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apilgrimpassingby · 2 months

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Demons of the Hebrew Bible

Since today is also the day for Lord of Spiritsposting, I've decided to make a post I considered yesterday - the demons of the Hebrew Bible. This will be a long post, so I'm inserting a "Keep Reading".

Azazel: Appears only once in Leviticus 16, as the being in the wilderness to whom the goat with the people's sins laid on it in the Day of Atonement ritual is given (this isn't sacrifice, because the animal isn't killed or offered on an altar, among other things). Becomes a Devil figure in some later Jewish literature like the Book of Enoch, and is associated with deserts, sin and goats - the name literally means "the goat that goes away" (an archaic translation gives us the word "scapegoat"), and the seemingly-random reference to goat demons in Leviticus 17:7 comes just after Azazel's appearance.

Deber: The most prominent of the gang, appearing (usually in conjunction with other figures on this list) in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Habakkuk and the Pentateuch a total of 49 times, usually unleashed as punishment for some sin by Israel (compare "handing people over to Satan" in St. Paul's letters - 1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). A nocturnal demon of pestilence and destruction associated with the underworld in Canaanite mythology.

Hereb: Rendered as "the sword" in English; the next most prominent one, appearing 29 times and, like Deber, in conjunction with the others. A demon of violence and destruction associated with blood-drinking (Isaiah 34:5, Jeremiah 46:10) and flesh-eating (Deuteronomy 32:42, Jeremiah 12:12) and probably the rider on a red horse from Revelation 6:3-4.

Lilit: Appears just once, Isaiah 34:14, where she's dwelling in some ruins. Usually translated as "screech owl" or "night bird", but some use "Lilith". In Mesopotamian mythology, the lili are a class of nocturnal female demons associated who kill babies and are associated with owls, so the translation as "screech owl" is acceptable. The Songs of the Sage from the Dead Sea Scrolls refer to liliyot (feminine plural) as a class of demons: "And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, liliths, howlers...

Livyatan: Usually anglicised as Leviathan, and appears five times: Job 3:8 and chapter 41, Psalms 74:12-14 and 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1. Based on those appearances, he's a multi-headed fire-breathing sea serpent immune to weapons who battles with Yahweh and (of course) always loses. The myth of a god fighting a sea serpent is a staple of world mythology. Likely correlates to the beast from the sea of Revelation 13:1-10, since Leviathan is paired with a beast from the earth (Behemoth; Job 40:15-24) - also compare Revelation 13:4 ("Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”) to Job 41:33-34 ("On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride").

Nephilim: Famously appear in Genesis 6:1-4 as the warriors born of the sons of God and the daughters of men, understood in Second Temple Jewish texts such as the Book of Enoch and the Septuagint to be giants born of fallen angels and human women. They appear by the name Anakim or Rephaim in Genesis 14:5, 15:20, Deuteronomy 1:28, 2:10-11, 2:20-21, 3:11, 3;13, 9:2 and Joshua 11:21-22, 12:4, 13:12, 14:12, 14:15 and 15:8 and war with giants appears in 2 Samuel 21:16-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8 and, of course, 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath story).

Qeteb: Appears just 4 times (Deuteronomy 32:24; Psalm 91:6; Isaiah 28:2; Hosea 13:14), together with Deber in the Psalms and Hosea appearances and together with Resheph in Deuteronomy; if there's any lesson from this post so far, it's that plague demons hunt in packs. A diurnal plague demon whose name is rendered in English as "destruction"; nothing more to be said.

Ra'av: The third most prominent one, appearing 35 times; a famine demon whose name is rendered in English as "famine" or "hunger" who is unleashed on Israel as punishment together with (surprise!) Hereb and either Deber or Resheph. Probably the rider on a black horse from Revelation 6:5-6.

Rephaim: The spirits of dead kings who dwell in the underworld not doing much, translated in the ESV as shades and appearing in Isaiah 14:9 and 26:14; the same imagery and concept is being used by Ezekiel 32:20-30.

Resheph: A demon of plague and conquest worshipped as a god in Canaanite and Egyptian culture, depicted as a bearded archer on a white horse. Appears just 6 times in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:24; Habakkuk 3:5 Psalm 78:48; Job 5:7, Song of Songs 8:6); the name is rendered as "plague" or "pestilence" or occasionally "fire" or "sparks" because the name literally means "burning". Probably the rider on a white horse from Revelation 6:2.

Sources and Further Reading

"Before Him Went Pestilence (Hab. 3:5) - Biblical Lexis and Semantic Field of Epidemics" by Jozef Jankovic for The Old Testament Society of South Africa

"A Land of Giants" by Frs. Andrew Stephen Damick and Stephen DeYoung on The Lord of Spirits

"War, Famine, Disease, Death and Hades" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

"Who is Azazel?" by Fr. Stephen DeYoung on The Whole Counsel of God

Who is Lilith - Ancient Development and Origins of the Demon Queen by Dr. Justin Sledge on ESOTERICA

Or in short - stop making it all about Lilith. Use some other Hebrew Bible demons.

#hope you like it #hebrew bible #old testament #demons #lilith #leviathan #azazel #nephilim #the lord of spirits

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apocrypals · 2 years

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Previously, on Apocrypals part 5: The Fifth One

As we begin our sixth (!) calendar year of Apocrypals, here is a list of the texts we have covered so far on the show in case you want to read along or catch up. They’re arranged in a way that appeases my systematic nature.

