Saturday 21 May 2016

Please do not lose sight of Christ Crucified


#RAD #ATEND G-d (Christ) #IIC714

Please Do Not Lose Sight Of Christ Crucified

Recently in discussions with some other Christians, one fellow made what I thought was a brilliant opening statement - "Let's focus on leading more people correctly to Christ." - [emphasis on the word 'correctly' I learned later to be very significant]

He went on to make some rather bold and also, IMHO, difficult to fully substantiate claims.  This fellow stated emphatically that:

* Jesus states He will rise on the third day
* Jesus rose on a Sunday
* Jesus died on a Friday
* If Jesus died on a Wednesday, He then rose on the fifth day which would make Jesus wrong
* Jesus died in 30 AD at the age of 33
* Jesus was not born in 0 AD
* Jesus was actually born in 3 BC at Passover.
* If Jesus was born in 0 AD Herod could not have been the one to kill the babies since he was dead by then.

And he also made some comment about the - "Latest research shows Herod could have died in 1 BC check Wikipedia for that information." - Check Wikipedia, really "check Wiki"!?!?

It is noteworthy to point out, that he did say - "could have" and used a 'check Wiki' reference - and that there remains strong evidence that Herod's death was in the spring on 3 BC.



So, are you sure, Christians?

Are you sure that:

* Jesus said - "He will rise on the third day"?
* Jesus rose on a Sunday ?
* Jesus died on a Friday ?
* Jesus died in A.D. 30 ?
* Jesus was actually born in 3 BC ?

Those are all very strong, very bold absolute claims.

Are you sure that - "If He died on Wednesday, that He [would have] risen on the fifth day - ?

First - did Jesus say - He will rise on the third day?

Christ said, according to Mark 9:31 - "they will kill Me, and after three days, I will rise" - while according to Matthew 17:23 we do see phraseology used like - "on the third day, I will rise".  But going back just a few chapters in Matthew, to Chapter 12:40, we see a poignant and very clear statement made by our Lord saying:


Thus we have some hardline statements that do simply say - 'rise on the third day' - some other softer statements that say - 'after three days' - and yet still others that say pretty firmly - "three days and three nights".  Some will conclude, and argue accordingly, that these variances equate to contradictions.  But do they?

In all languages, there are idioms, the Hebrew and Greek languages both have idioms, as does the English language.  And though I am not a linguistics expert, nor a Hebrew, Greek or even an English expert, I think it fair to describe 'idioms' as words / phrases which are not to be taken literally... e.g., in English one might say:

"That is an 'eye sore'!" - This does not mean it literally makes one's eyes experience physical pain.

"That house is 'pretty ugly'." - This does not mean the house is both "pretty" and "ugly", it simply means (both literally and figuratively) that the house is VERY ugly.

So goes it in / with the Hebrew and Greek languages.  Ergo, Context, Context, CONTEXT has got to be King.  Otherwise, both a virtual and literal flood of misinterpretation(s) can and will be applied to passages not meant to be viewed in a specific way.  Not everything in the Bible is literal.  Though this is, in fact, a great starting point, one needs to look at the context of the immediately preceding and following (as applicable) one, two or three verses, look at the chapter and the Book being read, the context of the subject matter at hand, and the broader context of Scripture in general.

"He just 'bought the farm'." - is another form of idiom.  This does not mean that someone literally purchased some real estate, rather it means, sadly, that someone has died.

Second and Third - did Jesus die on a Friday, and Rise on a Sunday?

Christ died sometime after three pm on the day of the Crucifixion, and was removed from the Cross sometime before six pm (sunset) on the day of the Crucifixion.  - Matthew 27:46 - 50, Mark 15:33 - 37, Luke 23:44 - 47 & John 19:28 - 30 and Matthew 27:57, Mark 15:42 - 45, Luke 23:50 - 53 & John 31 - 38.

* 24 hours later, if that day, the day of the Crucifixion, was a Wednesday, we would have one day and one night - Thursday between three pm six pm (sunset) on the day after the Crucifixion, one day...

* 24 hours after that we have two days and nights - Friday between three pm six pm (sunset) on the day after the Crucifixion, two days...

