Dan Brown's best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code, is coming to a theater near you on May 19, 2006. The movie will be released worldwide in May and it promises to become the blockbuster movie of the year. The Da Vinci Code was directed by Ron Howard and stars Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon.
As it has been widely reported, Dan Brown won a court case in England a few days ago, and the publicity that came out of this litigation assures the success of the movie.
Those who have read The Da Vinci Code know that the plot of the book is fascinating. It has a good plot and readers are challenged to read the story in order to discover the secrets revealed in the book. However, it is the religious premise of the book that is getting plenty of publicity. The debate focuses on whether the information about the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is truth or heresy.
The plot of the book is focused on a supposed conspiracy by the Catholic Church. The conspiracy begins to be unveiled when Robert Langdon, a professor at Harvard University, tries to solve the death of Jacques Saunière, a curator at the Louvre Museum. In the process of solving the murder, Langdon discovers the truth about the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
Christian scholars have criticized the book as inaccurate and as an attack on the Gospel and the truths of Christianity. The Catholic Church has also condemned The Da Vinci Code because of the negative portrayal of the Church throughout the book. The book implies that the Church is covering up the secret of the bloodline of Jesus and the (assumed) fact that the descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene are alive today.
Below, I have compiled a series of links that will help you follow the debate about The Da Vinci Code.
For a trailer of the movie, click here.
For the official site of The Da Vinci Code the movie, which includes two trailers of the movie plus other features, click here.
For a summary of the book and information about the movie, click here.
For a Catholic answer to the issues raised by The Da Vinci Code, click here.
For a very conservative criticism of The Da Vinci Code, click here
For a Baptist perspective of The Da Vinci Code, click here.
For an article published by Christianity Today that contains a guide for discussion, click here.
When Christians read The Da Vinci Code or watch the movie, they must remember three things. First, The Da Vinci Code is only a novel, a work of fiction. In works of fiction, the authors take some liberties with the truth. The author of this book takes many liberties with the truth.
Second, even though Dan Brown claims that several facts in the book are true, the true facts that form the framework of the book are used to support a work of fiction. For instance, the fact that Jesus existed cannot be denied, but all the stories and tales developed around the person of Jesus are only the work of a very creative imagination.
Finally, the speculation about Jesus and Mary Magdalene is only that, speculation. There is not one shred of evidence that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were ever married, that they had children, and that their descendants are alive today.
Christianity is based on the fact that Jesus died, that he rose again, and that he ascended to the Father. Any attack on these basic doctrines of Christianity is a direct attack on Christianity.
The beautiful picture of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci reflects the creative mind of a man who was indeed considered to be a genius. However, what is pictured in the Last Supper is also the creation of a human being. When one looks at that picture, one sees what one wants to see. The real truth behind the Lord’s Supper is found in the Gospels, not in Leonardo da Vinci.
The church has been maligned over the centuries, but it has survived. The teachings of Christianity have been attacked in many different ways but they remain true to this day. The Da Vinci Code may malign the church and attack the teachings of Christianity, but in a few years from now The Da Vinci Code will be a relic of the past, in the same way that the Gnostic Library, the writings that gave birth to some of the ideas behind The Da Vinci Code, was lost and forgotten.
Claude F. Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Friday, April 28, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Book of Genesis, Creation, and Creationism
Many Christians believe that the only way to prove that the Bible is the Word of God is by proving that the story of creation in Genesis is literally true. This means proving that the seven days of creation were literally twenty-four hour days and that creation occurred 6,000 years ago.
To prove that creation happened 6,000 years ago is the purpose of a new museum to be open next spring in Kentucky. This museum is sponsored by a group called Answers in Genesis. This organization promotes a young-earth view of creation, that the earth is 6,000 years old, and that the dinosaurs lived at the same time human beings were on the earth. All this information and more appear in an article published today in the Chicago Tribune. Here is an excerpt of that article:
Genesis of a museum
Creationists, saying all the answers are in the Bible, put their beliefs on display in $25 million facility
By Lisa Anderson
Tribune national correspondent
April 25, 2006
PETERSBURG, Ky. -- The recent fossil discovery of a 375-million-year-old fish that could lurch ashore on bony transitional fins--apparently a long-sought missing link between sea creatures and land animals--made a spectacular splash in evolutionary science circles. But it created nary a ripple on the placid American campus of Answers in Genesis, where an enormous museum chronicling the biblical six days of creation is rising fast amid rolling fields.
Ken Ham, co-founder and president of Answers in Genesis, believed to be the world's largest creationist organization, and most "young-Earth" creationists are as unimpressed by science's finding another piece in the evolutionary puzzle as they are with science's finding the Earth to be 4.5 billion years old.
Using biblical calculations, young-Earth creationists believe the planet is about 6,000 years old; old-Earth creationists believe it could be older. Both, however, take the Bible literally and reject Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory that all life, including human, shares common ancestry and developed through random mutation and natural selection. Evolution enjoys near-universal support among scientists.
Not so among the American public, about half of which endorses creationism, according to polls. While new concepts such as intelligent design, which posits that life is so complicated that an intelligence must have devised it, recently have suffered setbacks from court rulings and scientific findings, creationism thrives, and Answers in Genesis is a strong sign of that.
Just hours after the fossil fish, called Tiktaalik roseae, landed on the front pages of many newspapers earlier this month, it also surfaced on the Answers in Genesis Web site. In a posting titled "Gone fishin' for a missing link?" the organization, in effect, threw Tiktaalik roseae back.
"Because evolutionists want to discover transitional forms, when they find a very old fish with leg-bone-like bones in its fins, they want to interpret this as evidence that it is some sort of transitional creature. . . . It may be just another example of the wonderful design of our Creator God," the posting said.
Absolute certainty.
For creationists, there are no transitional creatures and no doubts. In the Book of Genesis, the biblical calendar of creation is as clear and simple as it is sacred: God created creatures of the sea and the air on Day 5. Land animals and man appeared on Day 6. And all of this, including the creation of Earth, happened about 6,000 years ago.
To read the full article, click here.
I do not agree with the views presented by Answer in Genesis. The Book of Genesis is not a scientific description of how the world was created. God has given human beings a special role in creation and that role includes the exploration of the world in which we live.
The reason I introduce this article to you is because the article is a good example of good and believing Christians trying to defend the truth of Scriptures. However, the fear that scientific discoveries may weaken or destroy the teachings of the Bible is unfounded.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
To prove that creation happened 6,000 years ago is the purpose of a new museum to be open next spring in Kentucky. This museum is sponsored by a group called Answers in Genesis. This organization promotes a young-earth view of creation, that the earth is 6,000 years old, and that the dinosaurs lived at the same time human beings were on the earth. All this information and more appear in an article published today in the Chicago Tribune. Here is an excerpt of that article:
Genesis of a museum
Creationists, saying all the answers are in the Bible, put their beliefs on display in $25 million facility
By Lisa Anderson
Tribune national correspondent
April 25, 2006
PETERSBURG, Ky. -- The recent fossil discovery of a 375-million-year-old fish that could lurch ashore on bony transitional fins--apparently a long-sought missing link between sea creatures and land animals--made a spectacular splash in evolutionary science circles. But it created nary a ripple on the placid American campus of Answers in Genesis, where an enormous museum chronicling the biblical six days of creation is rising fast amid rolling fields.
Ken Ham, co-founder and president of Answers in Genesis, believed to be the world's largest creationist organization, and most "young-Earth" creationists are as unimpressed by science's finding another piece in the evolutionary puzzle as they are with science's finding the Earth to be 4.5 billion years old.
Using biblical calculations, young-Earth creationists believe the planet is about 6,000 years old; old-Earth creationists believe it could be older. Both, however, take the Bible literally and reject Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory that all life, including human, shares common ancestry and developed through random mutation and natural selection. Evolution enjoys near-universal support among scientists.
Not so among the American public, about half of which endorses creationism, according to polls. While new concepts such as intelligent design, which posits that life is so complicated that an intelligence must have devised it, recently have suffered setbacks from court rulings and scientific findings, creationism thrives, and Answers in Genesis is a strong sign of that.
Just hours after the fossil fish, called Tiktaalik roseae, landed on the front pages of many newspapers earlier this month, it also surfaced on the Answers in Genesis Web site. In a posting titled "Gone fishin' for a missing link?" the organization, in effect, threw Tiktaalik roseae back.
"Because evolutionists want to discover transitional forms, when they find a very old fish with leg-bone-like bones in its fins, they want to interpret this as evidence that it is some sort of transitional creature. . . . It may be just another example of the wonderful design of our Creator God," the posting said.
Absolute certainty.
For creationists, there are no transitional creatures and no doubts. In the Book of Genesis, the biblical calendar of creation is as clear and simple as it is sacred: God created creatures of the sea and the air on Day 5. Land animals and man appeared on Day 6. And all of this, including the creation of Earth, happened about 6,000 years ago.
To read the full article, click here.
I do not agree with the views presented by Answer in Genesis. The Book of Genesis is not a scientific description of how the world was created. God has given human beings a special role in creation and that role includes the exploration of the world in which we live.
The reason I introduce this article to you is because the article is a good example of good and believing Christians trying to defend the truth of Scriptures. However, the fear that scientific discoveries may weaken or destroy the teachings of the Bible is unfounded.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Monday, April 24, 2006
Fairbairn v. Fairbairn
Several days ago, I received an email from Jack D. Hook inviting me to visit his web page and read his book, Babylon the Great is Falling. In his email, Mr. Hook wrote:
“Are aliens real? Is someone or thing ‘out there’ in the heavens? Is more war or peace on the horizon? Will Israeli and American tanks have to soon roll into Damascus and Tehran respectively, to keep them from obtaining nuclear weapons? Or will Iran and Syria make peace with Israel? Will Russia and America work together for peace in the Holy Land? Can the Jews and Moslems share the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, allowing for the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple right next to the infamous Dome of the Rock mosque? What do communism, fascism, monarchies, theocracies, democracies, and republics all have in common? And finally, are Christians counted as sheep for the slaughter or militant soldiers of the sword? Are they to be lambs or lions in this life and world?”
