A look at Ezekiel 37:15-28 and Matt 18:1-19:30

[Ben Avraham]

EZEKIEL 37:15-28

Here, “Yeches’kel Ha Navi” (Ezekiel the Prophet) sees the joining of Judah and the children of Israel, and Yosef, with his son Efrain” and they are joined together as ONE (Echad) “One in Unity” Once they were separated, Yosef and his sons in Egypt, and Israel, Judah, and his brothers, in Canaan, but NOW, together as ONE FAMILY as we are also ONE (echad) in Messiah Yeshua's love. We are “Kehilah Echad” (One congregation united in Yeshua) even though there are thousands of “Kehilot” all over the world, our relationship in Yeshua makes us ONE.

There are many different denominations within Christendom and even amongst Messianic Jewish congregations, there are different doctrinal beliefs, yet, besides the differences, we all must have these basic beliefs;

That Yeshua/Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins, His own life and blood, and that through accepting Him as LORD and Savior, we become "born again" and part of God's extended family, which reaches to all 4 corners of the Earth. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God, spoken to the Prophets and written down by their hands through the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) We are saved by faith and by faith alone, followed by righteous living by living God's commandments in our lives. We can expect Yeshua/Jesus' second coming soon, this time as King (Yeshua Ben David). All believers are citizens of the New Jerusalem, our future and eternal home.

MATT 18:1-19:30

Yeshua says “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. A child is “innocent” and has an eager mind to learn. When we are “born again” we start anew, like “little children” and slowly “grow into maturity” Yes, we will stumble and fall, get into trouble, and get “spanked” by the Father, but HE will still love us as HIS CHILDREN.

Matt 18:8,9 often causes one to think twice. “If your hand or foot becomes a snare for you, cut it off and throw it away…If your eye is a snare for you, pluck it out and cast it away..”

Why did Yeshua use this terminology? Certainly, this is not literal. Of course not. If not literal, it has to be moral and spiritual. The end focus is heaven. It is the physical against the spiritual. We can look at this by doing things with our hands and feet. Our hands perform actions and our feet take us to different places. We must be careful that we don’t participate in actions that can hinder our spiritual growth. We must be careful not to go to certain places, or events that are completely worldly and have nothing to do with our relationship with Messiah.

One sin which comes through "looking" and "touching" is "fornication and adultery". Joseph took the right course of action; HE RAN AWAY! HE GOT HIMSELF OUT OF THERE! even though it cost him time in prison, he did not fall into that sin.

How about what we see? We see with our eyes and we must take care of what we watch. Does what we watch (on TV or the Net) cause a stumbling block in our spiritual walk? Does it hinder our growth? If it does, we better “cast” our eyes elsewhere.

Our future hope is Heaven, in Yeshua, we are secure, yet what we do here on earth as believers will have either a positive or negative effect in Heaven. A loss or gain of rewards. So, what we do here will “eternally” affect us! Just think about that! (and I am speaking to myself too, big-time!)

Shalom.

Birthday Flowers for all January birthdays on this Forum

 

[Josheb]

Thanks for the flowers. I was 66 years young last Friday.

I would like to observe something common in your posts: Posts often speak of unity but language separates and/or divides. An example of this is the use of Hebrew like, "kehilot" when "congregation", "assembly" or "gathering" or even "ecclesia" would be much more inclusive, much better understood, and thereby less separating (this sort of thing happens every time any Judaized member of the forum posts so this specific problem is not unique to you).




That said, there are a couple of minor problems with the op. For example, Jesus' reference to becoming like children has nothing to do with innocence. Lots of people inject innocence into the text but that occurs baselessly AND it happens in direct contradiction to the larger fact of scripture that no one is innocent. You are on a more accurate path when writing about the need to start life anew. That is the better interpretation of Jesus' comment. No one in and of themselves can claim any innocence just because they've converted to Jesus. It is only because of the sanctifying work of Calvary that Paul could remotely say, "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men," (Acts 20:26) when he was not.

Philippians 2:12-16
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

The only wholly innocent person who has ever lived is Jesus. When the New Testament authors write about becoming like Jesus, or "Christlike," they are not claiming their past sins (and its effects) never happened, and they are most definitely not telling people to become messiahs. The angel is in the details.



I am also curious about this op's use of "echad." Do you subscribe to the divinity of Jesus, and are you Trinitarian?

.....besides the differences, we all must have these basic beliefs;

Amen!

That Yeshua/Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins, His own life and blood, and that through accepting Him as LORD and Savior, we become "born again" and part of God's extended family, which reaches to all 4 corners of the Earth.

Amen!

The Bible is the inerrant Word of God, spoken to the Prophets and written down by their hands through the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh)

Amen!

We are saved by faith and by faith alone,

Incorrect.

We are saved through faith alone, not by faith alone. Conflating "by" and through" is very common but the difference is very important. We are saved BY grace alone, THROUGH faith alone. That is the correct way to word it.

