Everyone is in need of redemption. Our natural condition was characterized by guilt: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
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Jesus was “the Son of God” referred to prophetically in Psalm 2:7, and during His trial (Sanhedrin). The title He used most throughout His ministry was “Son of Man.” (More than 40 times by yeshua yet The disciples called him “Lord,” “Master” or “Teacher.”)… the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head”). “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”). “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”). “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). Jesus derived this from Ezekiel and Daniel. “Son of Man” is the distinctive title applied to the Ezekiel. The Hebrew translation is “ben Adam,” literally, “Son of Adam” or “son of mankind.” Originally, when used to refer to Ezekiel, it meant only “man,” as opposed to God, and reminded Ezekiel of his humble status. By the time of Jesus, it had become an honorific title of the Messiah, passages in Ezekiel were idealized/interpreted messianically. Jesus noted the similarities to His calling: “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against Me” (Ezekiel 2:3). “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, you shall give them warning from Me” (3:17). significant were a remnant to be spared; the new heart and spirit, the new everlasting covenant, and the promise that the Gentile nations would come to know the Lord, God of Israel. All to be fulfilled by Jesus as Son of Man. Daniel 7:13-14 used the title “Son of Man.” Here- an Aramaic term, “bar enash,” instead of “ben Adam.” The meaning similar, “enash” the word for mankind in general, not an individual. In rabbinical and popular thought, the term had been highly spiritualized, indicating the ideal man, divine in nature. The Book of Enoch, that circulated during the first century, exalted the figure even beyond Daniel’s vision. It is not necessary to assume that Jesus was influenced by Enoch. Jesus knew these things prophesied in Daniel 7 would take place after His suffering on the cross, His resurrection and His return to heaven. He identified himself not only with the Hebrew nation but whole human race.
The Bible’s unique features speak to its staying power. Have you read it yet?In this blog post we’ll look at the unique origin and nature of the Bible, the profound impact it has had on western civilization, and its responsibility for much of the progress of human history. We will not attempt to demonstrate the Bible’s truth or validity; we’ll cover those topics in future blog posts in this series.
What makes the Bible stand out from all other historical documents? So many things! Namely, its time span, geographical production, authorship, literary genres, languages, teachings, impact, and survival and resiliency. Unique in Its Time SpanMost scholars agree that the New Testament was completed by the second half of the first century AD. But sufficient evidence confirms that the earliest forms of the Bible were written during the time of the Hebrew exodus out of Egypt (c. 1400-1200 BC). This means the composition of the biblical writing, from the earliest book of the Bible to the last of the New Testament writings, spans a period of 1,300 to 1,500 years. The Bible is exceptional in that it was written and assembled over a vast number of generations. Unique in Its Geographical ProductionUnlike most other literary works, the composition and transmission of the biblical books did not emerge from a homogeneous community located in a single region of the ancient world. Rather, they were written by people in areas as diverse as Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. This amazing geographical and ethnic diversity distinguishes the Bible from that of all other books. Unique in Its AuthorshipThe authorship of the Bible is amazingly diverse. Authored by approximately 4o different people, and edited and preserved by countless scribal schools and communities, the Bible preserves for us the writings of a vast array of different personalities from widely divergent social circumstances. Among them: kings, soldiers, herdsmen, legislators, fishermen, courtiers, priests and prophets, and a Gentile physician. Says Professor Mary Ellen Chase, “The story-tellers of the Bible … understood men and women of all sorts and in all conditions. There is literally no type of person whom they have neglected.” Unique in Its Literary GenresThe Bible is unique in that it includes a multitude of distinct literary forms and genres, including history, law, religious poetry, lyric poetry, parable and allegory, biography, personal correspondence, and even personal memoirs and diaries. Says Gerd Theissen, professor of New Testament at the University of Heidelberg, “The Bible is not a homogenous text but a compendium of different forms and genres. Each must be appreciated on its own terms.” The authors used the genres to focus their audience’s attention on the central character of God, the creator and sustainer of the earth, and His relationship with persons who accept a relationship with Him. Unique in Its LanguagesThe Bible is written in three different languages — Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek — each with its unique character and essence. Larry Walker, former professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary shares some of their distinctive traits: Hebrew, like the other early Semitic languages, concentrates on observation more than reflection. Effects are observed, but not traced through a series of causes. Hebrew is a pictorial language, vivid, concise, and simple, in which the past is not merely described, but verbally painted. Aramaic, perhaps the longest continuous living history of any known language, is linguistically close to Hebrew, and similar in structure. Aramaic served as a transition from Hebrew to Greek, as the language spoken by Jews in Jesus’ day. Aramaic connects Old Testament Hebrew with New Testament Greek. Greek, which is characterized by strength and vigor, is beautiful, rich, and harmonious. Greek was a language of argument, with a vocabulary and style that could penetrate and clarify