“I happened to see your name and address on your web site and was wondering if you were open to reading some things I have written, including the questions I just asked above? And thank you for allowing internet contact, for the last thing I want to do is intrude or be needlessly offensive. Isn't it great that the internet provides for the free flow and exchange of knowledge?”
“I would like to welcome you to visit my web site, if you are interested in knowing about today's political-religious-military events, including those in Israel and America, and how they relate to Bible prophecy from one Vietnam veteran’s perspective. The five years I served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army helped me to understand why nations war against each other.”
I appreciate Mr. Hook’s service in Vietnam. Those of us who went through those tumultuous days that divided our country, appreciate the heroic efforts of those who served in the armed forces of this country during the Vietnam war. His veteran’s perspective of what is happening in our world today motivated me to visit his web page and read what he wrote.
In chapter two of his book, Mr. Hook wrote:
“We know that each week in this prophecy represents a week of years. This fact comes from the sabbatical time measure of the Jewish calendar. So each week is really seven years. Thus, there is to be 490 years from the time Israel is commanded to restore Jerusalem, to the Second Coming of Jesus. It is then that everlasting righteousness will fill the earth. Jerusalem was invaded by Babylon around 604 B.C. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. Some teachers suggest the command of Artexerxes, in Nehemiah 2:1-8, which allowed the Jews to rebuild, took place in 445 B.C. Then, by counting the days to the cutting off of Jesus on the cross, 483 years of the 490 year prophecy were then fulfilled. That being true, there remains only seven years to be fulfilled of that prophecy.”
“Those seven years begin with a covenant of peace and it is the Roman prince from the United States that will pull it off. He will bring together the opponents in the Middle East and a covenant of peace will be worked out.”
“To properly understand Daniel's prophecy, we must know there is a gap of time between verses 26 and 27. Daniel couldn't see this gap for the church age was a mystery to him. This gap of time is sandwiched between the crucifixion (cut off), resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the 70th Week.”
When I read this statement, I remembered the case of Rev. Patrick Fairbairn. In 1840, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, a pastor of the Bridgeton Parish, a Presbyterian Church in Scotland, published an article entitled “The Future Prospect of the Jews.” In that article, Rev. Fairbairn studied several biblical prophecies about the return of the Jews to Palestine and, by taking the plain meaning of the text, he concluded that according to the Bible, the Jews would return to Palestine some time in the future.
Twenty-five years later, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, now a professor at the Free Church College, wrote a book with a chapter entitled “The Prophetical Future of the Jewish People,” in which he studied the same biblical passages and, by spiritualizing the words of the text, concluded that the Jews would never return to Palestine.
It is interesting that one person, looking at the same biblical passages from different perspectives, could come up with two different, contradictory interpretations. It can be said that in the debate between Fairbairn v. Fairbairn, Fairbairn lost.
The text of Daniel 9:25-27 has been studied from different perspectives because of the essential part it plays in millenarian theology. In a previous blog, I addressed one important issue in millenarian theology (click here to read my views on millenarian theology).
Incorrect interpretations of Daniel 9:25-27 have produced a type of theology exemplified by the teachings of the Scofield Bible, the rapture, the tribulation, and the Left Behind phenomenon. In a future post, I will discuss the problem with Mr. Hook’s interpretation of Daniel 9:25-27. The problem with Mr. Hook’s book is that his interpretation of Daniel 9:25-27 is based on the theology taught in the Scofield Bible.
In looking at Daniel 9:25-27 from a different perspective, my conclusions will be completely contrary to Mr. Hook’s interpretation. This different interpretation will put us in the Fairbairn v. Fairbairn situation.
When the same text can produce two different interpretations, the reader must take the interpretation that reflects the plain meaning of Scripture. Even when the stakes are high, I believe it is possible to arrive at the original intent of the writer, even when we may not truly understand his message.
My consolation, however, is to know that when the biblical text is read and studied without any preconceived ideas, the plain meaning of the text can be discovered and the true message of the author can be understood. When this happens, then, in the end, we honor the original intent of the writer of the biblical text.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary.
“Are aliens real? Is someone or thing ‘out there’ in the heavens? Is more war or peace on the horizon? Will Israeli and American tanks have to soon roll into Damascus and Tehran respectively, to keep them from obtaining nuclear weapons? Or will Iran and Syria make peace with Israel? Will Russia and America work together for peace in the Holy Land? Can the Jews and Moslems share the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, allowing for the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple right next to the infamous Dome of the Rock mosque? What do communism, fascism, monarchies, theocracies, democracies, and republics all have in common? And finally, are Christians counted as sheep for the slaughter or militant soldiers of the sword? Are they to be lambs or lions in this life and world?”
“I happened to see your name and address on your web site and was wondering if you were open to reading some things I have written, including the questions I just asked above? And thank you for allowing internet contact, for the last thing I want to do is intrude or be needlessly offensive. Isn't it great that the internet provides for the free flow and exchange of knowledge?”
“I would like to welcome you to visit my web site, if you are interested in knowing about today's political-religious-military events, including those in Israel and America, and how they relate to Bible prophecy from one Vietnam veteran’s perspective. The five years I served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army helped me to understand why nations war against each other.”
I appreciate Mr. Hook’s service in Vietnam. Those of us who went through those tumultuous days that divided our country, appreciate the heroic efforts of those who served in the armed forces of this country during the Vietnam war. His veteran’s perspective of what is happening in our world today motivated me to visit his web page and read what he wrote.
In chapter two of his book, Mr. Hook wrote:
“We know that each week in this prophecy represents a week of years. This fact comes from the sabbatical time measure of the Jewish calendar. So each week is really seven years. Thus, there is to be 490 years from the time Israel is commanded to restore Jerusalem, to the Second Coming of Jesus. It is then that everlasting righteousness will fill the earth. Jerusalem was invaded by Babylon around 604 B.C. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. Some teachers suggest the command of Artexerxes, in Nehemiah 2:1-8, which allowed the Jews to rebuild, took place in 445 B.C. Then, by counting the days to the cutting off of Jesus on the cross, 483 years of the 490 year prophecy were then fulfilled. That being true, there remains only seven years to be fulfilled of that prophecy.”
“Those seven years begin with a covenant of peace and it is the Roman prince from the United States that will pull it off. He will bring together the opponents in the Middle East and a covenant of peace will be worked out.”
“To properly understand Daniel's prophecy, we must know there is a gap of time between verses 26 and 27. Daniel couldn't see this gap for the church age was a mystery to him. This gap of time is sandwiched between the crucifixion (cut off), resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the 70th Week.”
When I read this statement, I remembered the case of Rev. Patrick Fairbairn. In 1840, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, a pastor of the Bridgeton Parish, a Presbyterian Church in Scotland, published an article entitled “The Future Prospect of the Jews.” In that article, Rev. Fairbairn studied several biblical prophecies about the return of the Jews to Palestine and, by taking the plain meaning of the text, he concluded that according to the Bible, the Jews would return to Palestine some time in the future.
Twenty-five years later, Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, now a professor at the Free Church College, wrote a book with a chapter entitled “The Prophetical Future of the Jewish People,” in which he studied the same biblical passages and, by spiritualizing the words of the text, concluded that the Jews would never return to Palestine.
It is interesting that one person, looking at the same biblical passages from different perspectives, could come up with two different, contradictory interpretations. It can be said that in the debate between Fairbairn v. Fairbairn, Fairbairn lost.
The text of Daniel 9:25-27 has been studied from different perspectives because of the essential part it plays in millenarian theology. In a previous blog, I addressed one important issue in millenarian theology (click here to read my views on millenarian theology).
Incorrect interpretations of Daniel 9:25-27 have produced a type of theology exemplified by the teachings of the Scofield Bible, the rapture, the tribulation, and the Left Behind phenomenon. In a future post, I will discuss the problem with Mr. Hook’s interpretation of Daniel 9:25-27. The problem with Mr. Hook’s book is that his interpretation of Daniel 9:25-27 is based on the theology taught in the Scofield Bible.
In looking at Daniel 9:25-27 from a different perspective, my conclusions will be completely contrary to Mr. Hook’s interpretation. This different interpretation will put us in the Fairbairn v. Fairbairn situation.
When the same text can produce two different interpretations, the reader must take the interpretation that reflects the plain meaning of Scripture. Even when the stakes are high, I believe it is possible to arrive at the original intent of the writer, even when we may not truly understand his message.
My consolation, however, is to know that when the biblical text is read and studied without any preconceived ideas, the plain meaning of the text can be discovered and the true message of the author can be understood. When this happens, then, in the end, we honor the original intent of the writer of the biblical text.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Deuteronomy and the Immigration Issue
I want to join Chris Heard in evaluating Tim Gorringe’s article on Numbers 15, published in the Expository Time 117.8 (May 2006) 316-318. There are two issues that I want to emphasize.
First, Numbers 15 does not say anything about immigration or the plight of foreigners in Israelite society. The situation of the resident alien (the sojourner) in Israel was different from what we find in our days in Britain and in America. In the Old Testament, those foreigners (the gerim) who lived under the protection of Israel were subject to the same laws as the Israelites.
The reason for laws protecting foreigners in Israel was because the Israelites themselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. This is the emphasis of Numbers 15:14-15:
“And if any foreigners living among you want to present an offering by fire, pleasing to the Lord, they must follow the same procedures. Native Israelites and foreigners are the same before the Lord and are subject to the same laws. This is a permanent law for you.”
