As the end of this system approaches, we can expect more civil unrest,
war, and violence to occur. As Revelation 6:4 prophesies, the
fiery-colored horse that represents war will continue galloping until
Jesus steps in to destroy Satan's godless system of things (compare Zechariah 6:1-2).
Since we
can expect more civil unrest in the future, it is imperative for us to
be prepared, both spiritually and physically. How can we prepare in both
ways?
To prepare spiritually, we should identify Bible
principles and scriptural accounts that build our trust in Jehovah and
his earthly organization. Moreover, we should strengthen our determination to be
neutral regarding this world's political affairs. 1 Peter 4:7-8 likewise
emphasizes the need to have intense love for one another, so it is
important to build strong friendships within the Christian congregation.
We
can prepare physically by having an effective plan to shelter in place and we need
to have a reasonable amount of supplies to facilitate such preparation.
What if we have to
leave our homes? In that case, we'll need a go bag, personal protective
equipment and money, and we'll want to make sure that the elders know how
to contact us. Furthermore, we need to know their contact details. Isaiah 32:1-2
reminds us that the elders are a source of protection within the
congregation: they have our best interests at heart.
Watch the video
Ask the questions after watching the video
Conclude
Foster's Theological Reflections
Sporadic theological and historical musings by Edgar Foster (Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies and one of Jehovah's Witnesses).
Thursday, May 02, 2024
Prepare Spiritually As the Fiery-Colored Horse Gallops Along (Modified Talk)
Wednesday, May 01, 2024
Words of the Month (May 2024)
1) Magniloquent:
"speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner."
Its usage dates "back to 1650–60; back formation from Latin magniloquentia elevated language, equivalent to magniloqu ( us ) speaking grandly ( magni- magni- + loqu ( ī ) to speak + -us adj. suffix) + -entia -ence.
See https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/magniloquent-2019-03-24?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=m&file=magnil02
4) Χήρα (Greek)-primarily, a "widow" or a woman left without a husband. See https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=xh/ra
Monday, April 29, 2024
Language and the Mind (Richard Restak)
Source: Richard Restak, The Mind. Bantam, NY: 1988.
Compare Psalm 139:14.
Restak is a neurologist and neuropsychiatrist (born in 1942).
Titus 2:12 (Divine Χάρις teaches "us")
Greek (WH): παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι,
Our text begins with the present active participle nominative singular feminine form of the verb παιδεύω + the accusative plural first person of ἡμεῖς: translate "teaching us."
Raymond F. Collins points out that it is ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ that has appeared to instruct "us" (i.e., Christians); see Titus 2:11 and note the use of an explanatory γὰρ there. Collins writes:
"Now the Pastor makes reference to the saving beneficence of God. The 'beneficence' or 'grace' (he charis) about which he writes is not grace in the Pauline sense, that is, the grace of God that justifies; rather, the word is to be taken in its usual Hellenistic sense of 'favor' or 'beneficence.' In the Pastor’s world the granting of favors was often associated with royal 'appearances' ” (1-2 Timothy and Titus in the NTL Series, page 349).
I personally don't find Collins' take on Χάρις to be all that convincing. Granted, looking at ancient royal appearances or "divine" visits is fair game for trying to determine a word's semantic range, but the immediate literary context and normal usage of the word must have some influence on how we understand Χάρις.
BDAG makes these comments about this particular use of Χάρις:
— χ. to denote beneficent dispensations of the emperor: OGI 669, 44 [I a.d.]; BGU 19 I, 21 [II a.d.] χάρ. τοῦ θεοῦ Αὐτοκράτορος; 1085 II, 4) and of Christ, who give (undeserved) gifts to people; God: δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι Ro 3:24. Cp. 5:15a, 20f; 6:1; 11:5 (ἐκλογή 1), 6abc; Gal 1:15 (διά A 3e); Eph 1:6f (KKuhn, NTS 7, ’61, 337 [reff. to Qumran lit.]); 2:5, 7, 8; cp. Pol 1:3; 2 Th 1:12; 2:16; 2 Ti 1:9; Tit 2:11 (ἡ χάρ. τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος; s. Dibelius, Hdb. exc. after Tit 2:14); 3:7; Hb 2:9 (χωρίς 2aα); 4:16a (DdeSilva, JBL 115, ’96, 100–103); 1 Cl 50:3; ISm 9:2; IPol 7:3. ἐν χάρ[ιτι θεοῦ] AcPl Ha 7, 23 (restoration uncertain). κατὰ χάριν as a favor, out of goodwill (cp. Pla., Leg. 740c; schol. on Soph., Oed. Col. 1751 p. 468 Papag.) Ro 4:4 (opp. κατὰ ὀφείλημα), 16.—The beneficence or favor of Christ: διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι Ac 15:11. Cp. Ro 5:15b; 2 Cor 8:9; 1 Ti 1:14; IPhld 8:1. On Ac 2:47 in this sense s. TAnderson, NTS 34, ’88, 604–10.
