bishop (overseer).

Date:

Evidence suggests it was penned anywhere from 70 to 100 CE. What is the "evidence"?

1. In chapters 5 and 6 the Neronian persecution (64-68 CE), which according to tradition included Peter and Paul among its victims, is a past event. (if it'is a "past event", then logically the letter is written after this evident.)

2. In 63:3, there is a reference to those "who form youth to old age have lived blameless lives among us."

3. Statements in 44:3-5 indicate that some of the leaders appointed by the apostles are still living.

Since the Neronian persecution is a past evident (so surely, it's after 68) and since some of the leaders appointed by the apostle themselves are still alive, this must date anywhere from 70 to 100.

Literary and Rhetorical Aspects:

In 58:2 the readers are asked to "accept our advice", indicating that the document was intended as a deliberate letter. It's mention of "appeal for peace and concord" suggests the theme of the letter is to resolve an issue, namely, the revolt of the young men in the congregation.

For support and authoritative, he appealed to Psalms and Genesis (in their Septuagint form) as well as traditions and words of Jesus which are not in the synoptic tradition. He also uses 1 Corinthians and Romans and Hebrews.

Reception of Letter:

We don't know how the Corinth church/congregation responded, but we do know that later Christian writers held this letter in high regard. It was often quoted and Clement of Alexandria considered it inspired. In fact, it was made part of the copies of the New Testament in Codex Alexandrinus and found in some manuscripts after Revelation and at times after the epistles.

Text:

It is survived either in part, large portions, or completely in Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Heirosolymitanus, Latin Translations, Syriac Translations, and Coptic Translations (as well at Patristic quotations).

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

When Getting a Tattoo Goes Wrong?


I think this person was trying to tattoo "I am born again", but if I'm not mistaken, and please correct me if I'm wrong, anagennáō means something along the lines of "I am giving birth again" or "I cause a new birth." (as in 1 Peter 1:3)


Someone should have told this person before getting it permanently pressed on his or her skin, because now it seems as if he or her is expecting to give birth!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Was it Samuel or Not?

Some have understood 1 Samuel 28 to be teaching an intermediate state as well as an afterlife. One theologian wrote concerning this passage,

“In the Old Testament account of King Saul wrongly appealing to the witch of Endor to call upon Samuel to come back from the afterlife, the medium was terrified when God actually sent Samuel. Interestingly, Samuel remembered what Saul had done before Samuel died, and he was aware of what had happened since he died. Though God could have briefed Samuel on all this, it seems likely the prophet knew simply because those in Heaven are aware of what happens on Earth.”[1]

Though Alcorn surely doesn’t speak for everybody, this is the common understanding of this passage by many. But to quote a Bible researcher,

“This account is even less helpful to dualists such as Cooper, despite his view that ‘Samuel’ is “the very person who was once alive” [quoting J. W. Cooper in Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting], for ‘Samuel’ is not described as a nephesh but as elohim by the witch. Saul is told he will die and join ‘Samuel’ the next day. ‘If that were true, it would mean that God’s prophets and apostate kings share the same living quarters after death.’ [quoting S. Bacchiocchi’s Immortality or Resurrection?] Saul convinced himself it was Samuel and the being appeared (to the witch only) as Samuel, but clearly “The dead Samuel may have been impersonated by a demon”, [quoting B. F. Atkins’s Life and Immortality] whence elohim (a godlike one). This text is certainly no proof of any afterlife, but eloquent testimony to the impersonation skills of demons.”[2]

The above conclusion isn’t that far-fetched once we understand that the woman was a “medium” denoted by the Hebrew “אוֹב” which meaning “is connected to the occult practice of necromancy or consulting the dead. It is used to signify a conjurer who professes to call up the dead by means of magic, especially to give revelation about future uncertainties.”[3]

Given the spiritual and magical involvement these necromancers or mediums dealt with, is Alcorn’s conclusion that “God actually sent Samuel” viable?