Second, Gorringe does not understand the true intentions of the laws of Deuteronomy. He wrote: “We know from Deuteronomy that there were groups who wanted immigration controls, ID cards, the cricket test ('Which team do they support?').”
This statement is not correct: there were no groups in Israel that were demanding immigration controls. To the contrary, the laws in the book of Deuteronomy are a prime example of how human rights were to be protected in Israel. The book of Deuteronomy made an attempt at providing legal, social, economic, and religious rights to the resident aliens.
The laws of Deuteronomy were enacted to make Israelite society more egalitarian in order to prevent social and economic stratification. In addition, the laws of Deuteronomy are a reflection of the reformers’ commitment to equality for all citizens in Israelite society, including women and resident aliens.
The goal of the laws in Deuteronomy was to produce a just society, a society in which all persons could live freely, experience just treatment from people in power, and care for those who were less privileged. In order to establish a just society, the people of Israel should be committed to seek and implement justice to all people. Thus, the laws in the book of Deuteronomy provide a model for how a community should uphold the value of all persons in Israelite society.
The laws in the book of Deuteronomy have much to say about the rights of those people who depended on the protection of Israelite society. These individuals include the widows, orphans, sojourners, and slaves.
The Deuteronomic effort to enact laws that would protect and provide for the disadvantaged who lived in Israelite society was revolutionary. Deuteronomic laws repeatedly admonished Israel not to exploit, oppress, or cause harm to the needy. Deuteronomy declares that the God of Israel is greatly concerned about the treatment of the poor and the oppressed. Therefore, all members of Israelite society are to take personal responsibility for the needs and protection of the disadvantaged.
There is no sense of rejection of foreigners who chose to abide by the laws of Israel during the period of the monarchy. In Judaism, we find a distinction between the foreigners who accepted the laws of Israel (the gerim or sojourners) and the foreigners (the nokri) who did not accept the laws of Israel. Something similar is found in Deuteronomy 14:21 “You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner (gerim) who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner (nokri).”
There is nothing in the Old Testament about illegal immigrants. The principal issue about immigration today in Britain and in America is that some immigrants do not want to obey the laws of these two countries. Those immigrants who obey the laws would be identical with the gerim of the Old Testament, but those who refuse to obey the laws would be compared to the nokri.
Gorringe speaks of the problem Moses had with the Egyptians: “At the same time there were always voices which reminded people that they too had been economic migrants, speaking a different language, eating different food, having problems with the local police (Exod 2).”
The mention of Exodus 2 is a reference about Moses fleeing from Egypt. The only reason Moses had problem with “the local police” was because he broke the laws of the land. When a resident alien breaks the laws of a country, that ger loses the protection of the society in which he or she is a citizen. That is what happened to Moses.
As Chris has already pointed out, Gorringe takes a passage completely out of context to prove a political point. If Gorringe had used the Book of Deuteronomy to prove his point, he probably would have a better argument. However, his use of Numbers 15 weakens and almost invalidates his argument.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
First, Numbers 15 does not say anything about immigration or the plight of foreigners in Israelite society. The situation of the resident alien (the sojourner) in Israel was different from what we find in our days in Britain and in America. In the Old Testament, those foreigners (the gerim) who lived under the protection of Israel were subject to the same laws as the Israelites.
The reason for laws protecting foreigners in Israel was because the Israelites themselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. This is the emphasis of Numbers 15:14-15:
“And if any foreigners living among you want to present an offering by fire, pleasing to the Lord, they must follow the same procedures. Native Israelites and foreigners are the same before the Lord and are subject to the same laws. This is a permanent law for you.”
Second, Gorringe does not understand the true intentions of the laws of Deuteronomy. He wrote: “We know from Deuteronomy that there were groups who wanted immigration controls, ID cards, the cricket test ('Which team do they support?').”
This statement is not correct: there were no groups in Israel that were demanding immigration controls. To the contrary, the laws in the book of Deuteronomy are a prime example of how human rights were to be protected in Israel. The book of Deuteronomy made an attempt at providing legal, social, economic, and religious rights to the resident aliens.
The laws of Deuteronomy were enacted to make Israelite society more egalitarian in order to prevent social and economic stratification. In addition, the laws of Deuteronomy are a reflection of the reformers’ commitment to equality for all citizens in Israelite society, including women and resident aliens.
The goal of the laws in Deuteronomy was to produce a just society, a society in which all persons could live freely, experience just treatment from people in power, and care for those who were less privileged. In order to establish a just society, the people of Israel should be committed to seek and implement justice to all people. Thus, the laws in the book of Deuteronomy provide a model for how a community should uphold the value of all persons in Israelite society.
The laws in the book of Deuteronomy have much to say about the rights of those people who depended on the protection of Israelite society. These individuals include the widows, orphans, sojourners, and slaves.
The Deuteronomic effort to enact laws that would protect and provide for the disadvantaged who lived in Israelite society was revolutionary. Deuteronomic laws repeatedly admonished Israel not to exploit, oppress, or cause harm to the needy. Deuteronomy declares that the God of Israel is greatly concerned about the treatment of the poor and the oppressed. Therefore, all members of Israelite society are to take personal responsibility for the needs and protection of the disadvantaged.
There is no sense of rejection of foreigners who chose to abide by the laws of Israel during the period of the monarchy. In Judaism, we find a distinction between the foreigners who accepted the laws of Israel (the gerim or sojourners) and the foreigners (the nokri) who did not accept the laws of Israel. Something similar is found in Deuteronomy 14:21 “You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner (gerim) who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner (nokri).”
There is nothing in the Old Testament about illegal immigrants. The principal issue about immigration today in Britain and in America is that some immigrants do not want to obey the laws of these two countries. Those immigrants who obey the laws would be identical with the gerim of the Old Testament, but those who refuse to obey the laws would be compared to the nokri.
Gorringe speaks of the problem Moses had with the Egyptians: “At the same time there were always voices which reminded people that they too had been economic migrants, speaking a different language, eating different food, having problems with the local police (Exod 2).”
The mention of Exodus 2 is a reference about Moses fleeing from Egypt. The only reason Moses had problem with “the local police” was because he broke the laws of the land. When a resident alien breaks the laws of a country, that ger loses the protection of the society in which he or she is a citizen. That is what happened to Moses.
As Chris has already pointed out, Gorringe takes a passage completely out of context to prove a political point. If Gorringe had used the Book of Deuteronomy to prove his point, he probably would have a better argument. However, his use of Numbers 15 weakens and almost invalidates his argument.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Thursday, April 20, 2006
The Disintegration of the Biblioblogging Community
A few days ago, Jim West wrote about the problem facing the biblioblogging community. He said that since the SBL meeting in Philadelphia in November 2005, the biblioblogging community began to disintegrate because bloggers have gone their different ways and have failed to maintain dialogue with each other.
To Jim, the bibliobloggers “have turned towards the biblioblogging equivalent of ‘splendid isolationism’- addressing themselves to a very small, even fringe audience of people who share their very narrow interests.”
I disagree with Jim’s statement that what is happening in the biblioblogging world is the “splendid isolationism” of bibliobloggers. As Chris Heard mentioned in his response to Jim, dialogue among bloggers still exists, even though not as much as it should exist.
Blogging takes time. Reading the posts of other bibliobloggers also takes time. Most of the bibliobloggers have academic responsibilities: some teach, some are writing theses, and many others have responsibilities that limit how much time they can dedicate to writing and reading blogs.
Tyler Williams is about to have his 43,000th visitor to his blog. This is a clear indication that Tyler is not living in “splendid isolationism,” writing to “a very small, even fringe audience of people,” people who share his “very narrow interests.”
I began blogging on August 15, 2005. My commitment was to post three times per week, since my many responsibilities at Northern Baptist Seminary and at the church where I pastor demand much of my time. Thus, lack of time prevents me from posting daily. In fact, this is my first post this week.
Since August, I have had more than 10,000 visitors to my blog. I have a long way to go before I reach Tyler in the number of people visiting my blog, but I do not consider the people who read what I write a “fringe audience” that shares a very narrow interest.
In addition, not all of the 10,000 people who have read my blog are scholars. I have received hundreds of emails from pastors and lay people, men and women who respond positively to what I write. People link my blog to their blogs because they want other people to read what I write.
I have written on Abraham and ice cream, on the whale that swallowed London, on the Kentucky-Kansas basketball game, on Hillary Clinton, and several other different topics, but always relating them to the Old Testament. I have received emails from Lebanon, Brazil, England, Singapore, and many other countries. People are reading and commenting on these topics.
The audience of bibliobloggers includes people who may not have the same level of academic preparation that many bloggers have. For this reason, bloggers must be willing to write to people who are scholars and to many others who want to be in touch with the academic world.
I agree with Jim that there must be more dialogue among bibliobloggers. In order to foster dialogue among bibliobloggers, several things should happen:
1. Bibliobloggers should link their blogs to other bibliobloggers. This reciprocal linking allows for better contact among bibliobloggers and helps a blogger know what other bloggers are doing.
2. Bibliobloggers should register their blogs with Technorati.com. When a blog is registered with Technorati, every time a blog is linked to another blog, Technorati will register the link. Now, Technorati is not perfect, because a few times it has failed to register a link. However, Technorati is a good way to help bloggers know who is linking to their blogs.
3. We should find ways to create dialogue among bibliobloggers by purposefully encouraging dialogue among bloggers. Here is one suggestion:
I propose that we find a group of ten to twenty people who will take turns in posting a blog on the topic of his or her choice on Mondays (or any other day of the week) to which all bibliobloggers will post comments. Thus, every week one specific blog would become the discussion blog of the week.
Some may say that this is an artificial way of generating discussion, but it is better to have weekly discussion among bibliobloggers than to allow discussion to be sporadic. If there is more discussion among bibliobloggers, then, all of us will learn from each other. If this idea is not good then let someone offer an alternative proposal that will help generate discussion among bloggers.