Compare 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5-7. Note also the goal of divine instruction that occurs via Χάρις manifested through Christ: ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι.
Friday, April 26, 2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
What Did the Ancient People of Israel Eat? (A Quote from Nathan MacDonald)
"There is a vast amount of nonwritten archaeological evidence that provides insight into the diet of the ancient Israelites. A number of the structures that have survived from ancient Israel were used for the production, storage, and preparation of food. Wine and olive presses, storage rooms, and ovens have been found at Iron Age sites throughout Israel. These remains of agricultural installations and storage facilities provide evidence of land use and can give some idea of the level of food production. Food is not only prepared and consumed: that which cannot be digested has to be disposed of. At every archaeological dig large numbers of animal bones are excavated. These provide evidence not only of meat consumption, but also of the nature of the rural economy. The ratio of sheep bones to cattle bones can indicate whether a community was primarily pastoral or agricultural, since cattle were primarily kept for traction rather than milk production. Unfortunately, the sheer quantity of animal bones seems to have prevented anything more than ad hoc attempts at synthesis of the accumulated data."
Nathan MacDonald. What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat?: Diet in Biblical Times (Kindle Locations 174-179). Kindle Edition.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
Occurrences of διαθήκη in Hebrews
Hebrews 7:22-κατὰ τοσοῦτο καὶ κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς.
Hebrews 8:6-νῦν δὲ διαφορωτέρας τέτυχεν λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείττονός ἐστιν διαθήκης μεσίτης, ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται.
Hebrews 8:8-μεμφόμενος γὰρ αὐτοὺς λέγει Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ συντελέσω ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα διαθήκην καινήν,
Hebrews 8:9-οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην ἣν ἐποίησα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου, κἀγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν, λέγει Κύριος.
Hebrews 810-ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, λέγει Κύριος, διδοὺς νόμους μου εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν ἐπιγράψω αὐτούς, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς θεόν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν.
Hebrews 9:4-χρυσοῦν ἔχουσα θυμιατήριον καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν τῆς διαθήκης περικεκαλυμμένην πάντοθεν χρυσίῳ, ἐν ᾗ στάμνος χρυσῆ ἔχουσα τὸ μάννα καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν ἡ βλαστήσασα καὶ αἱ πλάκες τῆς διαθήκης,
Hebrews 9:15-Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο διαθήκης καινῆς μεσίτης ἐστίν, ὅπως θανάτου γενομένου εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ διαθήκῃ παραβάσεων τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν λάβωσιν οἱ κεκλημένοι τῆς αἰωνίου κληρονομίας.
Hebrews 9:16-ὅπου γὰρ διαθήκη, θάνατον ἀνάγκη φέρεσθαι τοῦ διαθεμένου·
Hebrews 9:17- διαθήκη γὰρ ἐπὶ νεκροῖς βεβαία, ἐπεὶ μὴ τότε ἰσχύει ὅτε ζῇ ὁ διαθέμενος.
Hebrews 9:20-λέγων Τοῦτο τὸ αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης ἧς ἐνετείλατο πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ θεός·
Hebrews 10:16-Αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι πρὸς αὐτούς μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, λέγει Κύριος, διδοὺς νόμους μου ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐπιγράψω αὐτούς,
Hebrews 10:29-πόσῳ δοκεῖτε χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας ὁ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καταπατήσας, καὶ τὸ αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης κοινὸν ἡγησάμενος ἐν ᾧ ἡγιάσθη, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς χάριτος ἐνυβρίσας.
Hebrews 12:24-καὶ διαθήκης νέας μεσίτῃ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ αἵματι ῥαντισμοῦ κρεῖττον λαλοῦντι παρὰ τὸν Ἅβελ.
Hebrews 13:20-Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν ἐν αἵματι διαθήκης αἰωνίου, τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν,
Over half of the thirty NT occurrences of διαθήκη appear in Hebrews. Furthermore, there are numerous books and journal articles dealing with covenant theology/semantics in Hebrews: I will list a couple.
https://www.academia.edu/44332163/_The_Concept_of_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%B7_in_Hebrews_9_16_17_
https://www.academia.edu/18498642/A_Comparison_of_17th_Century_and_Modern_Interpretations_of_the_Meaning_and_Significance_for_Covenant_Theology_of_Diatheke_%CE%94%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%B7_in_Hebrews_9_16_17?rhid=27836246220&swp=rr-rw-wc-19918245