Note: In early 2024 I learned his mom and dad in Nazareth named and called him "Yeshua", and "Jesus" is a consequence of translations from Aramaic/Hebrew to Greek, to Latin, to old English, then to Protestant English. "Christ" supports Paul, and some people believe Paul without civic objection. This discovery is wonderful and to be shared.
CJB emphasis in bold (online), green, red, and blue, with footnotes in blue;
NIV in magenta (none);
Nomads* comments in yellow; and my
comments in gray.
*Participative
Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Kenneth Tipton. My continually improved
statement about Genesis 1:26-28 is at the end of this.
Mark 8 principal thoughts to share, appreciating Genesis 1:26-28 as the God’s word:
1. Observing the laws of physics, the feeding of crowds is divinity school distorting Yeshua inspiring people who planned to share to those who did not.
2. Mark claims Torah defenders wanted to “test” Yeshua. I don’t think so. I think they sought his opinion.
3. I think representing Yeshua as being coy about signs is divinity school propaganda.
4. I don’t think Yeshua would talk to his apostles totally in metaphor like yeast’s influence on bread.
5. Yeshua comprehends the incident with the blind man. I do not.
6. If Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,” being a Jew, he was not arguing salvation of souls. On the other hand, Mark was written after Paul’s ministry, so it is the product of competitive divinity schools.
7. “Son of Man” is undoubtedly a divinity school product.
8. I doubt Yeshua speculate about Old Testament scripture and imagined himself the fulfillment.
9. If Yeshua spoke of consequences of people “ashamed of me” it was in the context of benefitting from his opinion about the good. Regardless, it does me no good to disregard him by calling him “Jesus” or “Christ”. I cannot deny my opinion: neither Jesus the redeemer nor Christ the savior can displace Yeshua’s civic influence to the good.
8:1 It was during that time
that another large crowd gathered, and they had nothing to eat. Yeshua called
his talmidim to him and said to them, 2 “I
feel sorry for these people, because they have been with me three days, and now
they have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them off to
their homes hungry, they will collapse on the way; some of them have come a
long distance.” 4 His talmidim said
to him, “How can anyone find enough bread to satisfy these people in a remote
place like this?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?”
he asked them. They answered, “Seven.” 6 He then
told the crowd to sit down on the ground, took the seven loaves, made a b’rakhah,
broke the loaves and gave them to his talmidim to serve to the
people. 7 They also had a few fish; making a b’rakhah over
them he also ordered these to be served. 8 The
people ate their fill; and the talmidim took up the leftover
pieces, seven large basketsful. 9 About four
thousand were there. 10 After sending them away,
Yeshua got into the boat with his talmidim and went off to the
district of Dalmanuta.
11 The P’rushim came
and began arguing with him; they wanted him to give them a sign from Heaven,
because they were out to trap him. 12 With a sigh
that came straight from his heart, he said, “Why does this generation want a
sign? Yes! I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation!” 13 With
that, he left them, got into the boat again and went off to the other side of
the lake.
14 Now
the talmidim had forgotten to bring bread and had with them in
the boat only one loaf. 15 So when Yeshua said to
them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves from the hametz of
the P’rushim and the hametz of Herod,” 16 they
thought he had said it because they had no bread. 17 But,
aware of this, he said, “Why are you talking with each other about having no
bread? Don’t you see or understand yet? Have your hearts been made like
stone? 18 You have eyes — don’t you see? You have
ears — don’t you hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When
I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken
pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered him. 20 “And
when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of
broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they answered. 21 He
said to them, “And you still don’t understand?”
22 They
came to Beit-Tzaidah. Some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to
touch him. 23 Taking the blind man’s hand, he led
him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him,
“Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I
see people, but they look like walking trees.” 25 Then
he put his hands on the blind man’s eyes again. He peered intently, and his
eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly. 26 Yeshua sent him home with the
words, “Don’t go into town.” [Yeshua
comprehends this story, and I do not.]
