Romans 4 CJB righteousness by trust-in rather than obedience-to

 

Romans 4 CJB righteousness by trust-in rather than obedience-to

Guide: CJB New Testament emphasis in bold (CJB online) or Old Testament OJB, text I emphasize in green; NIV in magenta; OJB in olive. footnotes to CJB in superscript sky blue and OJB; Nomads* discussion in yellow; and my comments in gray. I may use endnotes to cite outside literature or extensive comment.  

*Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Kenny Tipton. Kenny appreciates opinion in a continuous search for the ineluctable truth. My evolving statement about Genesis 1:26-28,31, now from OJB, is at the end of this post. Also, this report is the first after I discovered Psalm 82, OJB, which in my view affirms that because I accept Genesis 1’s directive to constrain chaos in my way of living I am a god facing death. I will post this under a new label, Genesis-1’s Psalm 82.

This is the second week of  new series starting examination of words that are key to Bible study. Last week’s word was “salvation” and this week’s is “righteousness”.

Key opinions:

1.    Typical religious usage is negative, such as “self-righteous”. An exemplary secular usage is “righteous indignation”.

2.    Paul craftily omits Hagar and Ishmael from Abrams’ decisions to mistrust Hashem. By omission, Paul claims that Hagar’s descendants are Sarah’s privation rather than Abram’s.

3.    Paul speculates that since Abram was blessed before circumcision at age 99, The God blesses Abram’s descendants whether circumcised or not.

4.    Neither neglecting Hagar’s story nor using Sarah to shield Abram’s guilt justifies 2025 enmity toward Arabs.

5.    Genesis 14-17 seems to present the view that neither civil authority nor national god can substitute for good behavior, in order to establish righteousness (civicality rather than civility) before whatever constrains the consequences of human choices; we can trust our goodness and reject Paul’s boasts.

6.    I think Paul in Romans 4 makes no sense because he attempts to skirt reality.

a.    The Bible expresses The God’s word; the ineluctable truth is timeless.

b.    Taking Yeshua as the expression of necessary goodness, chiefly through Matthew 5:48, I think a student like me may and can humbly construct continuity from the judge in Genesis 1:31 OJB through Revelation 22:18-20 CJB. I don’t know the ineluctable truth.

c.     In other words, Yeshua pursued necessary goodness, and Paul’s imposition of Christ cannot lessen trust in Yeshua.

Key points from the text

·         V3 Childless Abraham believed Hashem’s promise that Abraham’s descendants would be countless.

o   V4-5 Abraham was trusting Hashem’s grace rather than taking civil action, so Hashem considered Abraham righteous.

o   One of Kenny’s commentaries prompts me to think “grace” refers to civic behavior; that is, a person treats others as he or she would like to be treated. Paul might say that civic integrity is Hashem’s gift.

·         V6 Likewise, David’s blessing extends to those who received Hashem’s grace.

·         V8 NIV’s “the Lord” in place of CJB’s “Adonai” could be Yeshua, influencing people before Yeshua was born.

·         V9 introduces Paul’s argument that grace is for pagans (Gentiles) as well as Jews; uncircumcised as well as circumcised.

o   V11 with new footnote, Abram was circumcised when his son, Ishmael, was 13 years old. In 2025, both Arabs and Jews believe in circumcision.

o   V12 the covenant granted the uncircumcised Abram accrues to descendants who trust Hashem as Abram did.

o   V13 descendants who trust Hashem as Abram did inherit the world

o   V14 civil obedience is insufficient to the grace of civic integrity

o   V15 Paul expresses fallacy: civic integrity is useless

·         V19 Paul overlooks Hagar altogether. Behold Israel at war in 2025.

o   V20 attributing Hagar to Sarah does not verify Abram’s “glory to God”.

·         V24 Paul is writing about Yeshua’s resurrection after the event. There’s no trust after a happening. And “because of our offenses” is Paul’s conjecture.

 

The CJB text with comments:

^4:1 Then what should we say Avraham, our forefather, obtained by his own efforts? ² For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by God because of legalistic observances works, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before God! ³ For what does the Tanakh Scripture say? “Avraham put his trust in God believed God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.”^{[Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in Hashem; and He credited [emunah (faith)] to him as tzedakah (righteousness).”] 4} Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him an obligation. ⁵ However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness.