...followed by righteous living by living God's commandments in our lives.

Yes, as long as it is understood that righteous living is not causal to salvation, but the product thereof.

We can expect Yeshua/Jesus' second coming soon

How soon, exactly?

this time as King (Yeshua Ben David).

Jesus is already King, and there is no rule above his.

All believers are citizens of the New Jerusalem, our future and eternal home.

Amen!



And by this time the op has lost focus. Is there a particular point of comment or inquiry that was intended for discussion?

 

[Josheb]

@Ben Avraham,

Thanks for the PM offer. However, can the point I made and the questions I asked get addressed?

• Is there a specific point of comment or inquiry in this op intended for discussion?
• Do you understand the use of language is itself dividing?
• Is Jesus divine?
• Are you Trinitarian?
• How soon, exactly, is Jesus' second coming?

And how about that point about saved through faith, rather than by faith? Should I expect a response to that and/or any of the above?

 

[Ben Avraham]

Well, all areas in the articles are open for discussion. what is an OP? The use of language, (Hebrew and English) is to help the reader understand the basics and original meaning of translated words. Yet I always try to write them in both languages like Yeshua/Jesus Kehilah/congregation so the reader can relate better. Yes, Jesus is divine, Jesus is God. I believe, yes, in the Trinity. In Hebrew the name "Elohim" illustrates the "Tri-Unity" or "Plural God" (Father/Av, Son/Ben, Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. How soon is Jesus coming back? no one knows, yet we need to be ready as if He is coming right now, at any second, yet continue to make plans for the future as if He is coming years from now, .
Yes, we are faith by and through faith in the complete work on Calvary.

 

[Mr GLee]

Well, all areas in the articles are open for discussion. what is an OP? The use of language, (Hebrew and English) is to help the reader understand the basics and original meaning of translated words. Yet I always try to write them in both languages like Yeshua/Jesus Kehilah/congregation so the reader can relate better. Yes, Jesus is divine, Jesus is God. I believe, yes, in the Trinity. In Hebrew the name "Elohim" illustrates the "Tri-Unity" or "Plural God" (Father/Av, Son/Ben, Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. How soon is Jesus coming back? no one knows, yet we need to be ready as if He is coming right now, at any second, yet continue to make plans for the future as if He is coming years from now, .
Yes, we are faith by and through faith in the complete work on Calvary.

Hi

Does the Hebrew language have an authority over the English?

Is not Christ here reigning in the hearts of those born-again? Why would some seek after an unseen Spirit thar is here already, as if believers were not yoked with his labor of love?

Did the second coming already take place? Where things restored?

 

[Josheb]

Well, all areas in the articles are open for discussion. what is an OP?

OP stands for "opening post." The mention of the word "op" can be a reference to either the opening post, or the author of the opening post.

The use of language, (Hebrew and English) is to help the reader understand the basics and original meaning of translated words.

With respect, you've failed miserably if that was the objective. This op did not spend any time explaining its many Hebrew words. I happen to know the meanings of the words used in the op, as well as their idiomatic meaning and significance, but many may not and do not. Furthermore, most of it is unnecessary. Everyone here knows who Ezekiel is, but mentioning him by his Hebrew name is meaningless to most. You haven't done yourself or anyone else any benefit. It makes things worse, not better. This is especially true if the unstated or unawares motive prompting the usage is "I know better than the rest of you." Even worse if the intent is "I know better than the rest of you all so accept me as your teacher and be my students whether you like it or not."

Think of it this way:

What is the French alternative for the name Stephen? Etienne
What is the Russian alternative for the name George? Yuri
What is the Celtic alternative for name Grace? Siobhan (pronounced "shivon")

What is the meaning of each name?

So post in English because this is an English language forum and when the Hebrew or the Greek meaning of words is important then explain it 1) in a manner relevant to the purpose of the op, 2) with evidence so the veracity of the claim can be verified, and 3) in a manner that does not incorrectly Judaize Christianity because Christians are NOT Jews and the NT writers repudiated that practice .

Yet I always try to write them in both languages like Yeshua/Jesus Kehilah/congregation so the reader can relate better.

That was good but "kehilah" has specific connotations that aren't communicated denotatively. All the connotative meaning is lost where it's not explained and if all that you wanted to communicate was "congregation" then that word should have been used because everyone understands that word and the connotative significance of the Hebrew isn't important if all you want to communicate is a gathering of people. Of course, if the connotative meaning and significance of kekilah isn't known, then what you've done is unwittingly displayed a lack of knowledge that might border on ignorance and undermine your own posts. I am not saying that is the case. I am pointing out very real, legitimate problems inherent in using different languages without clarity when English works sufficiently.

Yes, Jesus is divine, Jesus is God. I believe, yes, in the Trinity.

Good. Thank you very much for that direct, immediate, and concise answer. Well done.