I agree with Chris: biblioblogging is not dead. And I don’t think it is ready to die yet. As long as bibliobloggers are willing to share their ideas and opinions through their blogs, there will be always people who want to learn a little more from them.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
To Jim, the bibliobloggers “have turned towards the biblioblogging equivalent of ‘splendid isolationism’- addressing themselves to a very small, even fringe audience of people who share their very narrow interests.”
I disagree with Jim’s statement that what is happening in the biblioblogging world is the “splendid isolationism” of bibliobloggers. As Chris Heard mentioned in his response to Jim, dialogue among bloggers still exists, even though not as much as it should exist.
Blogging takes time. Reading the posts of other bibliobloggers also takes time. Most of the bibliobloggers have academic responsibilities: some teach, some are writing theses, and many others have responsibilities that limit how much time they can dedicate to writing and reading blogs.
Tyler Williams is about to have his 43,000th visitor to his blog. This is a clear indication that Tyler is not living in “splendid isolationism,” writing to “a very small, even fringe audience of people,” people who share his “very narrow interests.”
I began blogging on August 15, 2005. My commitment was to post three times per week, since my many responsibilities at Northern Baptist Seminary and at the church where I pastor demand much of my time. Thus, lack of time prevents me from posting daily. In fact, this is my first post this week.
Since August, I have had more than 10,000 visitors to my blog. I have a long way to go before I reach Tyler in the number of people visiting my blog, but I do not consider the people who read what I write a “fringe audience” that shares a very narrow interest.
In addition, not all of the 10,000 people who have read my blog are scholars. I have received hundreds of emails from pastors and lay people, men and women who respond positively to what I write. People link my blog to their blogs because they want other people to read what I write.
I have written on Abraham and ice cream, on the whale that swallowed London, on the Kentucky-Kansas basketball game, on Hillary Clinton, and several other different topics, but always relating them to the Old Testament. I have received emails from Lebanon, Brazil, England, Singapore, and many other countries. People are reading and commenting on these topics.
The audience of bibliobloggers includes people who may not have the same level of academic preparation that many bloggers have. For this reason, bloggers must be willing to write to people who are scholars and to many others who want to be in touch with the academic world.
I agree with Jim that there must be more dialogue among bibliobloggers. In order to foster dialogue among bibliobloggers, several things should happen:
1. Bibliobloggers should link their blogs to other bibliobloggers. This reciprocal linking allows for better contact among bibliobloggers and helps a blogger know what other bloggers are doing.
2. Bibliobloggers should register their blogs with Technorati.com. When a blog is registered with Technorati, every time a blog is linked to another blog, Technorati will register the link. Now, Technorati is not perfect, because a few times it has failed to register a link. However, Technorati is a good way to help bloggers know who is linking to their blogs.
3. We should find ways to create dialogue among bibliobloggers by purposefully encouraging dialogue among bloggers. Here is one suggestion:
I propose that we find a group of ten to twenty people who will take turns in posting a blog on the topic of his or her choice on Mondays (or any other day of the week) to which all bibliobloggers will post comments. Thus, every week one specific blog would become the discussion blog of the week.
Some may say that this is an artificial way of generating discussion, but it is better to have weekly discussion among bibliobloggers than to allow discussion to be sporadic. If there is more discussion among bibliobloggers, then, all of us will learn from each other. If this idea is not good then let someone offer an alternative proposal that will help generate discussion among bloggers.
I agree with Chris: biblioblogging is not dead. And I don’t think it is ready to die yet. As long as bibliobloggers are willing to share their ideas and opinions through their blogs, there will be always people who want to learn a little more from them.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Friday, April 14, 2006
To Those Living in Deep Darkness: The Light Is Coming
“But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Nathalie, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined.”
These words of the prophet came at a very difficult time in the life of God’s people. Isaiah and the people of Israel were living in days of gloom and anguish. Assyria had invaded the Northern Kingdom and had taken thousands of people to other parts of their empire.
When Isaiah wrote these words, many people were away from the promised land, away from their families and loved ones. The people who were deported were away from the worship of God; they were in a foreign land, living among pagan gods, among people who did not share their faith and their songs of praise.
The people who were left behind were walking in darkness; they were living in a land of deep darkness. When one reads the Old Testament, one discovers that there are darkness and darkness. The people of Israel made a distinction between darkness and darkness.
The first darkness is hoshek. The word hoshek means the absence of light. At the end of the day there is darkness. Some people are afraid of darkness, but people learn how to live with that type of darkness in their lives.
This darkness becomes a symbol of sin and rebellion, of what is evil and not good. Isaiah said: “Woe to you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). This is what is meant when the Bible says that the world lies in darkness. This type of darkness is rebellion against God.
And then there is darkness, a type of darkness represented by the Hebrew word tsalmawet. This darkness is the deep distress, the anguish a person experiences when that person feels forsaken by God. Many times the feelings of God-forsakenness cannot be expressed with words.
This type of darkness, tsalmawet, is the darkness that comes when suffering abounds. It is the darkness one experiences when the pain, both physical and spiritual, is intense. In the days of Isaiah the people of Galilee lived in a land of deep darkness.
Deep darkness can become the experience of many. This was the darkness the Psalmist experienced: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4). The NRSV calls it “the darkest valley.” The Living Bible calls it “the dark valley of death.”
Some people try to avoid going through this valley of deep darkness. But, at times, that is impossible. Others try to go around the dark valley, only to discover that the only way out of this dark valley of death is going through the valley.
At the end of the valley of deep darkness, however, there is hope. At the end of this deep darkness, there is light, a light that comes from God. The prophet Isaiah declared to Israel and to us that God cares for people who live in darkness: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2).
The reason for this hope was the birth of a child: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
In the context of Isaiah’s words, this child that was born to bring light and hope to the people was Hezekiah, the new king of Judah. Hezekiah brought great hope to the people of Israel. But one day the king became sick and a few years later he died. After his son Manasseh became king, darkness returned to the land and the people lived in what is called “the dark ages” of the nation.
So, the promise that was fulfilled in Hezekiah became the promise for a greater fulfillment in someone else. This is why there is Advent, this is the reason there is Christmas. The God who cares for people became a human being to save those who are in darkness. He came to sustain those who are bowed down.
The God who cares for people came to vindicate the cause of the alien, the fatherless and the widow. He came to help the oppressed and to feed the hungry. This is what the Gospel of John proclaims: “The light shines in the darkness” (John 1:5). This was also the message of the prophet Isaiah: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
The hymn, “Here I am, Lord,” written by Dan Schultz, conveys well the message of hope present in the words of Isaiah:
“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright,
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?”
For Christians to begin to understand the true meaning of the question in this hymn, they have to begin by asking, “Who is this Lord of sea and sky?” The Lord of sea and sky is the Maker of heavens and earth. He is the creator of the seas, and everything that is in them. He is the Lord, the Lord who is and who remains faithful forever.
He is the God who became a human being and lived among us. He was the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14).
He is the Lord of sea and sky because he is the creator: “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). He created the sea and sky and he created every human being: “In him was life, and that life was the light of every human being” (John 1:4).
But the Lord of sea and sky is not very happy: “I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.” People are crying everywhere. They are crying every day. They cry in the morning and they cry at night. They cry when they are alone and they cry when they are in a crowd.
But the most unfortunate thing is that they do not know why they are crying. They cry because they live in darkness and sin:
“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.”
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. This is the whole reason for advent, for Christmas: “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).
The Lord of sea and sky has heard his people cry. All who dwell in dark and sin, his hand will save. He who made the stars of night is the one who will make their darkness bright. But the Lord of sea and skies asks: “Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?”
Our Response must be:
“Here I am Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.”
“Is it I Lord?” Christians must say, “Yes” to that question because God has called and sent them to those who live in darkness. If Christians look inside their soul and listen to the voice of the Spirit, they will know that God has called them.
Confronted with the challenge of that question, believers must answer: “I will go, Lord, if you lead me.” And as soon as they answer that question, they will also discover that he has already promised that he would lead them: “And lo, I am with you always to the ends of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
“I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.”
God’s people must go to those who dwell in darkness and sin. Those who live in darkness are crying out to God. And they are crying also to us; “Come and help us.”
“I will hold Your people in my heart.” Going is a matter of the heart. “For God so loved the world that He sent his son” (John 3:16). Because of love Jesus came, and because of love I will go.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
These words of the prophet came at a very difficult time in the life of God’s people. Isaiah and the people of Israel were living in days of gloom and anguish. Assyria had invaded the Northern Kingdom and had taken thousands of people to other parts of their empire.
When Isaiah wrote these words, many people were away from the promised land, away from their families and loved ones. The people who were deported were away from the worship of God; they were in a foreign land, living among pagan gods, among people who did not share their faith and their songs of praise.
The people who were left behind were walking in darkness; they were living in a land of deep darkness. When one reads the Old Testament, one discovers that there are darkness and darkness. The people of Israel made a distinction between darkness and darkness.
The first darkness is hoshek. The word hoshek means the absence of light. At the end of the day there is darkness. Some people are afraid of darkness, but people learn how to live with that type of darkness in their lives.
This darkness becomes a symbol of sin and rebellion, of what is evil and not good. Isaiah said: “Woe to you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). This is what is meant when the Bible says that the world lies in darkness. This type of darkness is rebellion against God.
And then there is darkness, a type of darkness represented by the Hebrew word tsalmawet. This darkness is the deep distress, the anguish a person experiences when that person feels forsaken by God. Many times the feelings of God-forsakenness cannot be expressed with words.
This type of darkness, tsalmawet, is the darkness that comes when suffering abounds. It is the darkness one experiences when the pain, both physical and spiritual, is intense. In the days of Isaiah the people of Galilee lived in a land of deep darkness.
