The second of a two-part study of the word “Shalom.”
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 15: Shalom (Part 1)
First of a two-part series on the well-known Hebrew word Shalom.
The Lord’s Prayer 7: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”
The deceptively simple petition from Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread,” has been a matter of controversy for centuries. The unusual Greek word epiousion, which is translated “daily,” is the root of the controversy. Some scholars have suggested that the original phrase contained the similar-sounding Greek word epeimi, (the next), and so meant “bread for the next day.” Nevertheless, the Latin translation of the New Testament understood the word as meaning bread needed for sustenance.
Scholarly Assumptions about the Historical Jesus
Many scholars today feel that it is impossible to know what the historical Jesus really said.
Jesus’ Education
One can form a reasonably accurate picture of what Jesus was doing in his childhood and adolescence.
The Lord’s Prayer 6: “Thy Will Be Done”
We noted in a previous article that “Thy will be done” parallels “Thy Kingdom come.” Both phrases mean, “May you continue establishing your Kingship.” Jesus does not instruct his disciples to pray “if it is your will.” It is within God’s purpose that all men should repent and become a part of God’s reign. “May your will be accomplished” is a strong affirmative appeal.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 14: menorah (Part 3)
The third part of a three-part series on the word Menorah.
Who Was Jesus?
TIME magazine’s August 15, 1988 issue presented a sad picture of the current state of scholarly knowledge. After 200 years of “scientific” investigation into New Testament records of the life of Jesus, scholars are more divided than ever as to who Jesus was and who he thought he was. Even sadder, the Herculean efforts of generations of scholars have brought Jesus no nearer to the ordinary believer.
The Lord’s Prayer 5: “Thy Kingdom Come” (Part 2)
Like Jesus, the rabbis made frequent reference to “the Kingdom of Heaven.” A familiarity with the way “Kingdom of Heaven” is used in rabbinic literature is essential for understanding its use in the Gospels.
First-century Discipleship
Like other sages of his time, Jesus demanded his disciples’ total commitment. They were to put the “kingdom of Heaven” (Jesus’ band of full-time disciples) before all else. They were to “hate,” that is, put second, father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and themselves, as well (Luke 14:26). Following Jesus to learn Torah from him was to take precedence over every other endeavor.
Gospel Translation
Hebrew words usually have many shades of meaning, and the Greek translator of the conjectured Hebrew “Life of Jesus” could convey only one sense of each Hebrew word’s meaning. When the standard Greek translation of a Hebrew word became fixed, Greek translators often employed this standard translation even when the Hebrew word it translated appeared with an obviously different meaning.
The Lord’s Prayer 4: “Thy Kingdom Come” (Part 1)
Probably no other aspect of Jesus’ teaching has been so greatly misunderstood as the Kingdom of Heaven. Certainly, few themes are more essential for understanding Jesus.
Mary and Martha: The Rest of the Story
In Robert L. Lindsey’s theory of gospel transmission, the Hebrew version of Jesus’ biography and its Greek translation have both been lost. Although none of the synoptic Gospels preserves the original text in its entirety, together they do preserve all, or nearly all, of the stories in the original work.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 12: menorah (Part 1)
Menorah is one of the many Hebrew words that have entered the English language.
The Lord’s Prayer 1: Introduction
Too often, the importance of the Jewish background of the prayer and of the language that Jesus used has been overlooked or minimized.
Sidebar: A Conjectured Process of Gospel Transmission Outlined by Robert Lindsey
The stages of transmission from the earliest Hebrew biography of Jesus to the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.