Paul wrote that he entreated the Lord three times to remove a thorn from his flesh-2 Cor. 12:8ff. Scholars normally identify the Lord in this account with Jesus Christ, but Witness publications make a case for Paul entreating Jehovah God three times. See https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1987848?q=2+Cor+12%3A8-9&p=par
However, Christ is not left out of the equation.
Either way, it's essential that we approach the "hearer of prayer" (Psalm 65:2) with our supplications (intense prayers) and sincere petitions.
Exodus 2:23-25
Philippians 4:6-7
Hebrews 5:7
Luke 11:5-10 & 18:1-8
Romans 12:11
Psalm 55:22
James 5:16-17
Sporadic theological and historical musings by Edgar Foster (Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies and one of Jehovah's Witnesses).
3 times?
ReplyDeleteSee Matthew 26:44.
ReplyDeleteDaniel 6:13
ReplyDeleteDaniel 6:10
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/passages/related-articles/prayer-practices-in-daniel
ReplyDeleteThe article offers some insights, but the author makes it sound like Daniel (or the author of Daniel) came up with praying three times a day and that it has something to do with "prayerful bodies" during the time Daniel was purportedly written. There is likely more to it than that, and the article writer claims Nebuchadnezzar "worshiped" Daniel. Probably more like did obeisance or prostrated himself before Daniel.
ReplyDeleteThree times a day sound ritualistic. If 3 was the norm for daily prayer then Paul would be saying I prayed one whole day and no response, does that sound like serious supplication to you? So I am not so sure that is really what it means, especially with the way 3 is used in other near Eastern tradition.
ReplyDeleteOne certainly could do serious supplication in one day: Jesus did it (Hebrews 5:7). On the other hand, I'm not being dogmatic and saying he only prayed one day about the thorn. Maybe he prayed multiple days. But he's probably alluding to some custom as you say.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 5:7 has no direct connection to any other account. ἡμέραις
ReplyDeleteI know what scholars now say about Hebrews 5:7: they want to disassociate it from Gethsemane. Okay, but the point remains that Jesus reportedly offered supplications and petitions, which is supported by the Gospels.
ReplyDeleteAnd he prayed three times in Gethsemane.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-08532017000100032
ReplyDeleteHebrews 5:7
Paul also went to the "Third" Heaven.
ReplyDeleteSome traditions persist - Triple talaq.
I am not disassociating Heb 5:7 from from Gethsemane, but on the other hand there is no reason to focus on it either.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayers_of_Jesus
I don't know much about the scholarship and my comment is from a plain reading of the text in its context.
If you check out the link above, it give many examples of scholars who connected Hebrews 5:7 with Gethsemane, but the article contends that's all wrong. Either way, I cited Hebrews 5:7 to demonstrate that Jesus offered petitions and supplications on more than one occassion: I was not limiting the text in Hebrews to Gethsemane, but just showing that Jesus gave a threefold prayer in Gethsemane, but I believe he supplicated Jehovah at other times. As you said, in the days of his flesh (his humanity).
ReplyDeleteLuke11:1NIV"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”"
ReplyDeleteThat must have been some prayer!
I agree, it must have been some prayer. It reminds me of when Jesus prayed all night before choosing his disciples, which must have been intense. Also we have Kinz Hezekiah, Jonah, Daniel and many others who offered intense supplications to Jehovah.
ReplyDelete