Tanakh/Old Testament:

Genesis (episodes 16-20)

Exodus (episodes 33 and 35)

Leviticus (episode 59)

Numbers (episode 62)

Deuteronomy (episode 65)

Joshua (episode 73)

Judges (episode 80)

Ruth (episode 45)

1 Samuel (episode 89)

2 Samuel (episode 90-91)

1 Kings (episode 99)

2 Kings (episode 106)

Esther (episode 37)

Job (episode 101)

Ecclesiastes (episode 52)

Song of Songs (episode 34)

Isaiah (episode 4)

Jeremiah (episode 43-44)

Lamentations (episode 48)

Ezekiel (episode 55-56)

Daniel (episode 2)

Hosea (episode 108)

Jonah (episode 31)

Micah (episode 74)

Nahum (episode 74)

Deuterocanon/capital-A Apocrypha:

Tobit (episode 13)

Judith (episode 22)

Greek Additions to Esther (episode 37)

1 Maccabees (episode 27)

2 Maccabees (episode 28)

3 Maccabees (episode 53)

4 Maccabees (episode 78)

The Prayer of Azariah aka the Song of the Three Holy Children (episode 2)

Susanna (episode 2)

Bel and the Dragon (episode 2)

The Prayer of Manasseh (episode 6)

New Testament:

Matthew (episodes 8-9)

Mark (episode 7)

Luke (episode 10)

John (episode 11-12)

Acts of the Apostles (episode 1)

Romans (episode 5)

1 Corinthians (episode 25)

2 Corinthians (episode 42)

Galatians (episode 72)

Ephesians (episode 81)

Hebrews (episode 104)

1 John (episode 49)

2 John (episode 49)

3 John (episode 49)

Revelation (episode 50)

Pseudepigrapha (Jewish apocrypha):

The Testament of Solomon (episode 24)

The Story of Ahikar (episode 14)

The Ascension of Isaiah (episode 6)

1 Enoch (episode 39-40)

2 Enoch (episode 61)

3 Enoch (episode 86-87)

Jubilees (episodes 82 and 83)

The Letter of Aristeas (episode 70)

The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (episode 71)

Joseph and Aseneth (episode 93)

New Testament apocrypha:

The Protevangelium aka Infancy Gospel of James (episode 29)

The Acts of Pilate/Gospel of Nicodemus (episode 23)

Mors Pilati/Death of Pilate (episode 23)

The Acts of Paul and Thecla (episode 22)

The Acts of Peter (episode 3)

The Acts of Peter and Paul (episode 3)

The Acts of Andrew and Matthias (episode 60)

The Acts of Thomas and His Wonderworking Skin (episode 66)

The Life of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca (episode 57)

Questions of Bartholomew (episode 41)

Resurrection of Jesus Christ by Bartholomew (episode 41)

The Book of Bartholomew (episode 67)

Acts of John (episode 46)

The Acts of Andrew (episode 97)

Syriac Infancy Gospel (episode 47)

Infancy Gospel of Thomas (episode 54)

Infancy Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (episode 79)

The Adoration of the Magi (2020 Christmas bonus episode)

The History of Joseph the Carpenter (episode 103)

The First Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)

The Second Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)

The Third Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)

The Apocalypse of Peter (episode 75)

The Apocalypse of Paul (episode 95)

The Gospel of Philip (episode 92)

The Gospel of Mary (episode 92)

The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife (episode 92)

The Gospel of Judas (episode 100)

The Greater Questions of Mary (episode Secret 69)

The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine:

The Life of Saint Nicholas (episode 26)

The Life of Saint Lucy (episode 26)

The Life of Saint Christopher (episode 15)

The Life of Saint Benedict (episode 15)

excerpts from The Passion of the Lord (episode 23)

The Life of Saint Sebastian (episode 58)

The Life of Saint Blaise (episode 58)

The Life of Saint Agatha (episode 58)

The Life of Saint Roch (episode 63)

The Life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (episode 77)

The Life of Saint Barbara (episode 77)

The Life of Saint Dunstan (episode 85)

The Life of Mary Magdalene (episode 94)

The Life of Saint Martha of Bethany (episode 102)

The Life of Saint Margaret of Antioch (episode 102)

Other:

Historia Trium Regum/The Legend of the Three Kings by John of Hildesheim (episode 30)

Muirchu’s Life of Saint Patrick (episode 36)

The Life of Saint Guinefort (episode 63)

The Life of Saint Mary of Egypt (episode 69)

The Life of Saint Pelagia (episode 69)

The Life of Saint Martin by Sulpicius Severus (episode 76)

The Life of Saint Columba (episode 84)

The Life of Saint Wilgefortis (episode 94)

Lives of cephalophoric saints (bonus episode cephalo4)

Stories of the Baal Shem Tov from The Golden Mountain (episode 96)

More stories of the Baal Shem Tov from The Golden Mountain (episode 107)

Solomon and Ashmedai (bonus episode double chai)

Listener questions (episode 32)

Bible trivia questions (episode 38)

Halloween-themed Chick tracts (episode 51)

Christmas-themed Chick tracts (episode 98)

Bible Adventures and the Wisdom Tree catalogue of video games (episode 64)

The Da Vinci Code, the movie (episode 88)

Guess the Bible character from Persona 5 (bonus episode Persona 5)

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (episode 105)

You can find links to all these episodes with show notes and more on the Apocrypals wiki

#apocrypals #podcast #podcasts #religion #bible #christianity #judaism #apocrypha #old testament #new testament #hagiography

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loveblackculture · 1 month

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📍STOP BEING A TALEBEARER📍

PSALM 41:5-9

5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?

6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.

7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.

8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.

9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

PSALM 34:13

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

1 PETER 4:15

15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

LEVITICUS 19:16

16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

PROVERBS 11:13

13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

PROVERBS 16:28

28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends

PROVERBS 17:9

9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

PROVERBS 18:8

8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

PROVERBS 20:19

19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

1 TIMOTHY 5:11-13

11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;

12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

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walkswithmyfather · 1 year

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GOD IS GOOD!

God is good all the time (Psalm 25:8; 106:1; 119:68; 145:9; Matthew 19:17).

God is wise (Romans 16:27; Daniel 2:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 25).

God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; Job 6:10).

God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 92:15; 119:37; Zephaniah 3:5).

God is merciful (Ephesians 2:4; Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 100:5).

God redeems (Psalm 78:35; Proverbs 23:11; Isaiah 41:14; 47:4; 59:20; Jeremiah 50:34).

God saves (Isaiah 43:3-11; 45:21; 49:26).

God sanctifies (Exodus 31:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Jude 1).

God is Judge over all (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 50:6; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 12:23).