⁶ In the same way, the blessing which David pronounces is on those whom God credits with righteousness apart from legalistic observances:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered over;
⁸ Blessed is the man whose sin Adonai the Lord
will not reckon against his account.”^{[Psalm 32:1–2, “(Of David. A maskil). Ashrei is he whose peysha (rebellion) is forgiven, whose chata’ah (sin) is covered. Ashrei is the adam unto whom Hashem imputeth not avon (iniquity), and in whose ruach there is no remiyyah (guile, deceit).”]}

⁹ Now is this blessing for the circumcised only? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say that Avraham’s trust was credited to his account as righteousness; ¹⁰ but what state was he in when it was so credited — circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision! ¹¹ In fact, he received circumcision as a sign, as a seal of the righteousness he had been credited with on the ground of the trust faith he had while he was still uncircumcised. ^{[Genesis 17:24-27, “Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.”]} This happened so that he could be the father of every uncircumcised person who trusts and thus has righteousness credited to him, ¹² and at the same time be the father of every circumcised person who not only has had a b’rit-milah circumcision, but also follows in the footsteps of the trust which Avraham avinu had when he was still uncircumcised.

¹³ For the promise to Avraham and his seed^{[Genesis 15:3, 5, “And Avram said, See, to me Thou hast given no zera; and, hinei, one born in my bais is my yoresh (heir). And He brought him forth outside, and said, Look now toward Shomayim, and count the kokhavim, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, So shall thy zera be.”]} offspring that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. ¹⁴ For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless. ¹⁵ For what law brings is punishment wrath. But where there is no law, there is also no violation transgression. [Paul is simply, blatantly wrong. If a citizen invents a novel way to harm a fellow citizen, the offender was civically violent. Civil justice is served if new legislation constrains if not prevents future civic offenses.]

¹⁶ The reason the promise is based on trusting is so that it may come as God’s free gift grace, a promise that can be relied on by all the seed, not only those who live within the framework of the Torah, but also those with the kind of trust Avraham had — Avraham avinu for all of us. ¹⁷ This accords with the Tanakh, where it says, “I have appointed you to be a father to many nations.”^{[Genesis 17:5, “Neither shall thy shem any more be called Avram, but thy shem shall be Avraham; for Av hamon Goyim (Father of a multitude of Goyim) have I made thee. [T.N. Ga 3:29 says “And if you belong to Moshiach (YESHAYAH 53:10), then you are of the ZERAH of Avraham Avinu, you are yoreshim (heirs) according to the havtachah (promise).]”]} Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence. ¹⁸ For he was past hope, yet in hope he trusted that he would indeed become a father to many nations, in keeping with what he had been told, “So many will your seed be.”^{[ [Genesis 15:5, “Look now toward Shomayim, and count the kokhavim, if thou be able to number them; and He said unto him, So shall thy zera be.”] 19} His trust did not waver when he considered his own body — which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old — or when he considered that Sarah’s womb was dead too. [Paul totally overlooks Abram’s wavering to sleep with Hagar 13 years before Abram was circumcised. The story has Sarah suggesting the infidelity yet does not remove Abram’s vainglory. ] ²⁰ He did not by lack of trust decide against God’s promises. On the contrary, by trust he was given power as he gave glory to God, ²¹ for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish. ²² This is why it was credited to his account as righteousness.^{[ Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in Hashem; and He credited [emunah (faith)] to him as tzedakah (righteousness).”}

²³ But the words, “it was credited to his account . . . ,” were not written for him only. ²⁴ They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too, because we have trusted in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead — ²⁵ Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous for our justification.

[Genesis 1:26-28, 31 OJB:

I read to consider and apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, religiously referenced by Semite (pre-Israel) scribes of 3900 years ago, in Genesis 1:26-28, 31, in my paraphrase and extension to law:  

Female-and-male-human-being may and can choose to practice the power, the authority, and the responsibility to pursue necessary goodness and constrain wickedness on earth. Civic citizens may and can use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. And that is good. 

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, 31, contributing ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (mutual spousal-loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (in good behavior, pursue personal perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), Matthew 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34 (humans who resist and avoid wickedness are gods facing death, as in Psalm 82:1-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as “go and sin no more”. Psalm 82 says nothing about resurrection.

Discussion

I think Genesis 1:26-28, 31 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil. Quoting OJB below,

And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz (the earth).