Deep darkness can become the experience of many. This was the darkness the Psalmist experienced: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4). The NRSV calls it “the darkest valley.” The Living Bible calls it “the dark valley of death.”
Some people try to avoid going through this valley of deep darkness. But, at times, that is impossible. Others try to go around the dark valley, only to discover that the only way out of this dark valley of death is going through the valley.
At the end of the valley of deep darkness, however, there is hope. At the end of this deep darkness, there is light, a light that comes from God. The prophet Isaiah declared to Israel and to us that God cares for people who live in darkness: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2).
The reason for this hope was the birth of a child: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
In the context of Isaiah’s words, this child that was born to bring light and hope to the people was Hezekiah, the new king of Judah. Hezekiah brought great hope to the people of Israel. But one day the king became sick and a few years later he died. After his son Manasseh became king, darkness returned to the land and the people lived in what is called “the dark ages” of the nation.
So, the promise that was fulfilled in Hezekiah became the promise for a greater fulfillment in someone else. This is why there is Advent, this is the reason there is Christmas. The God who cares for people became a human being to save those who are in darkness. He came to sustain those who are bowed down.
The God who cares for people came to vindicate the cause of the alien, the fatherless and the widow. He came to help the oppressed and to feed the hungry. This is what the Gospel of John proclaims: “The light shines in the darkness” (John 1:5). This was also the message of the prophet Isaiah: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
The hymn, “Here I am, Lord,” written by Dan Schultz, conveys well the message of hope present in the words of Isaiah:
“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright,
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?”
For Christians to begin to understand the true meaning of the question in this hymn, they have to begin by asking, “Who is this Lord of sea and sky?” The Lord of sea and sky is the Maker of heavens and earth. He is the creator of the seas, and everything that is in them. He is the Lord, the Lord who is and who remains faithful forever.
He is the God who became a human being and lived among us. He was the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14).
He is the Lord of sea and sky because he is the creator: “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). He created the sea and sky and he created every human being: “In him was life, and that life was the light of every human being” (John 1:4).
But the Lord of sea and sky is not very happy: “I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.” People are crying everywhere. They are crying every day. They cry in the morning and they cry at night. They cry when they are alone and they cry when they are in a crowd.
But the most unfortunate thing is that they do not know why they are crying. They cry because they live in darkness and sin:
“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.”
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. This is the whole reason for advent, for Christmas: “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).
The Lord of sea and sky has heard his people cry. All who dwell in dark and sin, his hand will save. He who made the stars of night is the one who will make their darkness bright. But the Lord of sea and skies asks: “Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?”
Our Response must be:
“Here I am Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.”
“Is it I Lord?” Christians must say, “Yes” to that question because God has called and sent them to those who live in darkness. If Christians look inside their soul and listen to the voice of the Spirit, they will know that God has called them.
Confronted with the challenge of that question, believers must answer: “I will go, Lord, if you lead me.” And as soon as they answer that question, they will also discover that he has already promised that he would lead them: “And lo, I am with you always to the ends of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
“I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.”
God’s people must go to those who dwell in darkness and sin. Those who live in darkness are crying out to God. And they are crying also to us; “Come and help us.”
“I will hold Your people in my heart.” Going is a matter of the heart. “For God so loved the world that He sent his son” (John 3:16). Because of love Jesus came, and because of love I will go.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Archaeological Discoveries: Fake or Real?
The Biblical Archaeology Review has a report on line about three artifacts that are at the center of a controversy among archaeologists. These three artifacts are:
1. The James Ossuary
The ossuary, or a box containing the bones of a dead person, has the following inscription: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The controversy is focused on whether the ossuary may once have held the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. According to the New Testament, James, Jesus’ brother, was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.
2. The Ivory Pomegranate
This ivory pomegranate has an inscription that reads: “Holy to the Priests, belonging to the Temple of [Yahwe]h." According to some archaeologists, this is the only surviving article from Solomon's Temple.
3. The Jehoash Inscription
The inscription contains a reference to the repairs of the Temple in Jerusalem, ordered by Jehoash, the King of Judah, who ruled from 837-800 B.C.
Archaeologists associated with the Israel Antiquities Authority have declared these three items to be forgeries. However, many archaeologists and other specialists believe that these three items are genuine.
Read the Biblical Archaeology Review’s report on line and the discussion related to the authenticity of these three artifacts by clicking here. The report also includes three beautiful pictures of the items in question.
The Biblical Archaeology Review is an excellent magazine that publishes informative articles on recent archaeological discoveries in Israel. They don’t pay me to say this, but I encourage you to subscribe to this magazine. For subscriptions, click here.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
1. The James Ossuary
The ossuary, or a box containing the bones of a dead person, has the following inscription: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The controversy is focused on whether the ossuary may once have held the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. According to the New Testament, James, Jesus’ brother, was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.
2. The Ivory Pomegranate
This ivory pomegranate has an inscription that reads: “Holy to the Priests, belonging to the Temple of [Yahwe]h." According to some archaeologists, this is the only surviving article from Solomon's Temple.
3. The Jehoash Inscription
The inscription contains a reference to the repairs of the Temple in Jerusalem, ordered by Jehoash, the King of Judah, who ruled from 837-800 B.C.
Archaeologists associated with the Israel Antiquities Authority have declared these three items to be forgeries. However, many archaeologists and other specialists believe that these three items are genuine.
Read the Biblical Archaeology Review’s report on line and the discussion related to the authenticity of these three artifacts by clicking here. The report also includes three beautiful pictures of the items in question.
The Biblical Archaeology Review is an excellent magazine that publishes informative articles on recent archaeological discoveries in Israel. They don’t pay me to say this, but I encourage you to subscribe to this magazine. For subscriptions, click here.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
The Gospel of Judas: No Threat to Christianity
On Sunday, the National Geographic Channel revealed to the world The Gospel of Judas. The Gospel of Judas was a document found in Egypt which presents itself to be the words of Jesus to Judas.
The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic document produced by the same people who left a collection of other books known today as the Nag Hammadi library. Among the books in the library is one document called The Gospel of Thomas.
The Gnostics were a group of people who believed themselves to be the preserves of the true teachings of Christianity. The truth, however, was that Gnosticism was a deviation of the basic teachings of Christianity and a denial of many truths taught in the New Testament. The Gnostics departed from the accepted teachings of the early church.
The word “Gnostics” comes from the Greek word for “knowledge.” This is the reason that Paul, in his advice to Timothy, warned him to avoid the teachings of those who claimed to have a superior or hidden knowledge: “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20-21 ESV).
The Gnostics believed that the resurrection of believers was an event of the past. This false Gnostic teaching appears in Paul’s warning to Timothy:
“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18 ESV).
When reading The Gospel of Judas, it is important to remember that this document was written many years after the death of Judas, who died not long after he betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:1-5). The dialogue between Jesus and Judas is not biblical and represents the views of the person who wrote that document.
In the program sponsored by the National Geographic, the people who participated in the presentation of the document, affirmed over and over again that the document was authentic. The fact is, the document is authentic because it is clear that The Gospel of Judas was written in the second or third century of the Christian era. However, just because the document is authentic, it does not mean that its content has authority over the church or is above the four Gospels that appear in the New Testament.
The church was right in rejecting The Gospel of Judas as a part of the canon of the New Testament. Gnosticism was a rejection of the traditional doctrines of Christianity. Gnosticism presented a radical form of Christianity that sought to gain acceptance by becoming apostolic, that it, they used the names of the apostles in order to gain acceptance among believers. Some of Gnostic books are called The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Judas, The Prayer of the Apostle Paul, The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles.
The Gospel of Judas poses no threat to Christianity. The media tried to portray The Gospel of Judas as an alternative to the teachings of the New Testament, as a threat to the traditional view about Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus did not ask Judas to betray him; Judas betrayed Jesus voluntarily.
The Gospel of Judas is an apology for Judas. In it, the writer of the document tries to present a more sympathetic view of Judas. The dialogue between Jesus and Judas attempts to show that Judas would be misunderstood and maligned because he would be called a betrayer of Christ.
A legion of scholars may affirm the importance of The Gospel of Judas, but they cannot change the fact the Judas betrayed his friend, that he sold Jesus for a few coins of silver. Try as it may, The Gospel of Judas can never erase the teachings of the New Testament and the Christian church, that Judas was indeed the one who betrayed Jesus Christ.
If you want to read more about The Gospel of Judas, read “Gospel of Judas is heresy & unreliable history” by clicking here.
You can also read the article by Jim West who concludes that the Gnostic writings “are not ‘higher teachings’- they are heretical texts from heretics. The ‘Gospel’ of Judas is no ‘gospel’ at all.’”
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic document produced by the same people who left a collection of other books known today as the Nag Hammadi library. Among the books in the library is one document called The Gospel of Thomas.
The Gnostics were a group of people who believed themselves to be the preserves of the true teachings of Christianity. The truth, however, was that Gnosticism was a deviation of the basic teachings of Christianity and a denial of many truths taught in the New Testament. The Gnostics departed from the accepted teachings of the early church.
The word “Gnostics” comes from the Greek word for “knowledge.” This is the reason that Paul, in his advice to Timothy, warned him to avoid the teachings of those who claimed to have a superior or hidden knowledge: “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20-21 ESV).
The Gnostics believed that the resurrection of believers was an event of the past. This false Gnostic teaching appears in Paul’s warning to Timothy:
“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18 ESV).
When reading The Gospel of Judas, it is important to remember that this document was written many years after the death of Judas, who died not long after he betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:1-5). The dialogue between Jesus and Judas is not biblical and represents the views of the person who wrote that document.