Nothing or no one is like God (Job 11:7; Isaiah 40:28).

Amen! 🙌

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freebiblestudies · 1 month

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Line Upon Line Lesson 054: Why Did God Seek to Kill Moses?!

Exodus 4:24-26 - And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

‭‭In Exodus chapter 3, God sent Moses back to Egypt to deliver God’s message of deliverance to the children of Israel. However, in the next chapter God sought to kill Moses. What is going on here?

Let’s read together Genesis 17:9-14 and Leviticus 12:3.

If we read Exodus 4:24-26 carefully, we can infer that Moses neglected to circumcise his son. Why was this such a big issue to God? The answer goes back to Abraham.

God made a covenant with Abraham where circumcision was a sign of that covenant. The act of circumcision had two spiritual meanings. Individuals who refused to circumcise their sons were not only rejecting the sign of the covenant, they were rejecting God. Therefore, God would cast out those who do not abide in His covenant.

Let’s read together Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; and Jeremiah 4:4.

Secondly, circumcision represents a spiritual removal of our sinful nature. God promised to make us a new creation. This promise would be realized at the cross.

Let’s read together Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; and Romans 2:11.

God was going to use Moses to deliver His people. However, it would be hypocritical for Moses to tell people to come back to God if Moses himself did not follow everything commanded by God.

Let’s read together James 2:13.

Moses was therefore afflicted with some type of illness that apparently had him bedridden. His wife Zipporah had to circumcise their son and she threw the foreskin at his feet. God in His mercy removed the affliction from Moses and allowed him to continue on his mission.

Let us remember to not be hypocrites as we share the Gospel with others.

#bible study #line upon line #circumcision #Exodus 4:24-26 #James 2:13

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orthodoxydaily · 7 months

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Saints&Reading: Friday, February 16, 2024

february 3_february 16

RIGHTEOUS SIMEON THE GOD-RECEIVER and ANNA THE PROPHETESSE (1st c.)

A sermon in honor of the feast of the Presentation to the temple, from his beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilo III

The grace of the Holy Spirit which overshadowed Saint Simeon the God-receiver has gathered us all in this Holy place, where the Tomb and the honoured Saint lies, in order to celebrate in Eucharist the Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, when Righteous Simeon received Him in his arms.

This feast of the Meeting of the Lord is a projection of Christmas, and this is so because God the Word who became incarnate from the pure Ever-Virgin Theotokos Maria, and was made a perfect man, was also following the Law of the Old Testament to the letter, according to the custom of the time.

According to the Law of Moses, the Lord said; “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast” (Exodus 13:2, 12-13). And with their entry to the Temple after the completion of forty days since their labour, the women who bore children had to offer “a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest” (Leviticus 12:6); or in case of being poor, “two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering” (Levit. 12:8).

Joseph and the Mother of Jesus, “when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him [Christ] to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord” in Solomon’s Temple , where the righteous Elder Simeon received Jesus as a baby in his arms according to the witness of Luke the Evangelist (Luke 2:22-35).

Today, the Holy Orthodox Church and especially the Church of Jerusalem honours and venerates the synaxis of the Holy and Righteous Simeon the God-receiver and of Anne the Prophetess; because the pious and righteous Simeon recognized the incarnate Son and Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. “The same man (Simeon) was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” Luke the Evangelist narrates (Luke 2:25-26).

According to Saint Basil the Great, Elder Simeon and Prophetess Anna saw the divine power in Christ “like light through light bulbs through the human body”. In other words, just as we see the light inside the light bulbs, likewise those who are pure in heart see and distinguish the divine light through Christ’s body. And according to Saint Athanasius the Great, while appearing to be a normal man, righteous Simeon was however a man of a higher status in meaning. He had the earthly and visible Jerusalem as a home city, but his metropolis was the heavenly Jerusalem.

This is theologically depicted in the hymn of Saint Cosmas Euhaiton by; “Thy virtue, O Christ, hath covered the heavens, for proceeding forth from the Ark of Thy sanctification, from Thine undefiled Mother, Thou hast appeared in the temple of Thy glory as an infant in arms, and the whole world hath been filled with Thy praise”.

According to the hymn writer Cosmas, the Theotokos Maria, being a new tabernacle “with a soul and logic”, according to St. John Damascene, held within her as a fetus the “sanctification”, namely “the holy body of the Lord, which was sanctified and deified by the divinity it had before it was conceived”. Therefore, “having come forth” from his immaculate mother, Christ appeared as a baby “in the temple of glory” “being brought into their arms”. “For while being God”, said John Damascene says, “he becomes a man…and is being held in the arms of men as a baby”.

And the “earthly arms” are those of the Elder Simeon. St. Luke the Evangelist says that Simeon “then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:28-32).

The gift of prophesy St. Simeon had enabled him to foresee that this baby, Christ, was to be the Saviour of the whole world, as Prophet Isaiah also said: “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6). And according to the psalmist; “The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen” (98:2).

The apostolic reading of the main feast is related to the event of today’s feast. “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better” (Hebrews 7:7), St. Paul preaches, referring to the meeting of Patriarch Abraham with Melchisedek, the King of Salem and priest of God (Genesis 14:18-20). This is precisely what happened with the meeting of the baby Christ by the Elder Simeon. The eternal and Great High Priest Jesus Christ as a forty-day-old child is met with Elder Simeon in the temple and just like Abraham was blessed by Melchisedek, likewise, Simeon is being blessed by the Lord as he received Him in his arms (Luke 2:28).

In other words, the pious Simeon realized that this divine child is above him, while he is below, and rejoicing he cried out “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace” (Luke 2:29).

If we want, my dear brothers and sisters, to become communicants of the blessing that the righteous Simeon received, we should have as a prototype the faith and the desire, along with the patience he had, when we approach the Lord of glory, namely our Lord Jesus Christ, in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, where we become of one body and of one blood with our God and Saviour.