* 24 hours later we have three days and nights - Saturday between three pm six pm (sunset) on the day after the Crucifixion, three days...

Reading what we can in the Gospels, beginning with Matthew 12:40, Jesus very expressly says - "just as .... three days, and three nights..."

Mark 16:1 tells us that the ladies, after the Sabbath was over, went out shopping for spices, oils and ointments to anoint the Lord's body.  See also Luke 23:56

As a regular Saturday Sabbath (Seventh Day Shabbat) would have ended at sunset on Saturday night, the world A - would have been in total darkness, thus B - the ladies, and the event(s) of Mark 16:1 (acquisition of spices, oils and ointments) would have required that the ladies, without male accompaniment, be out shopping in the dark (after sunset) on a Saturday night.  BUT...

A Wednesday Crucifixion, followed by a Special High (Passover) Thursday Shabbat / Sabbath, would allow the ladies to go shopping on the Friday, gather and prepare their oils, spices and ointments, and still honour a regular Saturday Sabbath (Seventh Day Shabbat)!

Let us not forget, the empty tomb.  None of the Scriptures, not one of the four Gospels actually states - "Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday morning (or even 'on the morning of' the First Day of the week) ...

John 20 verse One simply says: - "Early on first day of the week... the tomb was FOUND empty..." Scripture says it (the tomb) was found empty early Sunday morning, not that Jesus Resurrection occurred early Sunday morning...

Luke 24:1 and Matthew 28:1 - 5 say something very similar - "the tomb was found empty early Sunday morning", not that "Jesus' Resurrection occurred early on Sunday morning."

Mark 16:9, does say (depending on translation read) that - "Jesus rose early on the First Day of the week" - but here too folks, Scripture does not say - "Jesus rose early on the *Morning Of* the First Day of the week" - rather Scripture's simple phraseology is:


And based upon the Jewish customs of the day, and to this very day in fact, of each NEW day beginning with sunset, the phrase - "Jesus rose early on the First Day of the week" - could, and indeed would, be equally well ascribed to moments after sunset, on Saturday night as to early Sunday morning.

Fourth - did Jesus die in A.D. 30?

Well, to determine reasonable options for a year of death (YOD), one must first look to the Scriptures, and second look at what history tells us, and also consider the various implications for possible years of birth (YOB).  Scripture tells us that Christ was - "about 30 years old" - when He began His Earthly Ministry. - Luke 3:23  And based upon the series of events as denoted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John and in the Book of Acts, including attending three Passovers it is usually concluded that Jesus' Earthly Ministry lasted c.~ 3 1/2 years.

Therefore, 30 + 3 1/2 years gives us i.e. 33 years of age for Christ when He was Crucified.  Thus if one works backwards from the approximate age of 33, and begins with A.D. 33, 32, 31, 30 and so on, through A.D. 27, one will arrive at possible Birth Years for Jesus the Christ of:

1 BC
2 BC
3 BC
4 BC
Thru 7 BC

To digress, for just a moment, while it is a true statement that - "If Jesus was born in 0 AD [sic], Herod could not have been the one to kill the babies since he was dead by then." - there remains another problem.  Yes, it is true (and this can be said with *absolute* unwavering certainty) that this creates a problem with Christ's birth being placed after Herod's death, however that problem persists for years of birth (YOB) 1 BC, 2 BC, 3 BC and even quite likely for 4 BC - there is, however, another problem...

* There is no year ZERO.

The calendar (which admittedly did not exist in Jesus day) went directly from 1 BC to A.D. 1, no year 0 at all, so clearly Jesus was not, and indeed could not have been, born in Year 0!

Fifth - was Jesus birth in year 3 BC?

Well as suggested above it would be, to say the least, impossible if Herod died in 4 BC for Christ to have been birthed in A.D. 0.  I would also dare say that, based upon the info in the Scriptures, that if Herod's YOD was 4 BC, then it is very likely Christ's YOB would have to have been between two and nearly three years previous.