In the program sponsored by the National Geographic, the people who participated in the presentation of the document, affirmed over and over again that the document was authentic. The fact is, the document is authentic because it is clear that The Gospel of Judas was written in the second or third century of the Christian era. However, just because the document is authentic, it does not mean that its content has authority over the church or is above the four Gospels that appear in the New Testament.
The church was right in rejecting The Gospel of Judas as a part of the canon of the New Testament. Gnosticism was a rejection of the traditional doctrines of Christianity. Gnosticism presented a radical form of Christianity that sought to gain acceptance by becoming apostolic, that it, they used the names of the apostles in order to gain acceptance among believers. Some of Gnostic books are called The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Judas, The Prayer of the Apostle Paul, The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles.
The Gospel of Judas poses no threat to Christianity. The media tried to portray The Gospel of Judas as an alternative to the teachings of the New Testament, as a threat to the traditional view about Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus did not ask Judas to betray him; Judas betrayed Jesus voluntarily.
The Gospel of Judas is an apology for Judas. In it, the writer of the document tries to present a more sympathetic view of Judas. The dialogue between Jesus and Judas attempts to show that Judas would be misunderstood and maligned because he would be called a betrayer of Christ.
A legion of scholars may affirm the importance of The Gospel of Judas, but they cannot change the fact the Judas betrayed his friend, that he sold Jesus for a few coins of silver. Try as it may, The Gospel of Judas can never erase the teachings of the New Testament and the Christian church, that Judas was indeed the one who betrayed Jesus Christ.
If you want to read more about The Gospel of Judas, read “Gospel of Judas is heresy & unreliable history” by clicking here.
You can also read the article by Jim West who concludes that the Gnostic writings “are not ‘higher teachings’- they are heretical texts from heretics. The ‘Gospel’ of Judas is no ‘gospel’ at all.’”
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Monday, April 10, 2006
Isaiah 40:3: The Way of the Lord
In her study of 2 Timothy 2:15, Suzanne McCarthy wrote:
“When the Old Testament writings talk about the 'way' being made straight, the usual consequence is that this will prevent you from stumbling. If God directs your path you will not fall down or stumble. However, the 'way of the Lord' is also made straight or level. Both of these phrases reappear in the New Testament.”
The translation of the word “way” (Hebrew derek) takes different meanings in the Old Testament. The word derek can be translated to mean a road, journey, manner, custom and even sexual favor. The word derek is also used as a metaphor for the actions and behavior of human beings as in Psalm 1. Used as a figurative language, the word derek also means the way people live their lives.
In her study of 2 Timothy 2:15, McCarthy quoted several passages (Proverbs 3:6; 11:5; 3:23; Isaiah 40:3) to show that when the Lord guides the way of an individual, that person will not “fall down or stumble.”
Proverbs 3:6 says: “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (ESV).
In this passage, the word “ways” includes all the acts and actions of a person; these acts can be both spiritual and secular. Thus, the psalmist is urging people to recognize God in all their endeavors, to pray for divine guidance, and to ask God’s direction in every aspect of life.
Proverbs 11:5 says: “The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked fall by his own wickedness” (ESV).
The word “way” in this passage conveys the same ideas found in Proverbs 3:6. The righteousness of righteous individuals determines their lives, but the ungodliness of evil people will cause them to fall.
Proverbs 3:23 says: “Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble” (ESV).
The wise are teaching that those who do not abandon wisdom and put into practice the counsel of the wise will live life in such a way that their wisdom will help them walk in their way securely and their feet will not stumble. In short, they shall enjoy the greatest sense of security in all situations of their lives.
Isaiah 40:3 says: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (ESV).
In this verse, the word “way” does not have the same meaning as the verses in Proverbs. Here it is clear that the text is not talking about the way people live their lives. In order to understand the meaning of the word “way” in the preaching of the exilic prophet, it is important to understand his historical context.
At the time the prophet hears these words, the people of Israel are in exile in Babylon. The Lord has come to announce to Israel that her exile, “her time of service,” has been completed and that the time for her deliverance has dawned. The Lord is calling his people to prepare to return home and now has come to assure them that all the difficulties which stand in the way of their deliverance shall be removed.
The unknown voice is declaring that the Lord is preparing to conduct his people back to their own country through the wilderness, in the same way he had long ago led them from Egypt to Canaan. The prophet hears the voice of a herald instructing that a way should be made in the wilderness for the return home of the people.
The whole scene is represented as a triumphal march of a king. Yahweh is at the head of his people to lead them back home. As Claus Westermann, in his book Isaiah 40-66 (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960) has shown, this idea is taken from the practice of kings in the Ancient Near East. Before kings traveled, they sent heralds before them to prepare the way through the desert. At the command of the king, his servants leveled hills, constructed causeways over valleys, or filled them up to make a straight highway for the royal entourage. Westermann wrote:
“Triumphal highways, ways prepared and made level for the triumphal entry of the god or king, were also well-known in Babylon . . . They are the background . . . of the present passage. These imposing highways were symbols of Babylon’s might, the might that had brought about Israel’s own downfall.”
“These are the circumstances in which they heard the cry to make straight in the desert a highway, a highway ‘for Yahweh . . . our God’. [T]he highway of which the prophet thinks is the one that is to enable Israel to make her way homeward through the desert. It is, however, designated a highway ‘for our God’, just as the magnificent highways of Babylon were strictly highways for her god.”
Thus, God’s herald says: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain” (ESV). What the Lord wanted was a leveled road, an autobahn in the desert so that the people could reach their destination without delay.
As McCarthy said, the same phrase reappears in the New Testament, but the New Testament writers do not follow the Hebrew text; they follow the translation found in the Septuagint.
The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, mistranslated this verse. The translators, instead of placing the accent, which causes a pause, after the verb “cries,” they placed it after the word “wilderness.”
Thus, instead of translating: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord’” (Isaiah 40:3), the Septuagint translates: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord.’” This is the translation adopted by the King James Version.
This same translation was also adopted in the New Testament by the writers of the Gospel. For instance, Matthew 3:3 says: “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight’” (ESV).
However, the Hebrew accent and the parallelism of the verse demand a separation between “cries” and “wilderness.” The parallelism of the verse in Isaiah 40:3 looks as follows:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.”
In the apocryphal book of Baruch, the words of the exilic prophet are taken as a call for the people to return home. The text reads:
“Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God” (Baruch 5:5-7).
So, it is true: The way of Lord is made straight, but it is made straight for the sake of his people.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
“When the Old Testament writings talk about the 'way' being made straight, the usual consequence is that this will prevent you from stumbling. If God directs your path you will not fall down or stumble. However, the 'way of the Lord' is also made straight or level. Both of these phrases reappear in the New Testament.”
The translation of the word “way” (Hebrew derek) takes different meanings in the Old Testament. The word derek can be translated to mean a road, journey, manner, custom and even sexual favor. The word derek is also used as a metaphor for the actions and behavior of human beings as in Psalm 1. Used as a figurative language, the word derek also means the way people live their lives.
In her study of 2 Timothy 2:15, McCarthy quoted several passages (Proverbs 3:6; 11:5; 3:23; Isaiah 40:3) to show that when the Lord guides the way of an individual, that person will not “fall down or stumble.”
Proverbs 3:6 says: “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (ESV).
In this passage, the word “ways” includes all the acts and actions of a person; these acts can be both spiritual and secular. Thus, the psalmist is urging people to recognize God in all their endeavors, to pray for divine guidance, and to ask God’s direction in every aspect of life.
Proverbs 11:5 says: “The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked fall by his own wickedness” (ESV).
The word “way” in this passage conveys the same ideas found in Proverbs 3:6. The righteousness of righteous individuals determines their lives, but the ungodliness of evil people will cause them to fall.
Proverbs 3:23 says: “Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble” (ESV).
The wise are teaching that those who do not abandon wisdom and put into practice the counsel of the wise will live life in such a way that their wisdom will help them walk in their way securely and their feet will not stumble. In short, they shall enjoy the greatest sense of security in all situations of their lives.
Isaiah 40:3 says: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (ESV).
In this verse, the word “way” does not have the same meaning as the verses in Proverbs. Here it is clear that the text is not talking about the way people live their lives. In order to understand the meaning of the word “way” in the preaching of the exilic prophet, it is important to understand his historical context.
At the time the prophet hears these words, the people of Israel are in exile in Babylon. The Lord has come to announce to Israel that her exile, “her time of service,” has been completed and that the time for her deliverance has dawned. The Lord is calling his people to prepare to return home and now has come to assure them that all the difficulties which stand in the way of their deliverance shall be removed.
The unknown voice is declaring that the Lord is preparing to conduct his people back to their own country through the wilderness, in the same way he had long ago led them from Egypt to Canaan. The prophet hears the voice of a herald instructing that a way should be made in the wilderness for the return home of the people.
The whole scene is represented as a triumphal march of a king. Yahweh is at the head of his people to lead them back home. As Claus Westermann, in his book Isaiah 40-66 (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960) has shown, this idea is taken from the practice of kings in the Ancient Near East. Before kings traveled, they sent heralds before them to prepare the way through the desert. At the command of the king, his servants leveled hills, constructed causeways over valleys, or filled them up to make a straight highway for the royal entourage. Westermann wrote:
“Triumphal highways, ways prepared and made level for the triumphal entry of the god or king, were also well-known in Babylon . . . They are the background . . . of the present passage. These imposing highways were symbols of Babylon’s might, the might that had brought about Israel’s own downfall.”
“These are the circumstances in which they heard the cry to make straight in the desert a highway, a highway ‘for Yahweh . . . our God’. [T]he highway of which the prophet thinks is the one that is to enable Israel to make her way homeward through the desert. It is, however, designated a highway ‘for our God’, just as the magnificent highways of Babylon were strictly highways for her god.”
Thus, God’s herald says: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain” (ESV). What the Lord wanted was a leveled road, an autobahn in the desert so that the people could reach their destination without delay.