So G-d created humankind in His own tzelem, in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d) created He him; zachar (male) and nekevah (female) created He them.

And G-d blessed them, and G-d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See note, below.

Accepting the power, the authority, and the responsibility to have dominion over life on earth is human being (verb). Reliable human-beings choose necessary goodness to actual reality. The God judges the goodness in V 31:

And G-d saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was tov me’od (very good).

Note: OJB uses “Elohim” in Genesis 1 and 2, excepting “G-d” in 1:24-31. V 27 seems to equate the two entities. Septuagint uses “ὁ θεὸς”, or God throughout Genesis 1. I use “The God, or whatever constrains human choice”, hoping to express humility to whatever The God is.

Since theism is a human construct, I use the phrase, “the god, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility to ineluctable evidence and remaining unknowns about that which constrains the consequences of human choices.]

Ephesians 2, CJB: Is salvation by The God? Are there antinomians?

Ephesians 2, CJB: Is salvation by The God? Are there antinomians?

Guide: CJB New Testament emphasis in bold (CJB online) or Old Testament OJB text I emphasize in green; NIV in magenta; OJB in olive. footnotes to CJB in superscript sky blue and OJB; Nomads* discussion in yellow; and my comments in gray. I may use endnotes to cite outside literature or extensive comment.  

*Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Kenny Tipton. Kenny appreciates opinion in a continuous search for the ineluctable truth. My evolving statement about Genesis 1:26-28,31, now from OJB, is at the end of this post. Also, this report is the first after I discovered Psalm 82, OJB, which in my view affirms that because I accept Genesis 1’s directive to constrain chaos in my way of living I am a god facing death. I will post this under a new label, Genesis-1’s Psalm 82.

Chief concerns and possible insights re Ephesians 2:

1.      Of all the New Testament writers, Paul is the one I most distrust, all the while, claiming that I do not know the ineluctable truth.

a.      Paul was not authentic enough to want to aid a woman for life.

b.     Paul never considered Genesis 1:26-28, 31 as appreciation to The God.

2.       Who can accept “a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do” as a personal intention? Being gods facing death (Psalm 82, OJB), we cannot choose passivity – must oppose “wickedness”.

3.      There are textual problems between CJB and NIV and between CJB and OJB.

4.      There are too many “Gods” invoked in the text.

What Paul’s text seems to say:

V1   Anyone who does not pursue and practice good behavior is dead but may reform.

V3 Sex is a major distraction.

V4 But the Messiah redeemed us by God’s mercy, love, and grace.

V8 Even your trust and commitment is God’s gift.

V10 Since we are Messiah Yeshua’s group, our life of good actions is not our intention. I do not accept this idea: I choose good behavior, because I oppose wickedness.

V12 The uncircumcised, before the Messiah, were without Israel’s God.

V13-V16 The Semitic-speaking people who left Ur to resist killing humans for blood for god worship nevertheless believed that blood was necessary for atonement, so killed animals and birds. Israel continued the belief until Rome destroyed the Second Temple in CE 70, after which Israel turned to obedience, continually discovered. Belief in a Messiah hung on a stake is not attractive to me, and that belief has increased the world’s division, these 2025 years later. Paul’s “single new humanity” is a dream, I think unattainable through blood sacrifice, whether by worship or by war.

V17 CJB slights its own footnote:  Isaiah 57:19, NIV slights both OJB and CJB, which claim to those nearby “I will heal him”.

V19 Messiah, one Spirit, and the Father may leap to “Trinity”.

V20-22 After “Messiah” why “the Lord” then “for God”?

 

The CJB text follows, with comments:

^2:1 You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience transgressions and sins. ² You walked in the ways of the ‘olam hazeh this world and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient. ³ Indeed, we all once lived this way — we followed the passions of our old nature flesh and obeyed the wishes of our old nature desires and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for deserving of God’s wrath, just like everyone else.

⁴ But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love ⁵ that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah Christ — it is by grace that you have been delivered. ⁶ That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua Christ Jesus and seated us with him in heaven, ⁷ in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. ⁸ For you have been delivered by grace through trusting faith, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. ⁹ You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. [If a person cannot boast about choices in life, how can they imagine effecting a good afterdeath?] ¹⁰ For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do. [Let’s all be passive and let Paul’s plan play out! Not me: I trust Yeshua’s influence to necessary goodness, not Paul the boastful “self-appointed apostle to the pagans”.]