With that said some, including the individual noted above, have suggested that Herod perhaps died in 1 BC.  Let's come back to Herod's YOD, as Point Six later.  For now, let us consider the implications of a 1 BC YOD for Herod, and the implications on Christ's birth.  As stated above, based upon Scripture one would have to go back between two and nearly three years farther into history to reasonably accommodate Scripture and verifiable facts.  Thus if Herod's YOD was 1 BC, Christ's YOB would have to be 3 or possibly 4 BC.

Sixth - Herod's YOD, and alleged evidence for a 1 BC time frame.  I will say only this on this particular subject - after a couple of hours of researching, I have discovered that there appears to be about as much evidence in support of moving the date from 4 BC to 8 BC, as there is for moving the date to 1 BC.  Therefore, it is my contention for the time being at least, to leave (for the purposes of this article) the traditionally accepted date for the YOD of Herod the Great at 4 BC.

Seventh and lastly - Herod's 'Massacre of the Innocents' or 'Slaughter of the Innocents'.  Many ask, and understandably so - "where is / are the historical records?"  If fact many ask specifically - "if someone like Herod really did order the murder of all babies under two years of age in Jerusalem, why is this not documented?"  But apart from the fact that the absence of third party historical references to Biblical accounts does not bear much weight, there are also other problems.

The Bible does not say, - "murder of babies in Jerusalem" - it says - "murder of babies in Bethlehem" - neither does the bible say - "babies under two" - it says - "babies, two years of age and under." -

Bethlehem, and not Jerusalem, does that really matter though?  Well, for starters Bethlehem in Jesus' day was a very small town, with maybe 500 or possibly 600 people living there.  Does that matter?  Based upon typical demographics it can be suggested that in a community with even 600 people, the number of infants and toddlers (2 years old and under), would be a fairly low number.  Likely 20 to 30 babies, possibly 40 on the outside.  Now this is not to imply that even one life was meaningless, at least not to me.

Herod was well noted for his commission of horrific, heinous, and vulgar crimes against humanity [1]. Thus to the Romans and even historians of the day, the peoples, and indeed the children, of insignificant little Bethlehem were indeed meaningless and inconsequential.

/// NAME REDACTED - "Let's focus on leading more people correctly to Christ. Jesus states He will rise on the third day. He rose on Sunday died on Fri.. If He died on Wed. He rose on the fifth day which makes Jesus wrong. Hmmmm. As for the geologists wrong, Jesus died in 30 AD at the age of 33. He was not born in 0 AD but actually in 3 BC at Passover. Latest research shows Herod could have died in 1 BC check Wikipedia for that information. If Jesus was born in 0 AD Herod could not have been the one to kill the babies since he was dead by then. So much for geologists.[sic]" ///

I believe there are many solid and sound reasons to view a Wednesday through Saturday Crucifixion and Resurrection process.

Yet, at the end of the day, what Paul had to say in I Corinthians 13:12 & 2:2, should be a good guide post.



The Gospels do not tell us plainly, blatantly or expressly "Friday" or "Wednesday"... neither did the New Testament writers waste time admonishing folk about adherence to Fridays or Wednesdays...

Paul merely preached "Christ crucified"!

I happen to be an ardent supporter of, and even believer in, the Wednesday through Saturday presentation.  And I am so inclined, based upon a host of points based upon what I see in Scripture.  Yet, I fear that this just becomes one more point that many of us (yes, myself included) engage in heated discussions over.  And we all too often lose sight of the simple fact of - "Christ Crucified".

I find the subject matter both fascinating and even invigorating.  I have learned much because someone said - "Scripture in BCV says..., do you not think that must mean "A", "B" and / or "C"!"

Sometimes Scriptures like John 14:6, and Acts 4:12 spell things out very, very bluntly and blatantly – "Jesus is the only way" and "no other name under heaven"!

Sometimes Scriptures like Genesis Chapter One, and Exodus 20:11 & 31:17 spell things out very, very bluntly and blatantly - G-d (Christ) created everything (the Heavens and the Earth) in Six Days...

But on many other subject lines...