27 Yeshua
and his talmidim went on to the towns of Caesarea Philippi. On
the way, he asked his talmidim, “Who are people saying I am?” 28 “Some
say you are Yochanan the Immerser,” they told him, “others say Eliyahu, and
still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But you,”
he asked, “who do you say I am?” Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach.” 30 Then
Yeshua warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 He
began teaching them that the Son of Man had to endure much suffering and be
rejected by the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers;
and that he had to be put to death; but that after three days, he had to rise
again. 32 He spoke very plainly about it. Kefa took
him aside and began rebuking him. 33 But, turning
around and looking at his talmidim, he rebuked Kefa. “Get behind
me, Satan!” he said, “For your thinking is from a human perspective, not from
God’s perspective!”
34 Then Yeshua called the crowd and his talmidim to
him and told them, “If anyone wants to
come after me, let him say ‘No’ to himself, take up his execution-stake, and
keep following me. 35 For whoever wants to save his
own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake and for the
sake of the Good News will save it. 36 Indeed, what
will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? 37 What
could a person give in exchange for his life? 38 For if someone is ashamed of me and
of what I say in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also
will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy
angels. [The attempt
to substitute Jesus” in this passage is only 500 years old after 1100 years’
development from the Greek transliteration of Yeshua. It is alright with me for
divinity schools and other persons to ignore Yeshua. However, I will no longer pretend
their influence. For me, Yeshua, the civic influencer to the good, replaced
doctrine of both Jesus, the redeemer of error, and Christ the blood sacrifice
for antinomians. I am not elect and accept my status. Having discovered Yeshua,
I will not, cannot, go back to before.]
NIV,
as was on December 10, 2023
Quoting
leader Kenneth Tipton, “[For 2023, Nomads]
are “Discovering Advent in the Gospel of Mark” through the study
authored by Traci Daub titled, Holy Disruption. [In week one,
citing Mark 13,] we explored the Christmas theme of waiting and were encouraged
by Jesus to be proactive and WATCH. [For week 2,] we
explore the Christmas theme of Peace on Earth Good Will to All. Mark
Chapter 8 . . . begins with a familiar story of a miracle and ends with a
rebuke and an admonition by Jesus to FOLLOW.
[I read scripture with 2 principles in
mind: Genesis 1:26-28’s message that humankind may and can choose to rule to
thegood on earth and Jesus’ message that humans may and can pursue perfect
performance -- in theGod’s image. When I perceive Christian bias in NIV, I
check CJB. “Civic” expresses reliably responsible connections and transactions
to thegood.]
8:1 During those days another large crowd gathered.
Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and
said, 2 “I have compassion for these
people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat [This year, my friend Phil
Chialastri fasted 40 days. Also, provisions for 3 days might be stretched on
intentions.]. 3 If I send them home hungry,
they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His
disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread
to feed them?”
5 “How
many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,”
they replied.
6 He
told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves
and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to
the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small
fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute
them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were
left over. 9 About four thousand were present.
After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat
with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. [A suburb of Magdala?]
11 The
Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. [A disciple could have responded
that the feeding of the crowd was a sign, which suggests to me that in reality Jesus
inspired people who had food to share it, and everyone got their fill with
leftovers. Also, Mark could not judge the Pharisees; I speculate they sincerely
wanted to know Jesus’ opinion to consider for improving the Torah.] 12 He
sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign?
Truly I tell you, no sign will
be given to it.” [Jesus
could have responded, I just fed 4000; is that a sign, rather than “no sign
will be given”. I doubt Mark’s report, because I consider Jesus reliable.] 13 Then
he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. [If this is west to east across
the Sea of Galilee, it’s a trip.]
14 The
disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them
in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned
them. “Watch out for the yeast [leaven, rising, lightener,
light -- a metaphor for either enlightenment or lies] of the
Pharisees and that of Herod [church and state].”
16 They
discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Aware
of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no
bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do
you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you
remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the
five thousand [V. 8 says
4000, so he refers to an earlier event.], how many basketfuls of pieces
did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they
replied.
