Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 NASB Perfect – Yesterday we considered some of the behavioral implications of the translation of teleios as “perfect.” Today we need to look at the deeper theological implications. It all begins with Parmenides. Parmenides, a 5th Century BCE Greek philosopher and…
Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 NASB Perfect – If I tell you that Yeshua drew this statement from Leviticus 19:2, you would discover rather quickly that the verse in the Tanakh does not require us to be perfect. It says, “You shall be holy, for I…
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:4 NASB Turned – Solomon was an addict. That’s pretty much the only explanation that makes any sense…
“and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved. Matthew 17:23 NASB Deeply grieved – Yeshua foretells his crucifixion and resurrection. Yes, death is coming, but there is wonderful news. On the third day he will rise from the dead. You might think this would…
“I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine and with pestilence,” declares the LORD, “until I have destroyed it by his hand.” Jeremiah 27:8 NASB By his hand – God uses people outside the fellowship to bring about correction, chastisement and punishment for the faithful. That’s right, God uses pagan, nonbelievers to accomplish…
“You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Amos 3:2 NASB Punish – Consider the difficulties created by translating paqad with the word “punish” in this verse. The translation makes you think either 1) God has decided to punish Israel because He…
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 NASB Serpent – “No language is used in 3:1 to suggest that the snake is…
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:11 NASB Have you eaten – God asks Adam two questions. Neither one of them makes any sense. “Who told you that you were naked?” But no one told him…
