Truth in Context
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures Luke 24:45 NASB
Understand – When we read this verse, we’re likely to imagine some kind of mental expansion miracle. As Western believers, we automatically assume that “understand” means cognitive comprehension. Our own educational experience leads us to interpret this text as if Yeshua were preparing his followers to pass the final theological exam. For those of us who have prayed, “Lord, help me get a good grade on this test,” a verse like this falls right into the Western world’s paradigm. But consider the remark of Abraham Heschel. “The central issue is not Truth in terms of a doctrine, but veracity, honesty, or sincerity in terms of personal existence.”[1] What if “understand the Scriptures” has little to do with getting the right answers and everything to do with living the right life?
Between the end of the first century and the beginning of the fifth century, the Christian Church experienced a major shift in exegesis and practice. It moved decisively away from ancient Jewish traditions and rituals toward revised interpretations of biblical ideas that would allow believers to continue to act as Romans. For example, circumcision, the hallmark of Jewish identity, was replaced with one-time baptism. Dietary observance was abolished under the Law vs. Grace development. Shabbat was changed to Sunday. And theological ideas such as monotheism were syncretized with Roman polytheism. The Jewish “way of life” became the Christian creedal affirmation. Religion moved from the heart to the head. It’s still stuck there, and there is no evidence that this will change as long as the Greco-Roman paradigm holds sway in the West.
Now consider the cultural context of Yeshua’s action. His followers have experienced a life-transforming event, the resurrection. They are now convinced that this man is indeed the long-awaited Messiah. What does that mean? It means that Yeshua’s instruction and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures is now the official halacha of this way of living. It means that the debates between various rabbinic schools is over. This man, the Messiah, is the final authority for determining what it means to worship and follow YHVH. In fact, Yeshua himself makes this claim, as noted in the passage in Matthew 28. Of course, we always thought that his claim, “All power and authority has been given to me,” meant he could do any miracle he chose to do. We simply forgot that authority is applicable to exegesis. Yeshua is our rabbi, and one we turn to in order to grasp how God wants us to live. And for the original audience, the issue was never what to believe. The fundamentals of the faith had been in place for centuries. The issue was always how to live it out. Now we know. Our minds have been opened. We aren’t taught creeds and doctrines. We are taught compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness in action. Think what you wish, but live like this!
Topical Index: understand, paradigm, Luke 24:45
[1] Abraham Heschel, A Passion for Truth, p. 45.
The God of the living (Mark 12:27) sent His Son to live a life here on earth, in order to show and teach us how to live our lives. He is not the “god of the thinkers”. That one is a greco-roman god…
Necessarily there are the right answers to live right and the heart that is His struggles in the hungers and the thirsts to finally ditch the heart of stone that has echoes of residence even though given eviction order. The echoes of the old man do not desire the acceptance of the Greater questioner that is in me for transformation. Right answers are living, by being attached to the Living Presence through honest approach which is the humble heart, not necessarily the perfected heart but the space to allow God to work so He empowers each of us in his economy of bit coin TRUTH in Love so all we Can Do is His Will. To ditch the junk at times means loading up the false paradigms of intellectualism that fill our hands with wrong answers and empowers lies to stay in residence. So answers are part of the equation to understanding towards doing truthful things in truthful ways…..As in Heaven…..It is the questions that need the refinement so we head to the Source for THE answers. FJ
Yesterday’s and today’s TW represent the culmination of why I stay here as I (hopefully) progress in my transition from a Greek to a Hebrew thinker. Thank you Skip for all you do each and every day. Shalom Shabbat.
Skip this is an excellent example to describe Hellenism and one of its effects. I have been looking for ways to explain it and how it affected the early church. This was only one of the tragedies that changed our mindset, it is very hard to reverse it. If you know of any good reading point us in the right direction please. Shalom
You might gain some insight from Pamela Eisenbaum”s book titled Paul was not a Christian. She attempts to introduce Paul the Jew that remained a Jew, but attempted to bring the gentiles into God’s kingdom as part of the offspring God promised to Abraham. It seems to be a well researched and thought out book.
You just spoke what was on my heart after reading TW.