And along with the hymn writer let us say: “Come let us as well with songs inspired of God, go together to meet Christ; and receive Him Whose salvation Simeon hath now beheld. This is He Whom David proclaimed; this is He that in the Prophets hath spoken; Who is incarnate for our sakes, and Who speaketh in the Law. Let us worship Him” (Minaion 2 February, Great Vespers, Sticheron 3). Amen.”

Source: Patriarcate of Jerusalem ( Sunday, February 3/16, 2020)

HOLY EQUAL-TO-THE-APOSTLES NIKOLAI, ARCHBISHOP, APOSTLE TO JAPAN (1912)

Saint Nicholas, Enlightener of Japan, was born Ivan Dimitrievich Kasatkin on August 1, 1836 in the village of Berezovsk, Belsk district, Smolensk diocese, where his father served as deacon. At the age of five he lost his mother. He completed the Belsk religious school, and afterwards the Smolensk Theological Seminary. In 1857 Ivan Kasatkin entered the Saint Peterburg Theological Academy. On June 24, 1860, in the academy temple of the Twelve Apostles, Bishop Nectarius tonsured him with the name Nicholas.

On June 29, the Feast of the foremost Apostles Peter and Paul, the monk Nicholas was ordained deacon. The next day, on the altar feast of the academy church, he was ordained to the holy priesthood. Later, at his request, Father Nicholas was assigned to Japan as head of the consular church in the city of Hakodate.

At first, the preaching of the Gospel in Japan seemed completely impossible. In Father Nicholas’s own words: “the Japanese of the time looked upon foreigners as beasts, and on Christianity as a villainous sect, to which only villains and sorcerers could belong.” He spent eight years in studying the country, the language, manners and customs of the people among whom he would preach.

In 1868, the flock of Father Nicholas numbered about twenty Japanese. At the end of 1869 Hieromonk Nicholas reported in person to the Synod in Peterburg about his work. A decision was made, on January 14, 1870, to form a special Russian Spiritual Mission for preaching the Word of God among the pagan Japanese. Father Nicholas was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed as head of this Mission.

Returning to Japan after two years in Russia, he transferred some of the responsibility for the Hakodate flock to Hieromonk Anatolius, and began his missionary work in Tokyo. In 1871 there was a persecution of Christians in Hakodate. Many were arrested (among them, the first Japanese Orthodox priest Paul Sawabe). Only in 1873 did the persecution abate somewhat, and the free preaching of Christianity became possible.

In this year Archimandrite Nicholas began the construction of a stone building in Tokyo which housed a church, a school for fifty men, and later a religious school, which became a seminary in 1878.

In 1874, Bishop Paul of Kamchatka arrived in Tokyo to ordain as priests several Japanese candidates recommended by Archimandrite Nicholas. At the Tokyo Mission, there were four schools: for catechists, for women, for church servers, and a seminary. At Hakodate there were two separate schools for boys and girls.

In the second half of 1877, the Mission began regular publication of the journal “Church Herald.” By the year 1878 there already 4115 Christians in Japan, and there were a number of Christian communities. Church services and classes in Japanese, the publication of religious and moral books permitted the Mission to attain such results in a short time. Archimandrite Nicholas petitioned the Holy Synod in December of 1878 to provide a bishop for Japan.

Archimandrite Nicholas was consecrated bishop on March 30, 1880 in the Trinity Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Returning to Japan, he resumed his apostolic work with increased fervor. He completed construction on the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tokyo, he translated the service books, and compiled a special Orthodox theological dictionary in the Japanese language.

Great hardship befell the saint and his flock at the time of the Russo-Japanese War. For his ascetic labor during these difficult years, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.

In 1911, half a century had passed since the young hieromonk Nicholas had first set foot on Japanese soil. At that time there were 33,017 Christians in 266 communities of the Japanese Orthodox Church, including 1 Archbishop, 1 bishop, 35 priests, 6 deacons, 14 singing instructors, and 116 catechists.

On February 3, 1912, Archbishop Nicholas departed peacefully to the Lord at seventy-six. The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church glorified him on April 10, 1970, since the saint had long been honored in Japan as a righteous man, and a prayerful intercessor before the Lord.

Source: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

1 PETER 1:1-2, 10-12; 2:6-10

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things which angels desire to look into.

6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

MARK 12:1-12

1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. 6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 11 This was the LORD's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #easternorthodoxchurch #originofchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #bible #wisdom #saints

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biblegumchewontheword · 7 months

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Books of the Bible

Here is a detailed list of the 66 books of the Bible, divided by the Old and New Testaments, along with their divisions and categories:

**Old Testament:**

**Pentateuch (5 books):**

1. Genesis

2. Exodus

3. Leviticus

4. Numbers

5. Deuteronomy

**Historical Books (12 books):**

6. Joshua

7. Judges

8. Ruth

9. 1 Samuel

10. 2 Samuel

11. 1 Kings

12. 2 Kings

13. 1 Chronicles

14. 2 Chronicles

15. Ezra

16. Nehemiah

17. Esther

**Poetry/Wisdom Books (5 books):**

18. Job

19. Psalms

20. Proverbs

21. Ecclesiastes

22. Song of Solomon

**Major Prophets (5 books):**

23. Isaiah

24. Jeremiah

25. Lamentations

26. Ezekiel

27. Daniel

**Minor Prophets (12 books):**

28. Hosea

29. Joel

30. Amos

31. Obadiah

32. Jonah

33. Micah

34. Nahum

35. Habakkuk

36. Zephaniah

37. Haggai

38. Zechariah

39. Malachi

**New Testament:**

**Gospels (4 books):**

40. Matthew

41. Mark

42. Luke

43. John

**History (1 book):**

44. Acts

**Pauline Epistles (13 books):**

45. Romans

46. 1 Corinthians

47. 2 Corinthians

48. Galatians

49. Ephesians

50. Philippians

51. Colossians

52. 1 Thessalonians

53. 2 Thessalonians

54. 1 Timothy

55. 2 Timothy

56. Titus

57. Philemon

**General Epistles (8 books):**

58. Hebrews

59. James

60. 1 Peter

61. 2 Peter

62. 1 John

63. 2 John

64. 3 John

65. Jude

**Apocalyptic (1 book):**

66. Revelation

This list represents the traditional order and grouping of the books of the Bible in most Christian denominations.