While we do read:


We do not read His birth day was "X"

While we do read:

Jesus was Crucified - Matthew 27:32-56 & Luke 23:26-43

We do not read His Crucifixion day was "X"

While we do read:


We do not read His Day of return will be "X"

Please Do Not Lose Sight Of Christ Crucified

“No Jesus, NO peace” and yet, “Know Jesus, KNOW peace”

How does one get to “know” Jesus?  Simple, invite Him into your heart, as Jesus says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [Revelation 3:20 NIV]  How can be assured that this Jesus stuff means anything?  Well because the Bible tells us so, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” [Romans 10:9-10 NIV]

And for those of you who say to me, I can’t be bothered reading the Bible, “it’s confusing” or “it’s a waste of my time”, may I draw your attention to what the Bible says about wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” [Proverbs 9:10 NIV]

If nothing else, PLEASE read two chapters from the Bible – (don’t own one, sorry NO excuse, if you’re reading this, you can access this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16&version=NIV) John 3 and John 14!

John 3:16 says:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And John 14:6 says: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Well that’s it, that’s Da Bauz’s take on the question, “Please do not lose sight of Christ Crucified”, this 21st day of May, 2016 © 2016, All Rights Reserved. wr (Da Bauz, Christian Zionist “creationist” too!)

Just sayin’...

What is #RAD? #RAD is:

R epent of rejecting Christ
A ccept Christ as your Lord
D evelop your relationship with G-d

#RAD your relationship with the Living Almighty God Himself as your personal Lord and Saviour depends on it!

What is #ATEND G-d (Christ)? Ask me!

#IIC714

II 2nd
C hronicles
7:14

John 3:16, Revelation 3:20, Romans 10:9 -10, Revelation 21:27, II Corinthians 5:21 and I John 5:13 / John 20:31!

Shalom!

Cited or consulted sources and resources

[1] - “Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985. ”


http://bit.ly/1TbrRGd - “How long was Jesus' ministry?” Got Questions

http://bit.ly/1XIbmXZ - “How old was Jesus when He died on the cross?” C.A.R.M.

http://bit.ly/1XIbzub - “How old was Jesus when He was crucified?” C.A.R.M.

http://bit.ly/1qBvuO6  - “Why isn't there other evidence of the massacre of the babies?” C.A.R.M.

http://bit.ly/1kliLwA - “Bible Hub”

http://bit.ly/1kliTMD - “BibleGateway”

http://bit.ly/1MzWhEQ - “Bible.org

Tuesday 17 May 2016

Did Paul ever meet Jesus


#RAD #ATEND G-d (Christ) #IIC714

Did Paul ever meet Jesus

Recently, someone through Social Media commented, and queried:

I know Paul wrote most of the new testament. But is it true he never even meet Jesus.

And my reply may leave some, perhaps many, of you gasping:

Yes, and more to the point no, and possibly... confused yet??”

Yes, I gave him three (3) differing, even seemingly contradictory

 * Yes, Paul never met Jesus
 * No, that’s not correct that Paul ‘never met Jesus’, and
 * Maybe it’s possible that Paul did meet Jesus

answers a few moments earlier.  So now, before my readers, anyone, begins to conclude I a doubleminded man, please permit me to explain.  And before I get into the explanation, please bear with me as I refer to something I wrote about approximately a week ago – “Paul the swindler? Or Apostle...” – and here too, before anyone simply looks at the Blog title, and concludes, ‘heretic’, please read the Blog!

Let’s begin with the first – ‘yes, Paul never met Jesus’ – by taking a look at what Scripture tells us about Saul of Tarsus / Paul, and his conversion encounter, shall we?  In the Book of Acts Chapter 9, verses 1 through 19, we read of Paul’s miraculous conversion to being a follower of Christ.  Later in Acts, Chapters 22 and 26 Paul speaks again about his ‘conversion experience’ with others.  In Acts 9:5 we read, Paul speaking – “Who are you, Lord?” – which lends itself certainly to the idea that Saul who was also known as Paul, had no idea who he was talking to, as if he had never met Jesus. - Acts 9 - http://bit.ly/24Xp6QJ, ESV.  See also Acts 22:6 - http://bit.ly/24XpnTC and Acts 26:12 - http://bit.ly/24XpcHY  