In Hebrew the name "Elohim" illustrates the "Tri-Unity" or "Plural God" (Father/Av, Son/Ben, Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh.

You shouold venture over to the Trinity board and see if you can make any headway with the non-Trins . Be prepared for some serious eisegesis and nonsense, though .

How soon is Jesus coming back? no one knows

Then how can you say it is soon?

Do you get my point(s)? It is completely irrational to say something is going to happen soon and then also say the when is unknown. It makes you look foolish. This is a HUGE problem among modern futurists, especially those of the Dispensational Premillennialist persuasion.

, yet we need to be ready as if He is coming right now, at any second, yet continue to make plans for the future as if He is coming years from now.

I agree, but that could be true of any person living in any time under any circumstance and that is the historical, orthodox position of the Church. That orthodox position stands in direct contradiction to Dispensational Premillennialists who constantly misuse and abuse the word "soon," condition the return on specific events, and never make an accurate prediction, and refuse to specify exactly what "soon" means when asked. I've written several ops critical of this theology and its constituent eschatology. They're listed HERE (the six problems with Dispensationalism ops). I invite you to weigh in if you're interested.

Yes, we are faith by and through faith in the complete work on Calvary.

That is not an answer to the question asked because the word "saved" was left out.

Scripture NEVER states "saved by faith." Never. If you've got an eBible take a moment and do a word phrase search and verify that fact before reading further. What scripture does explicitly states is....

• Saved by grace (Eph. 2:8)
• Saved through faith (Eph. 2:8)
• Justified by faith (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:16)
• We are created in Christ for works (Eph. 2:10)

This may seem like hair splitting but this distinction is important because saying we are saved by faith implies faith is causal to salvation, not predicate or correlative. Having faith does not cause salvation. God, and God alone, causes salvation. Therefore, be judicious and say "saved through faith..." and in doing so bear integrity with God's word (as opposed to those soteriologies that teach faith is causal).

 

[Mr GLee]

This may seem like hair splitting but this distinction is important because saying we are saved by faith implies faith is causal to salvation, not predicate or correlative. Having faith does not cause salvation. God, and God alone, causes salvation. Therefore, be judicious and say "saved through faith..." and in doing so bear integrity with God's word (as opposed to those soteriologies that teach faith is causal).

Faith the mystery word. . .

I would offer. It becomes saved through whose faith?

It would seem according to the law of Faith (Christ's ) He is the powerful cause ."let there be"

Faith is a work called a labor of love. . Faith, the power to believe the unseen eternal.

Yoked with Christ faithfulness can give power strengthening our human powerless faith (understanding)

Christ give us little of His understanding (faith) pouring out His Spirit life in Jeapordy of his own power.

Calling believers "ye with little faith" When Christ increased the load 7 times 70 Peter replied increase my new born again faith

Faith that works in us is power

Satan's goal to take away the power of the unseen labor of Christ's love The Pagan foundation ."Out of sight out of mind" God calls them fools .

 

[Ben Avraham]

Does Hebrew have authority over English is the question? Only that the Bible (The Old Testament) was written in Hebrew and then translated into other languages. If we can refer back to the original language, Hebrew, in this case, we stand a better chance of understanding the original meaning of some words or topics.

 

[Mr GLee]

Does Hebrew have authority over English is the question? Only that the Bible (The Old Testament) was written in Hebrew and then translated into other languages. If we can refer back to the original language, Hebrew, in this case, we stand a better chance of understanding the original meaning of some words or topics.

I would think looking to the original is the first step then comparing it to context of the whole.

He has given us many valuable tools to help seek his approval that are needed to rightly divide the parables, the signified understanding in which without he spoke not. hiding the gospel the understanding. Not seen by human eye or understood by the flesh of dying mankind

In the end the spiritual unseen things must be compared to the same (invisible) or called faith a labor of love to the same gospel understanding.

Faith as power to believe God and work with him to His good pleasure.

Not Human faith they have none that could please God God cals them faithless. Not little none

Today a person can look at many different kinds of translations to help aid

1 Corithians 2:13-14Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things (invisible) with spiritual. (invisible) ; But the natural man receiveth not the things (invisible)of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually (invisible) discerned.

Romans 1:17;For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Christ's labor of love)

 

[Josheb]

Does Hebrew have authority over English is the question? Only that the Bible (The Old Testament) was written in Hebrew and then translated into other languages. If we can refer back to the original language, Hebrew, in this case, we stand a better chance of understanding the original meaning of some words or topics.

And..... Hebrew is a very idiomatic language and English is not. Hebrew creates "word pictures" that are lost when translating into any blunt language (like English).

 

[Mr GLee]

And..... Hebrew is a very idiomatic language and English is not. Hebrew creates "word pictures" that are lost when translating into any blunt language (like English).

Thanks new one. . .great word "idiomatic language"