These are the 66 books that make up the Bible.

Title: The Significance of Each Book of the Bible

Introduction:

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that together form the inspired Word of God. Each book has its own unique message, themes, and significance that contribute to the overall story of God's redemption and love for humanity. Let's explore the importance of each book of the Bible.

Lesson Points:

1. The Old Testament:

- Genesis: The book of beginnings, detailing creation, the fall, and the establishment of God's covenant with His people.

- Exodus: The story of the Israelites' liberation from Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

- Psalms: A collection of songs and prayers that express a range of human emotions and provide a guide for worship.

- Proverbs: Wisdom literature that offers practical advice for living a righteous and wise life.

- Isaiah: Prophecies about the coming Messiah and God's plan of salvation.

2. The New Testament:

- Matthew: Emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the establishment of the kingdom of God.

- Acts: Chronicles the early spread of the Gospel and the growth of the early church.

- Romans: Explains the doctrine of justification by faith and the implications of salvation through Christ.

- Corinthians: Addresses issues within the church and provides practical guidance for Christian living.

- Revelation: Offers apocalyptic visions of the end times, the victory of Christ, and the establishment of the new heaven and earth.

3. Themes and Messages:

- Each book of the Bible contributes to the overarching themes of God's love, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation for all humanity.

- Together, these books provide a complete narrative of God's work in the world and His plan for His people.

Application:

- Take time to explore and study each book of the Bible, seeking to understand its unique message and significance.

- Reflect on how the themes and stories in the Bible can impact your own life and faith journey.

- Consider how the teachings and examples in the Bible can shape your beliefs and actions as a follower of Christ.

Conclusion:

The books of the Bible are not just separate entities but are interconnected parts of the larger story of God's redemption and love for humanity. Each book has its own importance and contributes to the overall message of God's plan for salvation. May we approach the study of the Bible with reverence and openness to the wisdom and guidance it offers for our lives.

#biblegum #Books of the Bible #bible study #bible scripture #Bible lessons

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feedingtheflockministry · 1 year

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Speak the truth with each other

Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

Proverbs 12:22

"Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”—Acts 5:4

Do you ever find yourself “fudging” the truth in everyday life situations?

Perhaps you justify doing so because you believe you’re keeping the peace or sparing hurting someone’s feelings. Maybe in your opinion, you’re not really being dishonest or deceptive but rather managing conversations and situations for the best.

Possibly you leave out details because you don’t want people to know what’s really motivating your actions. Or maybe you only tell partial truth because you want someone to have a certain impression about you.

Yet Scripture is pretty straightforward in instructing Christians to “Speak the truth to each other” (Zechariah 8:16).

As well as Proverbs 22:21 urges you to be honest and speak the truth.

In Leviticus 19, God gave Moses’ guidelines for Israel to live by, including “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor (vs. 13).

Although many may not consider “fudging the truth” a form of defrauding, it’s robbing another of truth with an intention to be misleading.

A really severe example of the seriousness of defrauding is in Acts 5, where a couple named Ananias and Sapphira sold land and brought the money to give to the Apostles. Instead of saying they were keeping some of it for themselves, they mislead the group to believe they were giving the total amount received.

Act 5:2 describes how “With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

In today’s standards, it wouldn’t seem like a big deal but both were immediately struck dead and carried away from the scene (Acts 5:5-10).

Although today’s culture may not understand why this deadly incident occurred, Acts 5:4 explains why it was such a serious situation. “You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Still, with “fudging” so widespread in present-day culture, most believe there isn’t anything wrong in practicing it. Instead of seeing it as defrauding others and a sin against God, people rationalize its use.

As you go about your daily life, ask God to help you not to defraud those around you.

Ask Him to show you any areas where you may have failed and confess your sin to Him. Psalm 32:5 states how when you acknowledge your sin and you do not cover up your iniquity, God forgives and frees you from the guilt of it.

Choose today to speak the truth in all your dealings with others.

#scriptures #bible teaching

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mybeautifulchristianjourney · 29 days

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The Ten Commandments

1 Then Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the ordinances and the laws which I propose to you this day, that ye may learn them, and take heed to observe them.

2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

3 The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers only, but with us, even with us all here alive this day.

4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the Mount, out of the midst of the fire.

5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you, to declare unto you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid at the sight of the fire, and went not up into the mount) and he said,

6 ¶ I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before my face.

8 Thou shalt make thee no graven image or any likeness of that that is in heaven above, or which is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth.

9 Thou shalt neither bow thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, even unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:

10 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.

12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labor, and shalt do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt not do any work therein, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maid, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, neither any of thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: that thy manservant and thy maid may rest as well as thou.

15 For, remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand, and a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to observe the Sabbath day.

16 ¶ Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.

21 Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s house, his field, nor his manservant, nor his maid, his ox, nor his ass, nor ought that thy neighbor hath.

22 ¶ These words the Lord spake unto all your multitude in the mount of the midst of the fire, the cloud and the darkness, with a great voice, and added no more thereto: and wrote them upon two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. — Deuteronomy 5:1-22 | 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 15:13; Exodus 18:20; Exodus 19:1; Exodus 19:18; Exodus 20:2-3; Exodus 20:5; Exodus 20:21; Exodus 23:1; Exodus 34:17; Leviticus 19:11; Numbers 14:18; Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:33; Matthew 15:4; Mark 2:27; Luke 13:14; Luke 18:20; Luke 23:56; Romans 7:7; Hebrews 8:9; Hebrews 12:18

Read full chapter

The Ten Commandments

#God #Moses #the Ten Commandments #Israel #Deuteronomy 5:1-22 #Book of Deuteronomy #Old Testament #1599 Geneva Bible #GNV #Tolle Lege Press

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woman-loving · 2 years

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Commentary on Lesbianism in Jewish Tradition

Selection from Like Bread on the Seder Plate, by Rebecca Alpert, 1997.