¹¹ Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth — called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised (which is done in the body by human hands) — ¹² at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Isra’el. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God in the world. [Paul via NIV suggests Israel was/could limit God’s access to humankind: not possible.]

¹³ But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood. ¹⁴ For he himself is our shalom peace— he has made us both one and has broken down the m’chitzah barrier which divided us ¹⁵ by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances regulations. He did this in order to create in union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom, ¹⁶ and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake the cross as a criminal and thus in himself killing that enmity hostility. [So far, Pauline Christianity increased division rather than aided “a single new humanity”.]

¹⁷ Also, when he came, he announced as Good News shalom to you far off and shalom to those nearby I will heal him,^{[Isaiah 57:19, “ I create the [repentant] fruit of the lips; Shalom, shalom to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith Hashem; and I will heal him.”]}  [Notice the V17 disagreement with its own footnote. Both OJB and CJB at Isaiah 57:19 say about the circumcised “I will heal him”.  NIV lumps circumcised and uncircumcised together.]
 ¹⁸ news that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [The Trinity.]

¹⁹ So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family household. ²⁰ You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself. ²¹ In union with him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. ²² Yes, in union with him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God! [In light of the trinity in V 18, why “the Lord” in V 21 and “for God” in V 22?]

[Genesis 1:26-28, 31 OJB:

I read to consider and apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, religiously referenced by Semite (pre-Israel) scribes of 3900 years ago, in Genesis 1:26-28, 31, in my paraphrase and extension to law:  

Female-and-male-human-being may and can choose to practice the power, the authority, and the responsibility to pursue necessary goodness and constrain wickedness on earth. Civic citizens may and can use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. And that is good. 

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, 31, contributing ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (mutual spousal-loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (in good behavior, pursue personal perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), Matthew 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34 (non-wicked humans are gods -- facing death, as in Psalm 82:1-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as “go and sin no more”. Psalm 82 says nothing about resurrection.

Discussion

I think Genesis 1:26-28, 31 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil. Quoting OJB below,

And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz (the earth).

So G-d created humankind in His own tzelem, in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d) created He him; zachar (male) and nekevah (female) created He them.

And G-d blessed them, and G-d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See note, below.

Accepting the power, the authority, and the responsibility to rule on earth is human being (verb). Reliable human-beings choose necessary goodness to actual reality. The God judges the goodness in V 31:

And G-d saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was tov me’od (very good).

Note: OJB uses “Elohim” in Genesis 1 and 2, excepting “G-d” in 1:24-31. V 27 seems to equate the two entities. Septuagint uses “ὁ θεὸς”, or God throughout Genesis 1. I use “The God, or whatever constrains human choice”, hoping to express humility to whatever The God is.

Since monotheism is a human construct, I use the phrase, “The God, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility to ineluctable evidence and remaining unknowns about what constrains the consequences of human choices.]

Mark 2, Luke 5 blood sacrifice? Choose good behavior to pursue the good

Mark 2, Luke 5 blood sacrifice? Choose good behavior to pursue the good

Guide: CJB New Testament emphasis in bold (CJB online) or Old Testament OJB, text I emphasize in green; NIV in magenta; footnotes to CJB in superscript sky blue and OJB; Nomads* discussion in yellow; and my comments in gray. I may use endnotes to cite outside literature or extensive comment.  

*Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Kenny Tipton. Kenny appreciates opinion in a continuous search for the ineluctable truth. My evolving statement about Genesis 1:26-28,31, now from OJB, is at the end of this post.

During announcements, Phil commented that Louisiana is a non DEI state (in a non-DEI nation) and that UBC church has some non DEI members. DEI’s time may have passed.

Note: Rev. Eric Fulcher, on June 30, influenced us to read the Bible intending to understand the view of life on earth held during the writer’s era, beginning with Noah’s perception that more than his land had flooded. By accepting that past perceptions were in error, we, the living generation may and can act and collaborate for good behavior in our time for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren.

In appreciation, Kenny created a one-time discussion of related NT debate about humankind using old perceptions to consider new choices. In usual depth, Nomads, happily joined by some from David’s class, explored Mark (Chapter 2: 18-22) and Luke (Chapter 5: 33-39).