[1] Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), p. 69. (emphasis and underlining mine)
[2] David Jakubovic, “Bible Truths on the Soul and Hell” in ‘Your Word is Truth’: Essays in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Aurora: Stoops Manufacturing, 2007 reprint), p. 175.
[3] Warren Baker, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003) S. 23

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Update on a book review

Hello!

Two months ago, I think it was, when I offered an initial review of James Dunn's book, Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?

I have now updated it and expanded it, since I wasn't satisfied with my first attempt. Hopefully this one is more helpful than the previous (I left the previous review up)!

http://ivanmonroy.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/did-the-first-christians-worship-jesus-updated-review/

If there's any typos or something of the like, let me know!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Witherington III on the Differences in the Birth Narratives





Parts 1 & 2

Comments from YouTube

Barbsinclair: Utterly impossible Christ Jesus was an angel by essence / nature, because:

God said "Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness" Gen1:26, "Behold, the man is become as one of US" Gen3:22
"US / OUR" in text isn't God speaking to angels. Angels were never made in image / likeness of God.
All angels, including "Michael one of the foremost princes" (Dan10:13) never created a single thing, nor was man made in image/likeness of angels. Nor has God begotten any angel. Heb 1&2
Me: Who are angels "made in the image" of, if not Jehovah?
Barbsinclair: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Gn1:1, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is..." Exo20:11
God is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Col 1:15-17
In the beginning God created all visible and invisible principalities in heaven after the image or likeness of nothing.
God created only man after the image and likeness of God. Gen1:26; 5:1-2
Me: So angels whom are God's creatures are made in the image of "nothing"?
Barbsinclair: Correct. In God's foreknowledge He choose to create only man after image and likeness of Himself (Gen1:26). Man's body (first Adam), was created / made like the body which God foreordained from all eternity which He Himself would one day assume = 1Pet 1:18-21
Heb10:5 "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, BUT A BODY HAST THOU PREPARED ME" [Col 1]
Me: I find it hard to believe that free will individually thinking creatures are not made in the image of their Creator. Angels clearly reflect Jehovah's qualities to some capacity, hence demonstrating that they are not simply made by in the image of nothingness, but in the image of Jehovah.
Barbsinclair: God gave man His truth in His Word to correct man's thinking. God gave His creation account in Gen 1&2. Only man (Adam), was created in the image and likeness of God, by God alone (Gen 1:26).
Its Satan who wants you to believe that angels were created in the image of God, to destroy the Gospel of God and His truth.
God (plural Elohim) speaks within Himself: Gn1:26And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..."
In the beginning, only true God created all things. Its impossible God spoke with creatures in v26, creatures can't create / make man.
No angel had any part in the first Adam. No angel had any part in the last Adam, Jesus Christ!
Me: You would be in grave error to believe that Genesis describes the creation of all things. It doesn't. It only describes the creation of the physical universe.
Anyhow, it is obvious that free willed creations are made in the image of the one who made them. It would be absurd to think they are made in the image of nothing as if their God is an imageless being.
Their being called sons of God demonstrates who they are in the image of.
Barbsinclair: You haven't read Gen ch's 1&2, and Bible passages on God's creation. Word of God, describes:, the sea, all that in them is; including all thrones dominions principalities and powers: the non-physical spirit creatures visible and invisible. All creation was completed, God stopped (rested) on 7th day. in 6 days God made all things in heaven/s and earth
Me: Genesis 1 says nothing about "all thrones and dominions." You're reading Colossians 1 back into Genesis 1, which is an exegetical fallacy.
It is speaking about the physical universe, hence heaven and earth, with heaven in reference to our physical heavens.
Angels clearly existed before this "beginning" in Genesis. Read Job 38.
You can't get around the fact that angels are made in the image of God, just as his firstborn creature is. (Col1:15)

Those of you who know or have debated Barb, knows how she goes off into different topics and issues, but this conversation ended here, at least from my part it did. 