Next, let’s look at – ‘no, that’s not correct that Paul ‘never met Jesus’ ’, – and consider what Paul himself said about his, shall I say, “Internship” as an Apostle, according to Galatians Chapter One:

Paul said of himself, that he “…did not receive it [the Gospel] from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus…” – Galatians 1:12, ESV, emphasis in square parentheses mine.  Paul made a fairly poignant point of highlighting that A) – he was not “taught the Gospel by other humans”, not by the 12 nor by any other man, verse 12, and B) that it was through the simple and very direct revelation of G-d (Christ), also verse 12, that Paul was taught.  Ergo, Paul was taught expressly by and directly by the Risen Lord Jesus.  In verse 18 Paul reveals that his ‘time of training’ – “…after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas…” – lasted three years, and in verse 19 Paul again reiterates that he was not “Discipled” by any of the other Apostles. – Galatians 1 - http://bit.ly/24Xqp24.  Thus the point can be argued that Paul did not meet, or *know* Jesus in His pre-crucifixion, human incarnate form.

And finally, let’s look at – ‘Maybe it’s possible that Paul did meet Jesus’ – and consider some texts, and implications from a little earlier in Scripture, in Acts 6, 7 and 8.  The Book of Acts covers a time span of some thirty thirty-five odd years of the early Church.  Acts Chapters One through Five covers between one and three years (from the Resurrection), Acts 6, 7 and 8 cover between another two to five years (from the first couple of Chapters).  And Acts 9, Saul’s / Paul’s conversion is another five to seven years later again, (so Paul’s conversion would be between five and maybe seven years later still, after the Resurrection of Christ).   With that in mind, consider the events of Acts 6:8 through Acts 7:60, which would have happened roughly three possibly four years, post the Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ, wherein we read about both the very first martyr for Christ, Stephen, and also a very powerful speech by Stephen, followed by his execution.  And consider the words of Acts 7:58 about one particular young man:

“…witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.”, ESV –  http://bit.ly/24XwV8M

A young man named Saul”, was an onlooker at Stephen’s martyrdom, and a guarder of cloaks.  The text tells us Paul (Saul) was a young man, 17 or 18, perhaps 20 or 21, maybe?  A young man entrusted with guarding the cloaks of those who were about to execute (stone to death) Stephen.  And based upon the timelines of Acts Chapters One through Nine, we have between an eight and 15 year passing of time.  So let’s just run with 12 years, (this is a guess, could be longer, could be fewer), passing when Saul had his conversion experience.  Let’s use about five years (post Resurrection) for when Saul, witnessed Stephen’s execution and let’s also use 21-years-of-age for Saul’s age also when he saw Stephen’s execution, and guarded the cloaks of his peers (these are both guesses, of course, and as such they both could be longer, or fewer in years).  If, and yes, I get it, this is an “IF” Saul was 21 years old when Stephen was martyred, and Stephen’s martyring took place c. ~ five years following the Resurrection of Christ, this would place Saul at approximately 15 years of age at the time of the Crucifixion. 

Why would Saul’s age, at the time of the Crucifixion matter, or be relevant?  Perhaps no reason.  But, perhaps a 15-year-old Saul was one of many Pharisees-in-training, standing in the crowd the day Jesus was Crucified.  Perhaps, going back over the roughly three years of Jesus Earthly Ministry, a 12 to 15 years old, up-and-coming, Pharisee in training named Saul, had occasion to hear, and initially reject, Jesus personal first hand preaching?  Once more, this is speculation, as Scripture is silent on the specifics, therefore they are not points of vital significance.  Nonetheless, it is within reason to conclude at least the possibility of Saul being a first-hand witness to the pre-Crucifixion Jesus, and His exploits.

Thus, the clear answer to – “Did Paul ever meet Jesus?” – is, in my humble opinion, a resounding YES!  Yes, Paul met Jesus, and I think it more than fair to surmise that Paul met (at least saw, and knew of) both the pre-Crucified incarnate Jesus, and as well as the post Resurrection, Risen Lord, Jesus.