Chief concerns and possible insights:

1.     I think the use of metaphors to cryptically express abstract thoughts informs us that the writer is unknowing, so cannot speak ineluctably.

a.      Much as Noah thought the entire globe had flooded, first century writers assumed 25th century readers would comprehend the use of wineskins.

b.     I trust neither Paul nor Mark nor Luke as witnesses and commit to Yeshua’s influence to good behavior

2.     5500 years ago, in Genesis 1:26-28, 31, humankind was informed that we have the power, authority, and responsibility to develop good behavior on earth.

a.      3900 years ago, a Semite tribe fled Ur to escape human sacrifice but continued blood sacrifice as a covenant with their tribal God

b.     3700 years ago, a faction, Israel codified blood sacrifice to redeem sins.

c.      2600 years ago, prophets thought a king would emerge to unite the 12 tribes of Israel.

d.     2000 years ago, Yeshua the Aramaic Nazarene was born a Jew

                                                             i.      He wrote no literature; writers could construct without dispute.

                                                           ii.      Jews say Yeshua chose 11 disciples and a betrayer

                                                        iii.      In 33 CE, religious and political enemies executed Yeshua

                                                         iv.      15 years later, Paul wrote letters that created Christ, whose blood redeems not Jews, but afterdeath beings, souls, chosen by the Father to believe Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

                                                           v.      Peter created a similar Christ but with the flexibility to improve the blood doctrine beyond the Bible – develop Church tradition.

                                                         vi.      Apostles Yeshua had chosen attempted to further his Church, but Yeshua himself said they miss-understood “heaven is here”.

1.     I know of no recent resurrection of the dead.

3.     Has group or institution chosen to accept all the opinion-development listed above, in order to go back to 5500 year old good behavior using Yeshua’s 2000 year old reliable suggestions reported in the Bible?

a.      I discovered Yeshua through Nomads class and think participants may and can easily develop Yeshua’s Church.

b.     I think UBC has always pursued good behavior and applying an old friend’s ideas is easy, the old friend being Yeshua, the person born in Nazareth 2000 years ago.

4.     Without Eric’s sermon, Kenneth’s lesson, and the Nomads discussion, including Russell’s legacy, I could not have written this Biblical review.

What the Bible seems to say:

V 18. Fasting, whether spontaneous of ceremonial, expresses humility to The God – whatever constrains the consequences of human choice.

·        It seems John’s disciples did not accept Yeshua as the Messiah. Jews expected a king to unite the 12 tribes. The 12 apostles Yeshua chose never understood the recorded cryptic lessons. Paul, self-appointed champion of non-Jews projected Yeshua’s life onto Jewish literature, grounded in blood sacrifice to atone for sins. The consequence is Paul’s churches, which repress Yeshua’s church. Peter’s churches compete with Paul’s churches and there are other competitors among Christianity’s 45,000 sects in 2025. Yeshua did not write. But his message: pursue perfectly good behavior is available to every newborn person.

·        Luke wrote in Acts 19:1-7, about conversion of John-disciples 10 years after Yeshua was executed: “. . . at Ephesus, where he found a few talmidim. He asked them, “Did you receive the Ruach HaKodesh when you came to trust?” “No,” they said . . . “into what were you immersed?” “The immersion of Yochanan,” they answered. Sha’ul said, “Yochanan practiced an immersion in connection with turning from sin to God; but [Yochanan] told the people to put their trust in the one who would come after him, that is, in Yeshua.” On hearing this, they were immersed into the name of the Lord Yeshua;  and when Sha’ul placed his hands on them, the Ruach HaKodesh came upon them; so that they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. In all, there were about twelve of these men.” [I do not believe the spirit of The God requires Paul’s hands and limits Yeshua’s influence: not then, and not now.]

V 19. According to the writer, Yeshua implied that he is the Messiah the Jews await.

V 20. After blood and body sacrifice (“time come”) Yeshua’s disciples will fast.

V 21-22. The cloth and wineskin metaphors imply that it is nearly impossible to enlighten erroneous disciples: only open listeners can easily comprehend the light. Acts 19 affirms that there are listeners.