Me too George. I was introduced to these concepts a couple of years ago when I purchased a lift chair off of craigs list from a family whom defined themselves as Hebrew Roots. Alan Lee was there one day speaking and mentioned one of Skips Books Guardian Angel. Have been since trying to understand and it is slowly shifting my thinking. I had problems even going to church for awhile, as I experienced a faith crisis. Skip’s helped me move through so many Roman mind blocks. I was raised catholic, so there were many! Thank you Skip. These last two were especially enlightening.
I see the new testament as a form of Rebinic commintary on correct application of the Torah to a life lived in “the presence”. Mesiah released unto all flesh the Spirit of the Living God. He encurages and provided the way . We now have rather than the Idea of a rightious or correct life the ability to live one. He gave us the possibility of the real thing. . Life within the context of complex multiculturalism and a panthistic society is as much if not much more of a chalenge today then it was in Israel in the 1st century. Once the cross roads of East and Western world views where the streets of Jerusalem, now it’s on your cell phone or in my case this tablet…. Be careful how you think and speak, life or death rides on the wings of your words.
Mark, if I had a way of giving you more than one thumbs up, I would. Your statement “We now have rather than the Idea of a righteous or correct life the ability to live one.” is the entire essence of what Yeshua came for. New life! Now! Halleluah!
Yes sister, however after speaking with a young Christian Man at a mens breakfast this morning who’s wife (a youth leader) has left him for another man, while they are yet married- I had pause. We had them over after “church” just last summer. I was compelled to suggest he listen on line to Art Katz’s profoundly superb message “and they crucified him”.
He say’s in it “how much of modern religion is the emperor has new clothes …. Until we come to the nakedness of the cross we will not have the garments of his righteousness…At the time when the church should be preparing herself to be a visible place of refuge in the coming age of disaster… an island of sanity and reality in a sick world she herself is declining into pusillanimous faith and superficiality. She is producing a new breed of super executive, slick prompters, computer centers and multi-million dollar facilitates that are lifted in the admiration of the world but has no message for it…It is amazing how few understand the true gospel of Christ. Professing as doctrines realities they have never experienced…It is amazing how few Christians know it, how few have been affected by it, how few are living in it…. How many who call their selves Christians are living an old covenant life, thinking by their deeds they can some how buy themselves something redemptive. Bound and under the law… – law is any attempt to men through human effort to earn for themselves a modicum of human sanctification and acceptance of God….There are probably more millions bound under the law in this dispensation of grace than all the generations of Israel….If you have not the cross as a standard, a plumb line, how are you assured of being guilt free?… Only his cross distinguishes belief from unbelief, we must bring our total self to it for its’ total correction.” May we know as Paul ” only Christ and Him Crucified” that we might live his life not our own, before men. Shabbatt Shalom
Despite the quote of Heschel in regards to this verse, the Messiah makes clear what the narrator refers to in verse 45 by His words both before and after the narrator’s. In verse 44, Yeshua clarifies His words spoken earlier regarding everything that “must be fulfilled” about Himself in the Tanakh. Following the narrator’s words, Messiah gets specific as to what is written in the Scriptures: 46 …“Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem…” (NASB).
That’s the T/truth in this particular context.
Now, I’m quite fine with digging into historical contexts to correct (perceived) errors and misunderstandings perpetuated over time, but I think we should let each individual context speak for itself. And this isn’t “Greek” thinking over against “Hebraic” thinking. This is merely proper exegesis.
Skip, if we are to live “compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness in action”, but where the church went wrong was baptism, circumcision, diet, which day is Shabbat, etc, then isn’t that using two different standards? People can be very confused as to what right practice is, but the essentials are the fruit you listed last, are they not? Surely where the church went irrevocably wrong was when it started sacrificing the fruit of love for the enforcement of the errors.
Error has a way of requiring compulsion. You will NEVER find full-blown error that does not is some way require force to back it up. Only love can stand on its own feet, drawing us by the power of itself; everything else derives its motive power and existence from something else. You can love God with all your heart, mind and soul and be ignorant of exactly what practices constitute that love for Him but if somebody is going to require you to do it at the point of force, then you should start being suspicious. Force will eventually leave all compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness in action in the dust in an attempt to achieve compliance. Love and force are completely incompatible. If that were not true, we would not have any reason to have been created with free will. The entire planet judges the church with its own standards, and it is right to do so. There is nothing uglier than truth gone bad.