The Prohibition Against Lesbianism “You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt ... nor shall you follow their customs” --Leviticus 18:3

This biblical passage also says nothing about lesbianism. Yet it was used by later Jewish legal sources to prohibit lesbian behavior: “What did they do? A man would marry a man, or a woman a woman, a man would marry a woman and her daughter, or a woman would marry two men.” This textual reference is from Sifra (Aḥare Mot), a compilation of commentaries on Leviticus from the Roman era, second century C.E.[11] It links the biblical prohibition against “the practices of Egypt” with, among other things, lesbian marriage. The biblical text itself does not suggest that the prohibition of behaviors that are “like those of the Egyptians” have anything to do with same-sex marriage, and we have no evidence to assume that there were same-sex marriages in Egypt during that time when Leviticus was being written.[12] But it is very likely that the author of Sifra knew of same-sex marriages from the Roman culture in which he lived and interchanged the identities of Rome and Egypt without regard to historical accuracy.

Female homoeroticism was considered the ultimate depravity in Roman society. Women who loved other women were seen as seeking male privilege and attempting to usurp the authority of men.[13] But lesbian marriage was known in Roman society, and we do have other examples of references to women-women marriages in the second-century Roman empire. A novel by Iamblichus, a contemporary of Lucian, tells the story of a marriage of a queen of Egypt, Berenice, who is said to have loved and married a woman named Mesopotamia.[14] And Church Father Clement of Alexandria condemns female-female marriage as an unacceptable practice, contrary to nature.[15]

More evidence of the awareness of female homoeroticism from Jewish sources of the early Roman period (probably for the beginning of the common era) is found in the fragmentary extra-canonical work, The Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides. It was probably written by a Jew living in the diaspora. in this text, women are forbidden to imitate the sexual roles of men.[16] We do not know if this text refers to positions during heterosexual intercourse, to same-sex lovemaking, or to marriage.[17] But like the Sifra text, it reflects the era’s awareness that such activities existed.

While there are other discussions of lesbianism in ancient Jewish texts, this connection to the biblical text is not mentioned again until the twelfth century. Other ancient texts took lesbianism less seriously. In the Talmud (c. 500 C.E.), female homoeroticism is referred to as engaging in mesolelot. Modern english translations define mesolelot as “practicing lewdness.”[18] But there is no indication from the context that such a pejorative definition is warranted by the term. Apparently, this term was used for sexual behavior that did not involved penetration.[19] It is probably the Hebrew equivalent of “tribade,” the ancient term used in Greek and Roman cultures for women who engage in sexual activity by rubbing their genitals against one another.[20]

The rabbis of the Talmud were concerned about mesolelot only insofar as this behavior might change a woman’s status from that of virgin (betulah). Nonvirgins lose their eligibility for marriage to men of priestly descent (who were restricted to marrying virgins). The Talmud records two opinions. Rav Huna argues that women who practice mesolelot should not be eligible for priestly marriage; Eleazar says they should, and the law follows Eleazar. The text suggests that such behavior does not warrant punishment because it is priẓut. This is generally translated as “mere obscenity” but might better be understood as “minor infraction.”

The Babylonian Talmud refers to mesolelot in one other case. In Shabbat 65a, it is reported that R. Samuel prohibited his daughters from sleeping together. The question is raised in the text as to why he would enforce such a prohibition. The commentators suggested that he was following Rav Huna’s interpretation and assuming that his daughters would be prohibited from marrying priests if they were engaging in mesolelot (in this case, incestuous mesolelot). But the conclusion of the text indicates that Samuel did not agreed with Rav Huna. It suggests that he prohibited his daughters from sleeping together so that they would not grow accustomed to “a foreign body.”

While I am tempted to argue that Samuel feared that his daughters might enjoy female homoeroticism so much that they would refuse marriage to a priest (or anyone else), it is more likely that these two texts illustrate a different point. The rabbis who wrote and edited these passages clearly knew of female homoerotic behavior but assumed that the women involved would certainly marry men. Thus their concern is probably with stopping this behavior, so that the women in question would be prepared for marriage. Samuel’s daughters should not get used to sexual pleasure either because they were not yet ready for marriage or because when they did marry they would have to sleep separately from their husbands. Husband and wife were not allowed to share one bed because of the laws of niddah, which prohibited touching between husband and wife while the woman was menstruating and for seven clean days after. So sexual pleasure, while encouraged, was limited to approximately half of the month because of the demands of niddah. That is not to say that the daughters in question might not have preferred each other’s company to a husband; of this we cannot be certain.

In the Middle Ages the Jewish laws found in the Talmud and other texts were codified by subject so that it would be easier for people to understand and gain access to Jewish legal precepts. One such codification, aptly titled Mishneh Torah (a second Torah) was compiled and edited by Moses Maimonides (1130-1205). Maimonides’ compilation did not only reiterate the legal precedents. His text also reflects his analysis and gives us some information about mesolelot in his era that sheds light on the question of lesbianism in later Jewish societies:

“Women are forbidden to engage in mesolelot with one another, these being “the doings of Egypt” against which we have been warned, as it is said: “You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt ...” (Leviticus 18:3). Our Sages have said: “What did they do? A man would marry a man, or a woman a woman, or a woman would marry two men.” Although such an act is forbidden, the perpetrators are not liable for a flogging, since there is no specific negative commandment prohibiting it, nor is actual intercourse of any kind involved. Consequently, such women are not disqualified from the priesthood on account of prostitution, nor is a woman prohibited to her husband because of it. It behooves the court, however, to administer the flogging prescribed for rebelliousness since they performed a forbidden act. A man should be particularly strict with his wife in this matter and should prevent women known to indulge in such practices from visiting her and her from visiting them.[21]”

From the text it appears that Maimonides’ main interest is not with a hypothetical situation about marriages to priests, which he deals with perfunctorily, but with the problems of men who are married to women who keep company with women known to engage in mesolelot. Maimonides makes a connections not mentioned in the Talmud text between mesolelot and “women who marry [nosin, the technical legal term for Jewish marriage] one another.”