As McCarthy said, the same phrase reappears in the New Testament, but the New Testament writers do not follow the Hebrew text; they follow the translation found in the Septuagint.
The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, mistranslated this verse. The translators, instead of placing the accent, which causes a pause, after the verb “cries,” they placed it after the word “wilderness.”
Thus, instead of translating: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord’” (Isaiah 40:3), the Septuagint translates: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord.’” This is the translation adopted by the King James Version.
This same translation was also adopted in the New Testament by the writers of the Gospel. For instance, Matthew 3:3 says: “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight’” (ESV).
However, the Hebrew accent and the parallelism of the verse demand a separation between “cries” and “wilderness.” The parallelism of the verse in Isaiah 40:3 looks as follows:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.”
In the apocryphal book of Baruch, the words of the exilic prophet are taken as a call for the people to return home. The text reads:
“Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God” (Baruch 5:5-7).
So, it is true: The way of Lord is made straight, but it is made straight for the sake of his people.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Friday, April 07, 2006
Hebrew Bible in Modern Hebrew
The Baptist Press is reporting that a new translation of the Hebrew Bible is being published in Modern Hebrew. Below is how Baptist Press is reporting the story:
Modern Hebrew Bible translation reaches out to Israeli youth
Apr 7, 2006
By David Roach
Baptist Press
RISHON LETSION, Israel (BP)--The Old Testament was written originally in Hebrew. So you might think that the millions of Hebrew-speaking youth in Israel would be able to read and understand it.
But HaGefen Publishing, a Christian publisher in Israel, has taken note of vast differences between the biblical Hebrew of the Old Testament and the modern Hebrew of today that make it very difficult for Israeli youth to understand the Bible. HaGefen is attempting to remedy the problem by publishing the first-ever translation of the Old Testament in modern Hebrew.
The new translation is part of a modern-Hebrew translation of the entire Bible called “The Testimony” (“Ha’Edut” in Hebrew). The first volume, containing the first five books of the Old Testament, was published in 2001; volume two, containing the historical books, was published in early 2004. Volume three contains the prophetic books and is scheduled for release in late 2006. The entire project began in 1994 and is slated for completion by 2010.
All volumes are translated into simple, modern Hebrew vocabulary by Shoshan Danielson and edited by Baruch Maoz. Experts in Hebrew and the Bible are among those involved in the project, along with a control group of children. The finished product will feature more than 1,000 illustrations, including diagrams of genealogies.
To read the rest of the news release, click here.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Modern Hebrew Bible translation reaches out to Israeli youth
Apr 7, 2006
By David Roach
Baptist Press
RISHON LETSION, Israel (BP)--The Old Testament was written originally in Hebrew. So you might think that the millions of Hebrew-speaking youth in Israel would be able to read and understand it.
But HaGefen Publishing, a Christian publisher in Israel, has taken note of vast differences between the biblical Hebrew of the Old Testament and the modern Hebrew of today that make it very difficult for Israeli youth to understand the Bible. HaGefen is attempting to remedy the problem by publishing the first-ever translation of the Old Testament in modern Hebrew.
The new translation is part of a modern-Hebrew translation of the entire Bible called “The Testimony” (“Ha’Edut” in Hebrew). The first volume, containing the first five books of the Old Testament, was published in 2001; volume two, containing the historical books, was published in early 2004. Volume three contains the prophetic books and is scheduled for release in late 2006. The entire project began in 1994 and is slated for completion by 2010.
All volumes are translated into simple, modern Hebrew vocabulary by Shoshan Danielson and edited by Baruch Maoz. Experts in Hebrew and the Bible are among those involved in the project, along with a control group of children. The finished product will feature more than 1,000 illustrations, including diagrams of genealogies.
To read the rest of the news release, click here.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Thursday, April 06, 2006
The Bible in the News
Every day, news organizations report on events related to the Bible. Here are some of the news reports related to the Bible. Of course, what you read in the news must be read with some amount of skepticism.
Did Jesus Walk on Water or Ice?
The Bible says that Jesus walked on water, but a professor of oceanography at Florida State University in Tallahassee says Christ was actually walking on a floating piece of ice.
Read the story here.
The Picture of Jesus
Is this what Jesus looked like? Using a computer and information about the time period, this
image developed. And it's unlike anything ever before published.
Look at Jesus Picture here.
Moses and the Crossing of the Read Sea
Two mathematicians have concluded that the biblical story of Moses parting the rushing waters of the Red Sea was possible scientifically and in concurrence with the laws of physics.
Click here to find out how.
The James Ossuary
The burial box of bones is inscribed with these words: "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Israel's Antiquities Authority says it's a fake. Others think it could be real.
Click here to read the story.
The Resurrection of Christ: A Mathematical Reality
An Oxford University professor has created a formula he says proves Jesus Christ was resurrected by God.
Click here to read the story.
Enjoy reading the news.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Did Jesus Walk on Water or Ice?
The Bible says that Jesus walked on water, but a professor of oceanography at Florida State University in Tallahassee says Christ was actually walking on a floating piece of ice.
Read the story here.
The Picture of Jesus
Is this what Jesus looked like? Using a computer and information about the time period, this
image developed. And it's unlike anything ever before published.
Look at Jesus Picture here.
Moses and the Crossing of the Read Sea
Two mathematicians have concluded that the biblical story of Moses parting the rushing waters of the Red Sea was possible scientifically and in concurrence with the laws of physics.
Click here to find out how.
The James Ossuary
The burial box of bones is inscribed with these words: "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Israel's Antiquities Authority says it's a fake. Others think it could be real.
Click here to read the story.
The Resurrection of Christ: A Mathematical Reality
An Oxford University professor has created a formula he says proves Jesus Christ was resurrected by God.
Click here to read the story.
Enjoy reading the news.
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Nahum and the Problem of Illegal Immigration
In a recent essay, “Hillary Clinton Is on the Wrong Side of History,” Pastor Chuck Baldwin criticized Senator Clinton for trying to justify massive illegal immigration to this country by misusing Scripture and completely mischaracterizing the story of the Good Samaritan.
Pastor Baldwin said: “Obviously, there is nothing unique about politicians misusing the Scriptures. What the average politician knows about the Word of God could fit into a thimble. And that goes for Republicans as well as Democrats!”
And, it is sad to say, the same could apply to some pastors and teachers of the Bible.
Senator Clinton defended her opposition to a bill being considered by the House which would subject illegal aliens and those who hire them to criminal penalties by saying that the law was “not in keeping with my understanding of the Scriptures, because this bill would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably Jesus Himself.”
Pastor Baldwin explains that it is clear that there is nothing in the story of the Good Samaritan that is related to the issue of illegal immigration. The parable teaches compassion to people in need.
Then, Pastor Baldwin declares:
“However, if one wants to examine the Scriptures to find teachings relevant to the subject of illegal immigration, he can certainly do so. Let's start with Nahum chapter three. The prophet Nahum warned Israel that their stubbornness and disobedience to God was evidenced by the fact that "the gates (borders, ports, entry ways) of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars" (Nahum 3:13). In this passage, the prophet made it clear that open gates or borders, which allowed enemies easy access to a nation, constitute an imminent threat to any nation. How right he was!”
The only problem with Pastor Baldwin’s interpretation is that Nahum’s warning was not addressed to Israel. Nahum was not speaking about the stubbornness and disobedience of God’s people, nor on the issue of illegal immigration.
Nahum’s oracle is an ode celebrating the fall of the mighty Assyrian empire. Nahum is describing the dramatic events that led to the end of Assyrian domination of the Ancient Near East.
Nahum 3:11-13 describes Assyria’s inadequacy to defend Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, against the Babylonian invasion. Nineveh, “the bloody city, full of lies and booty” (3:1), shall be like Thebes, the capital of Egypt’s Upper Kingdom: “Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile?” (3:8). The vulnerability of Nineveh is illustrated by the weakness of her protection: “Behold, your troops are women in your midst, The gates of your land are wide open to your foes, fire has devoured your bars” (Nahum 3:13).
What Nahum is proclaiming is that the fate of Nineveh is sealed: her brave warriors will be weak and unable to fight, the gates of the city will not be able to stop the invaders and the bars on the gates of the city will be burned with fire.
Nahum was right. What he said about Nineveh and the Assyrians came to pass just as he had prophesied. However, Nahum never warned Israel about their stubbornness and disobedience to God. He never proclaimed that Israel’s open borders would bring a flood of immigrants. In fact, Nahum 3:13 does not teach anything relevant to the subject of illegal immigration.
It is a fact that Senator Clinton misused Scripture and mischaracterized the story of the Good Samaritan to justify her views on illegal immigration to this country. However, there is no doubt that Pastor Baldwin also misused Scripture and mischaracterized the prophecies of Nahum to justify his own views on illegal immigration to this country.
Physician, heal thyself!
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Pastor Baldwin said: “Obviously, there is nothing unique about politicians misusing the Scriptures. What the average politician knows about the Word of God could fit into a thimble. And that goes for Republicans as well as Democrats!”
And, it is sad to say, the same could apply to some pastors and teachers of the Bible.
Senator Clinton defended her opposition to a bill being considered by the House which would subject illegal aliens and those who hire them to criminal penalties by saying that the law was “not in keeping with my understanding of the Scriptures, because this bill would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably Jesus Himself.”
Pastor Baldwin explains that it is clear that there is nothing in the story of the Good Samaritan that is related to the issue of illegal immigration. The parable teaches compassion to people in need.
Then, Pastor Baldwin declares:
“However, if one wants to examine the Scriptures to find teachings relevant to the subject of illegal immigration, he can certainly do so. Let's start with Nahum chapter three. The prophet Nahum warned Israel that their stubbornness and disobedience to God was evidenced by the fact that "the gates (borders, ports, entry ways) of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars" (Nahum 3:13). In this passage, the prophet made it clear that open gates or borders, which allowed enemies easy access to a nation, constitute an imminent threat to any nation. How right he was!”