P. S. Just in case you missed my drift, I have noticed that the world does not care about which peculiar practices constitute correct worship and service; i.e. baptism, diet, et al. No, what it sees and judges is the standard of love it sees being violated. Anybody on the planet can list the sins of that corrupt church, but they will be listing that lack of fruit; that lack of “compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness in action”. The error that compelled that force they could care less about.
Love is not “sloppy agape”, grace is not cheap, true grace costs everything again it is found at the cross of Christ not theology, not philosophy, not religion, not right, not sin management, not worship praise or any one of a hundred idols of the religious souls of men etc. A broken heart finds fulfillment only at the Cross. For embracing the cross is the only road to the resurrection that is true spiritual life….the old testament points forward to the cross the new testament points back at it. Real faith, real religion, real life is centered on the cross, death to self, death to , death to being right, death to winning, running death to all but Christ it’s that simple and that hard……
Laurita, When I hear the word “force” used in a religious context invariably what comes to my mind is the early and middle ages Roman Catholic Church; the Crusades, the Inquisition and the persecution of the Sabbath Keepers, Protestants, but what is more prevalent, insidious and daming is the the type of ” soft force” C. S. Lewis describes in this quote:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
Thank you, Michael: Lewis kept me alive for years.
You could have also added the end of the quote: “To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”
I endured abuse for decades (as you, I think, did too), hearing all the while that it was “for (my) own good” while actually being treated like an infant, an imbecile and a domestic animal. I did my best to believe that there was merit in the abuse, but the years I did, I was the sickest. I had decades, then, to observe just WHY force and love are incompatible.
I have noticed that Yeshua did not come to kill us: He came to kill Himself: to “lay down” His life for ours. Now THAT is love! And that is why I love Him. Only by love is love awakened.
Yes, My bad. Then there is the middle part “we” left on the cutting floor: “They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult.”
Sadly, on my part, I knew on many levels the abuse was wrong, but, because I was so young I internalized it as I was wrong. Not any more. Thank you Yeshua.
The church went wrong when it missed the cross. see comment Jan 4th 12:10 pm above…
Micah 6: 6-8 has been my constant companion these last few months:
” with what shall I come before Adonai?
With what shall I bow myself before God on high?
Shall I present Him with burnt offerings, with year old calves?
7 Will Adonai be pleased with thousands of rams, with hordes of rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my belly for the sin of my soull?
8 He has told you, humanity, what is good,
And what Adonai is seeking from you:
Only to practice justice,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God”
That is it – verse 8 – practice His presence
OK. So here we have the verse of the day:
“Then He opened their MINDS to understand the Scriptures” [Luke 24:45]
And then Heschel’s quote:
“’The CENTRAL issue is not Truth in terms of a doctrine, but veracity, honesty, or sincerity in terms of personal existence’.”[1]
And then Skip’s question:
“What if ‘understand the Scriptures’ has LITTLE TO DO WITH getting the right answers and EVERYTHING TO DO WITH living the right life?”
It seems to me that here at “Today’s Word”, many, if not most, of us are quite consumed with getting the “right answers”, including doctrine, FOR THE PURPOSE OF “living the right life”. There’s nothing “WRONG” about that, is there?
I think that there MAY be a significant difference between Heschel’s statement and Skip’s, though both are likely to lead us to the essential point we need to keep in mind, if we are careful not to pendulum swing as is so often the pattern with us humans. And the point, as I’m understanding it, is that we must rightly live AND have sound doctrine, but not just have sound doctrine, and then not live rightly.
Heschel says “the CENTRAL issue is not…..doctrine…..”, whereas Skip posits that the meaning of “‘understand the Scriptures” has LITTLE TO DO WITH getting the right answers (doctrine) and EVERYTHING TO DO WITH living the right life.”
The CENTRALITY of an issue is not the same thing as “having EVERYTHING to do with” that issue, is it? Nor does it mean that subsequent, associated, or even peripheral aspects of an issue necessarily have “little” relevance to the issue. Centrality has to do with significance of source, motive, and goal, and it is not a matter of exclusivity but integrity.
Definition of CENTRALITY – “the quality of being essential or of the greatest importance” Also, “holding to a middle between extremes : moderate”.
So, as I see it, It’s not a matter of one or the other but both or all, and it’s about relativity of significance, and not at all about insignificance or even “little” significance. Not when it comes to sound doctrine, I don’t think.