phenomena rather than simply tell a story. Sermons recorded in the New Testament combine the Hebrew prophetic message with Greek oratorical force. Unique in Its TeachingsIt is unique in these three teachings: the Trinity, Incarnation and Atonement, and Faith Versus Works. Scripture proclaims one God, eternally existing as three distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Scripture tells us that Jesus, as God, took human form that He might dwell among us to show us His nature, and then die for our sins, that we might be forever reconciled to God. But God did not, as some world religions suggest, weaken and humiliate Himself by lowering Himself to the level of humanity with all its frailties, weaknesses, and temptations. Christians recognize that His act is the most profound sacrificial and costly expression of divine love in history. Scripture tells us that our efforts to be “good enough” will never get us into heaven. God’s grace, alone, ensures that we will live with Him forever. No strings attached. Christianity at heart is a religion not of self-help, but divine rescue. In God’s eyes, every person’s value is found in their very being, not in their behavior. Most world religions, on the other hand, teach that paradise is the reward for good life deeds if, when placed on a scale, they outweigh their bad deeds. Unique in Its Impact & ResiliencyThe most popular book of all time. The Bible is the most widely distributed work every written, with the number of Bibles sold well into the billions. In addition to the printed copies of biblical literature, the Internet and digital media expose even more people to the Bible. YouVersion, a Bible app, has been translated into 799 languages and downloaded over 200 million times to date! No other written work has been so attacked, scrutinized, and persecuted as have the canonical books of the Bible. Yet the Bible continues to solidly withstand all forms of opposition. Says Bernard Ramm, former professor of religion at Baylor University: “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and the committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put. No other book has been so chopped, knived, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified.” The Bible has greatly influenced western civilization, laying the groundwork for democratic forms of government and law, the rational exploration of the natural world, movements in both art and literature, and societal morals and values. The Bible heavily influenced our country’s maintenance of a system of justice. It’s why we look at a person and say they have value; that killing a human is wrong (if we ignore abortion). As well, the Bible has been a fundamental source for nearly every genre of art and literature. The greatest artists — Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and others — are most remembered and appreciated for their biblical masterpieces. A Book Worthy of Your ReadingClearly the Bible, as a central piece of humanity’s shared history, is worthy of its continued investigation, critical engagement, and appreciation. Some people haven’t read it simply because they assume that a book 2,000 years old must be outdated and irrelevant. Yet if they read it, they gain wisdom for modern life. How relevant is that? In reading it they also would learn of the greatest love story ever told: how Jesus willingly became our scapegoat so that we can be reconciled to God. Jesus literally died to have a relationship with us because we’re that important to God. The Bible tells us so. Read it! “Theme in genesis; Noah”
The Bible was written by forty different authors- Mentioning 146 times, the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of -testing, trial or *probation. During Moses' life he lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert before GOD-selected- him to lead his people -out- of slavery. Moses was also on Mount Sinai for 40 days/nights, on two separate occasions (Exodus 24:18, 34:1 - 28), receiving God's laws. He also sent spies, for forty days, to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance (Numbers 13:25, 14:34). The prophet Jonah powerfully warned ancient Nineveh, for forty days, that its -destruction- would come because of its many sins. The prophet Ezekiel laid on His right side for 40 days to symbolize Judah's sins (Ezekiel 4:6). Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb. Jesus was tempted by the devil not just three times, but many times during the 40 days and nights he fasted just before his #ministry began. He also #appeared to his disciples and others for 40 days after his resurrection from the dead. The number forty can also represent a generation of man. Because of their sins after leaving Egypt, God swore that the generation of Israelites who left Egyptian -bondage- would not enter their inheritance in Canaan (Deuteronomy 1). The children of Israel were punished by -wandering the wilderness- for 40 years before a new generation was allowed to possess the promised land. Jesus, just days before his crucifixion, #prophesied the -total destruction- of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1 - 2, Mark 13:1 - 2). Forty years after his *crucifixion in 30 A.D., the mighty Roman Empire destroyed the city and burned its beloved *temple to the ground. The book of Exodus, with its 40 chapters and 1,213 verses, is the seventh longest book. The first three human kings over the children of Israel, Saul, David and Solomon, each ruled for forty years (1050 to 930 B.C.). Abraham tried to bargain with God to not -destroy Sodom and Gomorrah- if forty righteous people were found (Genesis 18:29). God -flooded- the earth by having it rain for forty days and nights (Genesis 7:12). The gestation of human -life- is 40 weeks in the #womb.
The Roman-Jewish Wars were a series of conflicts waged between the Roman Empire and Israeli rebels in AD 66—70, 115—117, and 132—135. These wars were devastating for Israel, resulting in immense Jewish casualties, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the expulsion of Jews from their homeland. The Jewish people would not reestablish statehood until 1948 when the modern state of Israel was founded.
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