Luke 5:39 invites interpretation of “wine: as ideas and “wineskins” as persons (V 38). The analogy does not apply to me at age 79, thanks to personal curiosity created by Nomads-class discussions, perceiving that I have been in the reliable influence of Yeshua since childhood deliberations to make choices. Yeshua is a 2000 year old entity, I think discoverable by looking for the necessary good represented as his in the Bible, and essential to us on applying his influence in our time to us and our posterity. I think miracle works and blood sacrifice are 1600 year old debates against 3700 year old prophecy, in order to ignore challenging 5500 year-old political philosophy:  Humankind is empowered, authorized, and responsible to pursue necessary goodness on earth. Each person may and can personally pursue good behavior.

That completes my study of another wonderful Nomads discussion created and led by Kenny in appreciation of Eric’s sermon.

Mark 2 CJB Text follows:

^2:1 After a while, Yeshua returned to K’far-Nachum. The word spread that he was back, ² and so many people gathered around the house that there was no longer any room, not even in front of the door. While he was preaching the message to them, ³ four men came to him carrying a paralyzed man. ⁴ They could not get near Yeshua because of the crowd, so they stripped the roof over the place where he was, made an opening, and lowered the stretcher with the paralytic lying on it. ⁵ Seeing their trust, Yeshua said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Some Torah-teachers sitting there thought to themselves, ⁷ “How can this fellow say such a thing? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God?” ⁸ But immediately Yeshua, perceiving in his spirit what they were thinking, said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier to say to the paralyzed man? ‘Your sins are forgiven’? or ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk’? ¹⁰ But look! I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” He then said to the paralytic, ¹¹ “I say to you: get up, pick up your stretcher and go home!” ¹² In front of everyone the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and left. They were all utterly amazed and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

¹³ Yeshua went out again by the lake. All the crowd came to him, and he began teaching them. ¹⁴ As he passed on from there, he saw Levi Ben-Halfai sitting in his tax-collection booth and said to him, “Follow me!” And he got up and followed him.

¹⁵ As Yeshua was in Levi’s house eating, many tax-collectors and sinners were sitting with Yeshua and his talmidim, for there were many of them among his followers. ¹⁶ When the Torah-teachers and the P’rushim saw that he was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, they said to his talmidim, “Why does he eat with tax-collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ But, hearing the question, Yeshua answered them, “The ones who need a doctor aren’t the healthy but the sick. I didn’t come to call the ‘righteous’ but sinners!”

¹⁸ Also Yochanan’s talmidim and the P’rushim were fasting; and they came and asked Yeshua, “Why is it that Yochanan’s talmidim and the talmidim of the P’rushim fast, but your talmidim don’t fast?” ¹⁹ Yeshua answered them, “Can wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, fasting is out of the question. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; and when that day comes, they will fast. ²¹ No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old coat; if he does, the new patch tears away from the old cloth and leaves a worse hole. ²² And no one puts new wine in old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is for freshly prepared wineskins.” Note: Luke 5 has about the same story and adds, V39  Besides that, after drinking old wine, people don’t want new; because they say, ‘The old is good enough.’”

²³ One Shabbat Yeshua was passing through some wheat fields; and as they went along, his talmidim began picking heads of grain. ²⁴ The P’rushim said to him, “Look! Why are they violating Shabbat?” ²⁵ He said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he and those with him were hungry and needed food? ²⁶ He entered the House of God when Evyatar was cohen gadol and ate the Bread of the Presence,” — which is forbidden for anyone to eat but the cohanim — “and even gave some to his companions.” ²⁷ Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat; ²⁸ So the Son of Man is Lord even of Shabbat.”

CJB Luke 5 follows:

^5:1 One day, as Yeshua was standing on the shore of Lake Kinneret, with the people pressing in around him in order to hear the word of God, ² he noticed two boats pulled up on the beach, left there by the fishermen, who were cleaning their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Shim‘on, and asked him to put out a little way from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Shim‘on, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ Shim‘on answered, “We’ve worked hard all night long, Rabbi, and haven’t caught a thing! But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” ⁶ They did this and took in so many fish that their nets began to tear. ⁷ So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both boats to the point of sinking. ⁸ When he saw this, Shim‘on Kefa fell at Yeshua’s knees and said, “Get away from me, sir, because I’m a sinner!” ⁹ For astonishment had seized him and everyone with him at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and likewise both Ya‘akov and Yochanan, Shim‘on’s partners. “Don’t be frightened,” Yeshua said to Shim‘on, “from now on you will be catching men — alive!” ¹¹ And as soon as they had beached their boats, they left everything behind and followed him.