In fact, how can we live the “RIGHT life” without the “RIGHT answers? That is a good bit of what “veracity” is – it’s about truth, accuracy, correctness, and scupulousness, as well as about honesty, sincerity, faithfulness, fidelity, and morality, righteousness, goodness – or Skip’s very fine list – compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness in action.
Now look at the definition of veracity:
VERACITY – conformity to facts; accuracy.
“officials expressed doubts concerning the veracity of the story”
synonyms: truthfulness, truth, accuracy, correctness, faithfulness, fidelity; reputability, honesty, sincerity, trustworthiness, reliability, dependability, scrupulousness, ethics, morality, righteousness, virtuousness, decency, straightforwardness, goodness, probity
This whole issue of the meaning of “to understand the scriptures” involves YHWH opening at least our mind, as well as our hearts and our emotions and our spirits, if not also empowering our bodies. How can we live “the right life” if He doesn’t open our MINDS to rightly understand, even have right, sound doctrine. I get that there is a spiritual and not just mental or intellectual or cognitive aspect to this that is essential, which some may call “revelation” or “insight” or “inspiration” or “illumination” or “divine knowledge” or whatever. But it is not one or the other. IT IS BOTH AND ALL! That’s the point! As Skip is emphasizing by echoing Heschel, it’s not JUST a cognitive thing or JUST a thing of the mind, etc. – just believing or mental ascent. However, it’s also not JUST a thing of the heart or emotions, OR spirit. NOR, is it JUST a thing of ACTIONS, BEHAVIOR, OR CONDUCT.
It’s like many people who like to say, “I don’t want religion, I want a relationship with Jesus.” Well, that’s fine if it is the mere religion men or “self-made religion”, but there is a true religion according to the scriptures, and it is not without a relationship with the Messiah. But neither is there a true relationship with the Messiah if there isn’t a true religiousness to one’s life, as in devotion to duty. According to James there is a ‘pure and undefiled” religion and there is a religion that is “futile”. So also, it is not that trying to get “right answers” is a problem, but there is a problem if the answers are not the truth, and there is a problem if in trying to get right answers, we fail to live the “right life”.
Skip concludes:
“Think what you wish, but live like this!”?
I agree with the later, but, I’m sorry, I could be wrong, and I don’t mean to be disrespectful or arrogant or oppositional, and also I don’t expect Skip or those who generally come to His defense to give a “thumbs up” or not to give a “thumbs down”, that doesn’t concern me much, but I think that statement may be a bit careless and can even be a bit of a dangerous statement. Especially, when Scripture exhorts teachers to teach sound doctrine and even says, “…..as a man thinks, so is he.” And I generally think this is very important to Skip as well, though I agree with what he is saying about what is most important.
Nevertheless, the point is, the true CENTRALITY of the issue is as Messiah, HIMSELF, said:
“Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint and dill and cumin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of Torah—justice and mercy and faithfulness. IT IS NECESSARY TO DO THESE THINGS WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE OTHERS.” [Mat 23:23]
It’s not one of the other but both or all. Yet it is also true, some matters are weightier than others, though the lesser matters are still relevant and not insignificant.
HOWEVER….lastly, what does Heschel mean when he says, ““The central issue is not Truth in terms of a doctrine, but veracity, honesty, or sincerity in terms of personal EXISTENCE.” versus, saying, at least, “BEING”, or even “CONDUCT”? What does he mean “personal existence”? I guess he must mean “personal lifestyle”, the manner in which one exists vs. personal, passive existence.
Anyways, yes and amein to always pursuing “living the right life” – “veracity honesty, or sincerity in terms of personal existence”, as well as “compassion, grace, mercy and forgiveness in action” – while we continue to pursue “right answers”.
WARNING!!! THIS IS “LONG” (more than one paragraph). So if you don’t like to read long replies, I invite you to ignore this one. Otherwise, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SHALOM BLESSINGS TO ALL!
😉
I’m trusting this doesn’t apply: “Do not let my deceitful enemies gloat over me without cause, nor let those who hate me for nothing wink an eye. ” [Psa 35:19]
Sorry, I don’t have a tongue-in-cheek emoticon but here’s the transliteration. :-J
In context… Sorry Skip this is long, I do agree with you and am clarifying my thoughts.