10 days since last post

Hello!

I've been meaning to post earlier, but blogger is uncooperative at times. Anyhow, I've offered a partial review of the copies that InterVarsity Press sent me over at my WordPress blog.

Blogger for some reason,doesn't let me link so I'll just post the entire url: http://ivanmonroy.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/the-indelible-image-the-theological-and-ethical-thought-world-of-the-new-testament-vol-1-the-individual-witnesses/

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Book Review

I've reviewed Randall Price's Searching for the Original Bible.

Is the format in which I reviewed this book better than the format of the other one's I reviewed?
I've broken things up like the following:
Author
Pages
Date
Publisher
Thesis
Organization
About Author
etc..

Appreciate some feedback on that.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

B. Alan Wallace

First 5 minutes were good, in my opinion, but then he drifted into his Buddhist views which are, in essence, a disillusion philosophy.It's basically atheism with a layer of philosophy covering it up that reality.

King James Onlyism Ruins Reasoning



We can all learn from the unreasonableness of Kent Hovind. 

Bible Chart

Bible
Jn1:1
Jn1:18
Ac20:28
Rom9:5
2Thess1:12
Tit2:13
Heb1:8
2Pet1:1
King James
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
Revised Version
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
RV mg.
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
Revised Standard Ver
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
RSV mg.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
New English Bible
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
NEB mg.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
Moffatt
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
The Message*
YES
NO
YES
YES?
NO
YES
YES
YES
Goodspeed
NO
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
Translator's N.T.
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Good News Bible*
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
GNB mg.*
NO
NO
YES
21st Century NT Literal
NO
NO
N/A
N/A
NO
NO
NO
NO
21st Century NT Free
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
New International Ver
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
NIV mg.
NO
NO
NO
YES
New World Trans
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Modern Lang.Bib
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Jerusalem Bib
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
New Amer.Stan.Bib.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Amer.Stan.Ver
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
ASV mg.
NO
Young`s
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
An Inclusive Ver.*
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
An Inclusive mg.
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
New RSV
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
NRSV mg.
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
New Amer.Bib
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
NAB mg.
NO
NO
Revised NAB
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
RNAB mg
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
New Jerusalem
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Catholic Con.Doc.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Amplified Bib
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Darby
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
S.T.Byington
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
Beck
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Cotton Patch*
NO
NO
N/A
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
Williams N.T.
Yes
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Contemp.Eng.Ver.*
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
CEV mg.*
YES
YES
NO
Diaglott
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
Concordant Lit.N.T.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
Rotherham
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
Bib.Basic Eng.
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Knox
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Revised Version-Parkinson
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
Living Bib.*
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Weymouth
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
NO
Simple Eng.Bib
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
NO
Worrell
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
New Century Ver*
YES
YES
YES
YES
No
YES
YES
YES
NCV mg.*
NO
NO
Revised Eng.Bib
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
Phillips*
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
Montgomery N.T.
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Jewish N.T.
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
Schonfield
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
Douay
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
Kingdom Interlinear
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
King JamesII
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
Deaf*
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Unvarnished NT
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
YES
God`s Word*
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
Geneva
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
Lamsa
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
NO
Cath.RSV
Yes
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
N/A
YES
YES
N/A
Wuest*
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Webster
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
NO
YES
YES
New Living*
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
NIrV
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
Wesley Trans.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
Inclusive Lang. NT*
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
YES
New Life Ver.*
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
Kleist&Lilly
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
Lattimore
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
YES
Newcome
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Tyndale
YES
NO
YES
N/A
NO
NO
NO
YES
Aitken 1782
YES
NO
YES
N/A
N/A
NO
YES
NO
Fenton
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
YES

*=Paraphrased Bibles

There are certain scriptures used to try to deify Jesus Christ. But as you can see, many do not agree. A "YES" means that the version in question could be viewed as assigning Deity to the Son. A "NO" means that a certain rendering was translated in a way to promote the Deity of the Father.