¹² Once, when Yeshua was in one of the towns, there came a man completely covered with tzara‘at. On seeing Yeshua, he fell on his face and begged him, “Sir, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ¹³ Yeshua reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing! Be cleansed!” Immediately the tzara‘at left him. ¹⁴ Then Yeshua warned him not to tell anyone. “Instead, as a testimony to the people, go straight to the cohen and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moshe commanded.” ¹⁵ But the news about Yeshua kept spreading all the more, so that huge crowds would gather to listen and be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶ However, he made a practice of withdrawing to remote places in order to pray.

¹⁷ One day when Yeshua was teaching, there were P’rushim and Torah-teachers present who had come from various villages in the Galil and Y’hudah, also from Yerushalayim; and the power of Adonai the Lord was with him to heal the sick. ¹⁸ Some men came carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. They wanted to bring him inside and lay him in front of Yeshua, ¹⁹ but they couldn’t find a way to get him in because of the crowd. So they went up onto the roof and lowered him on his mattress through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, right in front of Yeshua. ²⁰ When Yeshua saw their trust, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim began thinking, “Who is this fellow that speaks such blasphemies? Who can forgive sin except God?” ²² But Yeshua, knowing what they were thinking, answered, “Why are you turning over such thoughts in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier to say? ‘Your sins are forgiven you’? or ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But look! I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” He then said to the paralytic, “I say to you: get up, pick up your mattress and go home!” ²⁵ Immediately, in front of everyone, he stood up, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home praising God. ²⁶ Amazement seized them all, and they made a b’rakhah to God; they were awestruck, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

²⁷ Later Yeshua went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi sitting in his tax-collection booth; and he said to him, “Follow me!” ²⁸ He got up, left everything and followed him.

²⁹ Levi gave a banquet at his house in Yeshua’s honor, and there was a large group of tax-collectors and others at the table with them. ³⁰ The P’rushim and their Torah-teachers protested indignantly against his talmidim, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?” ³¹ It was Yeshua who answered them: “The ones who need a doctor aren’t the healthy but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but rather to call sinners to turn to God from their sins.”

³³ Next they said to him, “Yochanan’s talmidim are always fasting and davvening, and likewise the talmidim of the P’rushim; but yours go on eating and drinking.” ³⁴ Yeshua said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? ³⁵ The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; and when that time comes, they will fast.” ³⁶ Then he gave them an illustration: “No one tears a piece from a new coat and puts it on an old one; if he does, not only will the new one continue to rip, but the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ Also, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins too will be ruined. ³⁸ On the contrary, new wine must be put into freshly prepared wineskins. ³⁹ Besides that, after drinking old wine, people don’t want new; because they say, ‘The old is good enough.’”

[Genesis 1:26-28, 31 OJB:

I read to consider and apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, religiously referenced by Semite (pre-Israel) scribes of 3900 years ago, in Genesis 1:26-28, in my paraphrase and extension to law:  

Female-and-male-human-being may and can choose to practice the power, authority, and responsibility to pursue necessary goodness and constrain wickedness on earth. Civic citizens may and can use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. 

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, 31, contributing ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (mutual spousal-loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (in good behavior, pursue personal perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34 (non-wicked humans are gods -- facing death, as in Psalm 82:1-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as “go and sin no more”. Psalm 82 says nothing about resurrection.

Discussion

I think Genesis 1:26-28, 31 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil. Quoting OJB below,

And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz (the earth).

So G-d created humankind in His own tzelem, in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d) created He him; zachar (male) and nekevah (female) created He them.

And G-d blessed them, and G-d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See note, below.

Accepting the power, authority, and responsibility to rule on earth is human being (verb). Reliable human-beings choose necessary goodness to actual reality. The God affirms the goodness in V 31:

And G-d saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was tov me’od (very good).

Note: OJB uses “Elohim” in Genesis 1 and 2, excepting “G-d” in 1:24-31. V 27 seems to equate the two entities. Septuagint uses “ὁ θεὸς”, or God throughout Genesis 1. I use “The God, or whatever constrains human choice”, hoping to express humility.

Since monotheism is a human construct, I use the phrase, “The God, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility to ineluctable evidence and remaining unknowns about what constrains the consequences of human choices.]