This comment was made shortly before the ascension. If that be the case there could also be the view that Yeshua brought into context all the various records that revealed his purpose, teachings and claims… Or if could just be the referencing to what is further explained by Luke.
Added to this yes it could be explaining the principles of the claim of being the way, truth and life. Which is both God’s grace namely Christ His power and wisdom and secondly the redemption or saving principle the way of living out the wisdom so that the power can be manifested.
As stated by other individuals on this forum it very well could also be the nullifying of all the traditional rituals to show acceptance of God being worshiped and in control. But it was definitely not the introduction of a new dispensation of grace.
This could have been the clarification of God’s will that was referenced in the laws and prophetic reasons as both these chastise into Christ. They do not manifest grace and wisdom they discipline towards these.
E.g. We teach our children respect and obedience to prepare them for a life of righteousness. We do not teach them righteousness to learn respect and obedience. As the records reveal in Micah 6 – Thanks for that reminder, Maddie. Righteousness is the result of a specific lifestyle. Fearing God is not following the laws and prophets it is being the example today referred to as Jesus the Christ. Or rather being a holy vessel dedicated unto the ten commandments revealing that lifestyle referred to in Micah 6.
As for Sabbath everyday is a Sabbath, one day may be a good principle to unite as believers to worship and glorify God. But everyday should be devoted to God. How? Start with Micah 6 and remember all starts in the way we control our thought patterns…
The old folk’s taught us what we think we talk, what we talk we do, what we do we become, what we become is our destiny.
Moses introduced, Prophets etc reminded and foretold the reason. No one understood that it is not someone else that saves but one’s willingness to become an example… And this could be the opening of the minds to understand. Not Jewishness and definitely not Christianity which then did not exist so should theoretically not even be considered when reading these records…
We may have different fathers teaching us different views and opinions but there is only one true God that was revealed and explained by the examples in the lifestyle Yeshua. No other individual in the scriptures did this. They explained the laws, reminded of their relevance and importance then foretold of salvation coming from the stem…
House of David – Bethlehem the house or place of bread. Reminding us of the teaching I have bread that you do not know of my food is to do the will of the one who sent me. That is the word took on flesh and dwells amongst us. Or rather let us keep discussing and thrashing out views until the spirit of truth drives us to make a stand and call to attention that which is needed to save us from the wrath of our father’s teachings into the truth of righteousness, peace and joy in the spirit of truth.
As apostle Paul said we must not stick to the teaching of repentance and baptism (the same as to the rituals and laws of old) we must allow the manifestation to take place. As Michael said two plus years ago we should long for the manifestation of Christ as Paul says in Ephesians.
Just an alternative view… Not a doctrine but a principle of He who has the Son has salvation as John explained.
Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father and his kingdom will have no end.
We tend to forget that the resurrection followed the crucifixion. It could only take place after the bitter, degrading end of all the disciples hoped for or in actually believed in much of our future is summed up at the cross not the resurrection because on can only follow the other. Here is Art Katz from his massage ” and the crucified him”
“The Cross is the most unreligious symbol that could ever be imagined. The crucifixion of Jesus, that pathetic thing that words cannot describe nor comprehend, the ending of a life in nakedness that began in nakedness, is the complete negation of every kind of conventional wisdom and religious notion that men could conjure. There is no way to come to it by your reasoning. The fact that we think we have, is contradicted by our lives. You can only come to it in darkness and repentance and in no other way, because it is perverse, it is ugly, it is unappealing and unattractive, for which reason only perverse, ugly, unappealing and unattractive people have never had difficulty in coming to the Cross.
To see Him as He is, means also to see ourselves as we are. And to have a distorted notion of Him, is also to have a distorted and self-exalting notion of ourselves. If the prophet Isaiah, seeing the Lord high and lifted up, cried out, “Woe is me. I am undone. I’m a man of unclean lips and I live in the midst of a people of unclean lips,” what then shall we say who are not prophets and oracles of God? We need to have our vision and our sight corrected; we need to address our lives to the plumb line of God, the standard of God: the Cross of Christ Jesus. Not academically, religiously or superficially, but in the actual experience of our lives as those who have come, willing to abandon everything – to enter into a darkness; to rend every veil that keeps us from coming into that inner sanctuary that was described tonight; a willingness even to yield up the ghost with a loud voice.”