“No Jesus, NO peace” and yet, “Know Jesus, KNOW peace”

How does one get to “know” Jesus?  Simple, invite Him into your heart, as Jesus says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [Revelation 3:20 NIV]  How can be assured that this Jesus stuff means anything?  Well because the Bible tells us so, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” [Romans 10:9-10 NIV]

And for those of you who say to me, I can’t be bothered reading the Bible, “it’s confusing” or “it’s a waste of my time”, may I draw your attention to what the Bible says about wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” [Proverbs 9:10 NIV]

If nothing else, PLEASE read two chapters from the Bible – (don’t own one, sorry NO excuse, if you’re reading this, you can access this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16&version=NIV) John 3 and John 14!

John 3:16 says:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And John 14:6 says: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Well that’s it, that’s Da Bauz’s take on the question, “Did Paul ever meet Jesus”, this 17th day of May, 2016 © 2016, All Rights Reserved. wr (Da Bauz, Christian Zionist “creationist” too!)

Just sayin’...

What is #RAD? #RAD is:

R epent of rejecting Christ
A ccept Christ as your Lord
D evelop your relationship with G-d

#RAD your relationship with the Living Almighty God Himself as your personal Lord and Saviour depends on it!

What is #ATEND G-d (Christ)? Ask me!

#IIC714

II 2nd
C hronicles
7:14

John 3:16, Revelation 3:20, Romans 10:9 -10, Revelation 21:27, II Corinthians 5:21 and I John 5:13 / John 20:31!

Shalom!

Cited or consulted sources and resources


http://bit.ly/1kliLwA - “Bible Hub”

http://bit.ly/1kliTMD - “BibleGateway”

http://bit.ly/1MzWhEQ - “Bible.org

Tuesday 10 May 2016

Paul the swindler? Or Apostle...


#RAD #ATEND G-d (Christ) #IIC714

Paul the swindler? Or Apostle...

Was Paul, the Apostle whom the Lord used to write nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, a swindler or a bonā fidē Apostle? Check out my good friend Mari' s Blog ApoLogika, “Did Paul Teach a Different Gospel than Jesus Did?” for some solid insights!

In the mean time, consider this, adapted and inspired (in part) by the above noted “Did Paul Teach a Different Gospel than Jesus Did?” Blog.

Many folk, especially Muslims, make the claim that “Paul the Apostle was a swindler”.

They argue that Paul taught vastly differently, and vastly different things, from what JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) taught. But did he, really?

Jesus said "I am Yahweh" in many verses, including:




What about Paul, did Paul call JESUS G-d?

Philippians 2:6, Paul says - "....existing in the form of God..." - HCSB

JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) also stated that "I am equal to the Father (Who is G-d)" in many verses

John 5:22 and 23



and

John 10:27 - 30




Interesting that JESUS just one verse earlier is cited as saying that No one will snatch them out of MY HAND

and


Clearly JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) taught that He was equal with and that He was, in fact IS, G-d.

Paul says in Philippians 2:6 that JESUS - "...did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.” - HCSB

Paul says in Philippians 2:7 that:

A) - Jesus emptied Himself of - "the form of God", (from verse 6 above) and that
B ) - "He assumed the form of a slave"

JESUS likewise claimed for Himself that:

A) - He emptied Himself of "the form of God" , and
B ) - "He assumed the form of a slave"

JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) taught in John 3:11 - 13 that He did in fact - “descend from Heaven” -, as Paul speaks of in verse 7 of Philippians 2 (Point A above), and in verse 11 of John 3 we see JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) using the words “WE” and “OUR”:

“We speak…
“We know…
“We testify…
“We have seen…
“Our testimony…

See also John 6:38 & John 6:62, and John 8:23

And JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) taught in Matthew 20:28 that - "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life--a ransom for many.” - HCSB, just as Paul spoke of in verse 7 of Philippians 2 (Point B above).

See also Mark 10:45 and Luke 22:27

Once more we read that Paul taught precisely what JESUS the Christ / Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Rabbi Yeshua bar Yosef) taught!

Consider this, Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles in Kehillah in Galatia 2 verses 9 & 10 said:

Ya‘akov (James), Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) perceived (recognized) that grace had been given to him (Paul), and extended to him the right hand of fellowship.