While lesbian behavior was only a minor sexual infraction, lesbian marriage as a subversion of heterosexual norms would have been a serious threat to the legal system and would receive more attention, as Maimonides’ comments suggest. The focus on the biblical source rather than the comments from the Talmud allowed Maimonides to view this behavior as serious and gave more license to punish it. Yet Maimonides still chose to define lesbian behavior as a minor crime of rebelliousness. This leniency is remarkable given his awareness of lesbian behavior in women married to men and his association of these practices with lesbian marriages, which he categorized among the biblically prohibited “doings of Egypt.” Maimonides saw lesbianism as the problem of a husband who could not control his wife’s behavior. But that behavior was not despised nor considered sinful. Lesbian behavior was not a serious crime, especially in comparison to male homosexuality, which was subject to capital punishment. It was taken lightly but not overlooked entirely. Punishment was to be meted out by the authorities of the community, the court, not simply by the man who was wronged by his wife.

In contrast to modern European practice, Jewish law punishes the wife and not the partner, the presumed lesbian, who entices her. The person presumed to initiate sexual contact is not the one who is blamed or punished. Lesbian behavior itself is not considered problematic unless it threatens the institution of heterosexual marriage.

Ancient Jewish sources were aware of, but not threatened by, female homoerotic behavior. This stance created a silence around he subject, for there was little to discuss. Now that lesbianism has become a more open topic in recent times, the neutrality of earlier sources tempers to some degree negative contemporary attitudes toward lesbianism.

In contemporary times there has been a limited response to lesbianism in Orthodox circles where the Jewish legal tradition has ultimate authority. In Norman Lamm’s definitive 1974 article on homosexuality, he did not examine lesbianism in early Judaism in any substantial way. He devoted one paragraph to rabbinic sources on women, in which he denied that such behavior had any significant impact on Jewish life.[22] In Lamm’s opinion, lesbianism is a lesser offense but is also not tolerated.

More recent awareness of the prevalence of lesbianism has led to stricter interpretations in traditionalist writings. In a 1994 book about women from an Orthodox perspective, Michael Kaufman briefly discusses lesbianism in a section on married women. Kaufman does not qualify lesbianism as a lesser offense but states boldly that it is prohibited by Jewish law, deriving the prohibition from the biblical injunction against Egyptian practices. According to Kaufman, lesbianism is not only legally prohibited but is “a perversion of nature and the divine order” and “intrinsically repulsive.”[23]

Reading traditional Jewish legal texts on lesbianism leads to the conclusion that the private sexual behavior of women was viewed as trivial. As feminists, we reject the rabbinic sensibility that claims our sexual activities don’t count and don’t matter. However, now that lesbianism has become public and challenges heterosexuality, the response form tradition circles is anger and revulsion.

Taken together, these biblical texts are deeply troubling for Jewish lesbians. They make our existence invisible, pejoratize and trivialize our sexuality, and proclaim norms for human existence that leave out our way of life. These factors are enough to make some lesbians decide to leave Judaism entirely. Others choose to ignore the texts while maintaining their connections. But as I suggested a the beginning of this chapter, many Jewish lesbians feel a deep commitment to struggle with these texts and to find ways to counteract them.

#lgbtq #lgbtq history #lesbian history #judaism #lesbian community

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thewayofyehoshua · 2 years

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GOD HAS A PERSONAL NAME!

“God” and “Lord” and “Creator” are titles like “king” and “president”. God has many titles, but he also has only one personal name. God reveals his personal name YEHOVAH (יְהֹוָה) in the Hebrew text of the Bible about 7,000 times (Exodus 3:15; Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 45:18).

Most Bible translations have substituted the title “LORD” for the personal name Yehovah, thus hiding the name that God himself revealed to mankind. And some people say that God’s name must not be uttered. But God forbids not the use but the misuse of his holy name (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 24:10-16). The Torah, the Law, even contains commands that required God’s people to pronounce God’s name (Numbers 6:22-27; Deuteronomy 6:13).

All Hebrew names have a meaning. God’s name Yehovah means “The One Who Causes To Become”, “The One Bringing Into Existence” (see Brown-Driver-Briggs 3068 YHVH, 2). The first of the scriptures in which the four Hebrew consonants YHVH (יהוה) appear with all three wovels e-o-a in the Leningrad Codex, the oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Scriptures, is Genesis 3:14.

We can see God’s name also in countless personal names of the Israelites. One example is the Hebrew name Yehonatan, which is in English: “Yehovah has given” (Nehemiah 12:18). YAH (יָהּ) is the shortened form of God’s name. This shortened form is in the end of many Hebrew personal names, and in the Hebrew expression “halelu Yah”, which is in English: “Praise Yah” (Psalms 113:1).

God’s name serves as a guarantee and as a reminder that all his promises and his purpose will be fulfilled no matter what. Over and over again the Creator says in his written Word: “You will have to know that I am Yehovah”, that is, “You will have to know that I am The One Who Causes To Become [or, The One Bringing Into Existence]” (Ezekiel 37:13).

#thewayofyehoshua #YHVH #Yehovah #yeshua #sacred name #the almighty

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walkswithmyfather · 2 years

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“I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.” —Psalms 116:13 (NKJV)

“What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people” —Psalms 116:13 (NLT)

“What is the cup of salvation in Psalm 116:13?” By Gotquestions.org:

“God’s all-sufficient, amazing grace is the central theme of Psalm 116. Again and again, the Lord helps us in our weakness and saves us when we are powerless to help ourselves (Isaiah 40:29–31; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13). Recognizing his enormous debt of gratitude, the psalmist asks, “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:12–14, NLT).

What was this cup of salvation the psalmist lifted in praise to the Lord? Most likely, it was a symbolic reference to the drink offering prescribed in Leviticus 23:13. At the yearly Feast of Firstfruits, the Israelites were to submit a drink offering of “a quarter of a hin of wine” (about one quart) to God in gratefulness for His salvation and continued provision in the Promised Land. The liquid offering was poured out on the altar, accompanied by other contributions from products of the land. These offerings were given as reminders that the rich fruits of the harvest were all from God and depended on His favor.