The only problem with Pastor Baldwin’s interpretation is that Nahum’s warning was not addressed to Israel. Nahum was not speaking about the stubbornness and disobedience of God’s people, nor on the issue of illegal immigration.
Nahum’s oracle is an ode celebrating the fall of the mighty Assyrian empire. Nahum is describing the dramatic events that led to the end of Assyrian domination of the Ancient Near East.
Nahum 3:11-13 describes Assyria’s inadequacy to defend Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, against the Babylonian invasion. Nineveh, “the bloody city, full of lies and booty” (3:1), shall be like Thebes, the capital of Egypt’s Upper Kingdom: “Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile?” (3:8). The vulnerability of Nineveh is illustrated by the weakness of her protection: “Behold, your troops are women in your midst, The gates of your land are wide open to your foes, fire has devoured your bars” (Nahum 3:13).
What Nahum is proclaiming is that the fate of Nineveh is sealed: her brave warriors will be weak and unable to fight, the gates of the city will not be able to stop the invaders and the bars on the gates of the city will be burned with fire.
Nahum was right. What he said about Nineveh and the Assyrians came to pass just as he had prophesied. However, Nahum never warned Israel about their stubbornness and disobedience to God. He never proclaimed that Israel’s open borders would bring a flood of immigrants. In fact, Nahum 3:13 does not teach anything relevant to the subject of illegal immigration.
It is a fact that Senator Clinton misused Scripture and mischaracterized the story of the Good Samaritan to justify her views on illegal immigration to this country. However, there is no doubt that Pastor Baldwin also misused Scripture and mischaracterized the prophecies of Nahum to justify his own views on illegal immigration to this country.
Physician, heal thyself!
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Monday, April 03, 2006
Rereading Psalm 8:5: In Search of a Better Translation
Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise in which the psalmist celebrates in worship, God’s majesty in creation and the dignity of every human being. In awe and amazement, the psalmist proclaims the majesty of God as the creator of the universe.
Impressed by the transcendence of the Creator, the psalmist becomes aware of the smallness and insignificance of every human being. The psalmist also recognizes that human beings have been favored by God.
Aware of the honor God has placed on human beings, in awe, the psalmist asks: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalm 8:4-5 KJV).
The words of the psalmist address the place of human beings in God’s creation. The crowning of human beings with honor reflects the idea of dominion over God’s creation, which is clearly present in Genesis 1:26-28, a text in which God places human beings over all created things.
The words of verse 5 have been translated in several different ways, causing some confusion in the minds of lay people who read Psalm 8 in different translations. The purpose of this essay is to look at the meaning of verse 5 and suggest which translation is a better reading of the Hebrew text.
The King James Version translates the Hebrew word elohim as “angels.” The following English translations also translate elohim as “angel”: the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB), the Darby Bible (DBY); the Douay-Rheims Bible (DRA), the Jewish Publication Society (JPS 1917), the New King James Version (NKJ), and the Revised Webster Bible (RWB).
The Bible in Basic English (BBE) translates as follows: “a little lower than the gods.”
The English Standard Version, the NET Bible (NET), the New International Version (NIV), and the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) translate as follows: “a little lower than the heavenly beings.”
The New American Bible (NAB) translates as follows: “a little lower than a god.”
The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) translates as follows: “a little less than a god.”
The Jewish Publication Society (TANAK 1985) translates as follows: “A little less than divine.”
The Young Literal Translation (YLT) translates as follows: “[Thou] causest him to lack a little of Godhead.”
The American Standard Version (ASV), the English Revised Version (ERV), the Geneva Bible (GNV), the New American Standard Bible (NAS), the New Living Translation (NLT), and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translate as follow: “A little lower than God.”
The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and the Revised Standard Version (RSV) translate as follow: “a little less than God.”
God’s Word Translation (GW) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV) translate: “a little lower than yourself.”
These different translations reflect the problem translators have in understanding what the psalmist is trying to convey to the readers. This problem was already present in the early versions.
For instance, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), the Peshitta (the Aramaic Version of the Old Testament), and the Vulgate (the Latin Version of the Bible) understood the word elohim to mean “angels” and through the Septuagint, this translation has entered many English versions.
Even in the New Testament, the author of Hebrews 2:7, when talking about the nature of Christ, did not quote from the Hebrew text of Psalm 8:5, but quoted from the Septuagint to describe the humiliation of Christ.
In order to ascertain which translation, reflects a better understanding of the Hebrew text, it becomes important to understand the words of the psalmist. In Psalm 8, the psalmist is writing about the role human beings play in God’s creation. The psalmist believes that human beings share in the nature of God. Men and women were created in the image and likeness of God, therefore, they are like God himself.
Thus, the psalmist used the word elohim to describe one aspect of human nature. The word elohim never appears in the Old Testament with the meaning of “angel.” The Septuagint translates elohim as “angels” in Psalm 97:7; 138:1. However, most English translations do not follow the Septuagint here.
The word elohim means “God” or “gods.” Thus, the psalmist is emphasizing that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God and by nature, they are a little less than God himself.
Peter C. Craigie, in his commentary Psalms 1-50 (Rev. Ed.; Waco: Word Books, Publisher, 2004), p. 108, wrote: “The translation angel may have been prompted by modesty, for it may have seemed rather extravagant to claim that mankind was only a little less than God. Nevertheless, the translation God is almost certainly correct, and the words probably contain an allusion to the image of God in mankind and the God-given role of dominion to be exercised by mankind within the created order.”
Thus, there is no doubt that the better translation should avoid the words “angels” or “divine beings.” Human beings were created “a little lower than God.” The psalmist is aware that human beings have a special relationship with God, because, in addition to being created in the image and likeness of God, human beings play a special role in God’s creation.
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5).
Thus, I believe that the better translation should affirm that human beings were created “a little lower than God.”
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
Impressed by the transcendence of the Creator, the psalmist becomes aware of the smallness and insignificance of every human being. The psalmist also recognizes that human beings have been favored by God.
Aware of the honor God has placed on human beings, in awe, the psalmist asks: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Psalm 8:4-5 KJV).
The words of the psalmist address the place of human beings in God’s creation. The crowning of human beings with honor reflects the idea of dominion over God’s creation, which is clearly present in Genesis 1:26-28, a text in which God places human beings over all created things.
The words of verse 5 have been translated in several different ways, causing some confusion in the minds of lay people who read Psalm 8 in different translations. The purpose of this essay is to look at the meaning of verse 5 and suggest which translation is a better reading of the Hebrew text.
The King James Version translates the Hebrew word elohim as “angels.” The following English translations also translate elohim as “angel”: the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB), the Darby Bible (DBY); the Douay-Rheims Bible (DRA), the Jewish Publication Society (JPS 1917), the New King James Version (NKJ), and the Revised Webster Bible (RWB).
The Bible in Basic English (BBE) translates as follows: “a little lower than the gods.”
The English Standard Version, the NET Bible (NET), the New International Version (NIV), and the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) translate as follows: “a little lower than the heavenly beings.”
The New American Bible (NAB) translates as follows: “a little lower than a god.”
The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) translates as follows: “a little less than a god.”
The Jewish Publication Society (TANAK 1985) translates as follows: “A little less than divine.”
The Young Literal Translation (YLT) translates as follows: “[Thou] causest him to lack a little of Godhead.”
The American Standard Version (ASV), the English Revised Version (ERV), the Geneva Bible (GNV), the New American Standard Bible (NAS), the New Living Translation (NLT), and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translate as follow: “A little lower than God.”
The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and the Revised Standard Version (RSV) translate as follow: “a little less than God.”
God’s Word Translation (GW) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV) translate: “a little lower than yourself.”
These different translations reflect the problem translators have in understanding what the psalmist is trying to convey to the readers. This problem was already present in the early versions.
For instance, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), the Peshitta (the Aramaic Version of the Old Testament), and the Vulgate (the Latin Version of the Bible) understood the word elohim to mean “angels” and through the Septuagint, this translation has entered many English versions.
Even in the New Testament, the author of Hebrews 2:7, when talking about the nature of Christ, did not quote from the Hebrew text of Psalm 8:5, but quoted from the Septuagint to describe the humiliation of Christ.
In order to ascertain which translation, reflects a better understanding of the Hebrew text, it becomes important to understand the words of the psalmist. In Psalm 8, the psalmist is writing about the role human beings play in God’s creation. The psalmist believes that human beings share in the nature of God. Men and women were created in the image and likeness of God, therefore, they are like God himself.
Thus, the psalmist used the word elohim to describe one aspect of human nature. The word elohim never appears in the Old Testament with the meaning of “angel.” The Septuagint translates elohim as “angels” in Psalm 97:7; 138:1. However, most English translations do not follow the Septuagint here.
The word elohim means “God” or “gods.” Thus, the psalmist is emphasizing that human beings were created in the image and likeness of God and by nature, they are a little less than God himself.
Peter C. Craigie, in his commentary Psalms 1-50 (Rev. Ed.; Waco: Word Books, Publisher, 2004), p. 108, wrote: “The translation angel may have been prompted by modesty, for it may have seemed rather extravagant to claim that mankind was only a little less than God. Nevertheless, the translation God is almost certainly correct, and the words probably contain an allusion to the image of God in mankind and the God-given role of dominion to be exercised by mankind within the created order.”
Thus, there is no doubt that the better translation should avoid the words “angels” or “divine beings.” Human beings were created “a little lower than God.” The psalmist is aware that human beings have a special relationship with God, because, in addition to being created in the image and likeness of God, human beings play a special role in God’s creation.
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5).
Thus, I believe that the better translation should affirm that human beings were created “a little lower than God.”
Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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