To remember the poor the very thing Paul desired very much to do.

http://bit.ly/1T2qHR0

“9 So, having perceived what grace had been given to me, Ya‘akov, Kefa and Yochanan, the acknowledged pillars of the community, extended to me and Bar-Nabba the right hand of fellowship; so that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the Circumcised. 10 Their only request was that we should remember the poor — which very thing I have spared no pains to do.” - CJB

Peter, the Apostle to the Jews, said in Gevurot Chapter 15, Verses Eight through Eleven:

G-d, who knows the heart, bore witness by giving the Ruach HaKodesh, making no distinction between us [Jews] and them [Gentiles], He cleansed their hearts by faith [in Jesus]

So why test G-d by placing a yoke on the necks of the disciples, a yoke, by the way, which neither our fathers nor we [the Jews] have been able to endure

We (the Jews) are saved through the [precious, undeserved] grace of the Lord Jesus [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life], in just the same way as they (the gentiles) are.


“8 And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by giving the Ruach HaKodesh to them, just as he did to us; 9 that is, he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their heart by trust. 10 So why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the talmidim which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear? 11 No, it is through the love and kindness of the Lord Yeshua that we trust and are delivered — and it’s the same with them.” ” - CJB

And finally, James judging that Paul's testimony was sound, said in Gevurot Chapter 15, Verses Thirteen through Twenty-two:

Ya‘akov (James) said - hear me, G-d first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name, and the Prophets agree

Do not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God, putting obstacles in their way,

Then the apostles, Ya‘akov (James), Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John), and the elders, together with the WHOLE CHURCH, selected some of their men to go to Antioch WITH Paul


“13 Ya‘akov broke the silence to reply. “Brothers,” he said, “hear what I have to say. 14 Shim‘on has told in detail what God did when he first began to show his concern for taking from among the Goyim a people to bear his name. 15 And the words of the Prophets are in complete harmony with this for it is written,

16 ‘“After this, I will return;
and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David.
I will rebuild its ruins,
I will restore it,
17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
that is, all the Goyim who have been called by my name,”
18 says Adonai, who is doing these things.’[a]
All this has been known for ages.

19 “Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat.”

22 Then the emissaries and the elders, together with the whole Messianic community, decided to select men from among themselves to send to Antioch with Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba. They sent Y’hudah, called Bar-Sabba, and Sila, both leading men among the brothers,” - CJB

“No Jesus, NO peace” and yet, “Know Jesus, KNOW peace”

How does one get to “know” Jesus?  Simple, invite Him into your heart, as Jesus says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [Revelation 3:20 NIV]  How can be assured that this Jesus stuff means anything?  Well because the Bible tells us so, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” [Romans 10:9-10 NIV]

And for those of you who say to me, I can’t be bothered reading the Bible, “it’s confusing” or “it’s a waste of my time”, may I draw your attention to what the Bible says about wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” [Proverbs 9:10 NIV]

If nothing else, PLEASE read two chapters from the Bible – (don’t own one, sorry NO excuse, if you’re reading this, you can access this: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16&version=NIV) John 3 and John 14!

John 3:16 says:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

And John 14:6 says: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Well that’s it, that’s Da Bauz’s take on, “Paul the swindler?”, this 10th day of May, 2016 © 2016, All Rights Reserved. wr (Da Bauz, Christian Zionist “creationist” too!)

Just sayin’...

What is #RAD? #RAD is:

R epent of rejecting Christ
A ccept Christ as your Lord
D evelop your relationship with G-d

#RAD your relationship with the Living Almighty God Himself as your personal Lord and Saviour depends on it!

What is #ATEND G-d (Christ)? Ask me!

#IIC714

II 2nd
C hronicles
7:14

John 3:16, Revelation 3:20, Romans 10:9 -10, Revelation 21:27, II Corinthians 5:21 and I John 5:13 / John 20:31!

Shalom!

Cited or consulted sources and resources


http://bit.ly/21Tliho - “Did Paul Teach a Different Gospel than Jesus Did?”

http://bit.ly/1kliLwA - “Bible Hub”

http://bit.ly/1kliTMD - “BibleGateway”

http://bit.ly/1MzWhEQ - “Bible.org