Drink offerings were frequently presented in the Bible to thank God for His salvation. After the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel and changed his name to Israel, Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark where God had met with him and spoken to him. Then “he poured out a drink offering on it” (Genesis 35:14).

At the ordination of the priests, a drink offering was presented (Exodus 29:38–41). As a test of obedience, God gave additional rules for offerings in Numbers 15, including burnt offerings accompanied by a drink offering (verses 5, 7, 10).

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul compared his sacrificial ministry to an act of worship: “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you” (Philippians 2:17). In the face of death, he told Timothy, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near” (2 Timothy 4:6).

The “cup of salvation” is also suggestive of God’s good gifts to humans, which David extolled: “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings” (Psalm 23:5, NLT).

The psalmist’s “cup of salvation” is the counterpart to the “cup of wrath,” representing God’s judgment of sin and His wrath reserved for the wicked to drink (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:22; Jeremiah 25:15–16; Ezekiel 23:31–34). This cup of wrath is associated with Jesus Christ’s extreme suffering and death on the cross (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42). The Lord’s mention of it in Gethsemane anticipated the excruciating moment when Jesus would cry, “God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was about to drink the cup of God’s wrath for us so that we might be spared and saved.

In lifting the cup of salvation, the psalmist offered praise to God for the blessing of His salvation. In the manner of a salute, he raised the cup high and partook of it amid praise and thanksgiving for God’s tremendous and abundantly gracious deliverance. This illustration is an excellent image for believers to contemplate when offering our thanks to God.”

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freebiblestudies · 1 year

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Biblical Archaeology Lesson 02: The New Testament

In our previous study, we examined ten archaeological discoveries that demonstrated the historical accuracy of the Old Testament. Today, we will examine ten archaeological finds with relevance to the New Testament.

Let’s read together Acts 13:6-12.

Sergius Paulus inscription

A Roman proconsul was a governor or military commander of a province. Sergius was the proconsul of Cyprus under the reign of Claudius Caesar from 45 to 50 AD. A stone with a Greek inscription dating to 54 AD was found in northern Cypress. The inscription referred to an event that happened earlier than 54 AD and referenced a “proconsul Paulus.” It is very likely this inscription is speaking of the same Sergius Paulus who encountered Paul the Apostle in Paphos.

Let’s read together John 9:1-7.

Pool of Siloam

The pool of Siloam was a freshwater reservoir in the time of Jesus. It was at this pool where Jesus miraculously cured a man of his blindness. It was accidentally discovered in 2004 by workers doing sewage pipe maintenance in the old city of Jerusalem. The discovery of the pool of Siloam shows that the book of John is not a purely theological book. Rather, it is grounded in history.

Let’s read together Acts 19:22; Romans 16:23; and 2 Timothy 4:20..

Erastus inscription

A stone with a Latin inscription dating around 50 AD was found in Corinth. The inscription translated in English reads: “Erastus in return for hisa aedileship laid (the pavement) at his own expense.” (An aedile was a Roman magistrate in charge of public works.) This discovery points to the historicity of Erastus, an evangelist and a socially elite individual mentioned by Paul the Apostle.

Let’s read together Matthew 26:3 and John 18:13-14.

Caiaphas ossuary

An ossuary with the engraving “Joseph son of Caiaphas” was discovered in a burial cave in the old city of Jerusalem. The skeletal remains inside the ossuary were of a 50 year old. This ossuary is very likely the remains of the priest who presided over the trial of Jesus.

Let’s read together Acts 21:27-30 and Ephesians 2:14.

Temple warning inscription

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote of a partition in the Jewish temple with a stone inscription forbidding foreigners from entering the temple upon penalty of death. A complete stone inscription with such a warning was found in Jerusalem in 1871. Interestingly, there were traces of red paint in the stone inscription, meaning it was meant to be very visible to people.

This inscription correlates with the story in Acts 21:28-30 where the Jews accused Paul of bringing in Greeks into the temple and defiling it. Paul may have also referred to this barrier in Ephesians 2:14.

Let’s read together Leviticus 23:24 and Matthew 24:1-2.

Trumpeting place inscription

A stone with the Hebrew inscription “to the place of trumpeting” was discovered in Jerusalem, dating to the first century. It is thought this stone was atop the southwest corner of the temple of Jerusalem before it was cast down. This is evidence for the existence of the second temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70 AD.

Let’s read together Matthew 28:11-13.

Nazareth inscription

This stone inscription contains an edict from Caesar proclaiming the death penalty for those caught stealing bodies from tombs. This is a rather unusual decree as grave robbers normally would steal items from tombs, but not the bodies.

It is quite possible this inscription was written by Claudius Caesar in response to hearing Christians sharing the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Claudius would have considered Christians a dangerous anti-Roman movement.

Let’s read together Acts 18:12.

Gallio inscription

This is a collection of nine stone fragments of a letter written by Claudius Caesar in 52 AD. The Gallio inscription was found in Delphi, Greece, which is about 50 miles northwest of Corinth. This inscription makes mention of Junius Gallio being proconsul of Achaia. Gallio only served as proconsul from 51 to 52 AD. The Gallio inscription is a fixed marker that allows us to date Paul’s ministry.

Let’s read together Matthew 27:1-24 and Mark 15:1-15.

Pilate stone

Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect governing Judea from 26 to 34 AD. He is mentioned by the historians Josephus, Tacitus, and Philo in addition to the Gospels. The Pilate stone confirms the historicity of Pontius Pilate.

Let’s read together John 18:31-33.

P52 fragment of John 18:31-33

This is a papyrus fragment dating to 125 to 175 AD. This is the oldest known fragment of the New Testament Gospels. The significance of this fragment is that it was written within 100 years of the events of the Gospels.

There has not been an archaeological find that contradicts the Bible. The historical events recorded in the New Testament are factual. The archaeological discoveries mentioned in this lesson should increase our trust in the Bible.

Friend, will you trust what the Bible says about historical things? Will you trust what the Bible says about spiritual things?

#biblical archaeology #pilate stone #gallio inscription #bible study #pool of siloam #John 18:31-33

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