20 “And
when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of
pieces did you pick up?”
They
answered, “Seven.”
21 He
said to them, “Do you still not understand?” [That he is a miracle worker? Yet I don’t think so and
think this is church dogma.]
[My opinion (I don’t know the ineluctable
truth) is that Jesus, in V 15, was reportedly saying that the Pharisees and
Herod had not the appreciation to participate-in a miracle-demonstration. Also,
in V 12, Jesus seemed to tell the Pharisees he would not negotiate with them.
This sequence, 1) feeding 5,000 with 12
basketfuls left then 4,000 with 7 leftovers; 2) then refusing to perform a test
for Torah developers; 3) then decrying the attitude of the civic leader; and 4)
finally chastising the disciples’ failure to understand, presents a quid pro
quo. That is, you either 1) appreciate Jesus or 2) cannot learn to respect him.
It affirms both 1) the concept of election, or being chosen by God to believe Jesus
and 2) the human choice to appreciate the reliable good. See John 6:35-40;
there, John describes election without using the term. Only Matthew and Mark
use the word “election”. Election carries a risk: perceived antinomianism (not
a biblical word), which can lead to a life unexamined. A life unexamined cannot
be a life of good choices.]
22 They
came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged
Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the
hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes
and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He
looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened,
his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home,
saying, “Don’t even go into the village.” [Again, Mark’s report implies
that miracles are intended for antinomians only; unbelievers are not to know
miracles happened. I do not think the God manipulates favorite people or groups
using the cycle of illness and healing.] [It took 2 experiences with Jesus for the blind man to see
clearly. It’s another metaphor, perhaps to express understanding Jesus’s
influence. Today, December 10, 2023, I see clearly that my individual joy at
Christmas is to perceive Jesus’ civic influence rather than sacrifice to save
souls to heaven. It is a joy that cannot be discouraged and I seek to share.]
27 Jesus
and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way
he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They
replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others,
one of the prophets.”
29 “But
what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter
answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30 Jesus
warned them not to tell anyone about him. [That’s Mark’s report, decades after Jesus was executed.
Perhaps in actual reality Jesus said there would be no Messiah: the God is for
all humankind.]
31 He
then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and
the teachers of the law [that is, the Torah maintained by Israel, would not affirm Jesus as the
Son of God], and that he must be killed and after three
days rise again. 32 He spoke
plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But
when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get
behind me, Satan!” [Perhaps Jesus was rejecting his
own thoughts, rather than accusing Peter of being Satan.] he
said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human
concerns.” [How could
Jesus accuse Peter of evil then explain that he does not understand the God,
perhaps Jesus. Since God is a mystery, people may willfully call Phil Beaver
“Satan”, but I doubt they do.]
34 Then
he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever
wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow
me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses
their life for me and for the gospel will save it. [This sentence contradicts Jesus’
affirmation of Genesis 1:26-28, which assigns to the individual the independent
responsibility for order and prosperity to life on earth and to the earth. Does
“the gospel” differ from Jesus influence? And is Jesus message -- that humans
can perfect personal behavior, the “Good News” (CJB)?] 36 What
good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? [Can a person perfect their
behavior and lose their soul? This calls to mind the competition between James’
epistle about behavior and Paul’s argument for “election” or antinomianism.] 37 Or
what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? [Their life? If so, that’s a contradiction.]
38 If
anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he
comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. [Since returning to UBC on October 17, 2021, I
realize that the-metaphysical-Jesus supported every good decision I ever made.
I will not allow the mysteries of God, the Holy Spirit, Satan, soul,
worship& praise, Christ, any religious construct, or church lessen my
appreciation for Jesus’ civic influence.]”
[I
read to apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy. It’s
primitively expressed by Semite scholars of 3900 years ago in Genesis 1:26-28;
in my paraphrase: Female-and-male-human-being may and can choose to
independently and together constrain political democracy on earth: on earth,
humankind has the power and authority to pursue the good
and constrain the bad. Civic citizens may use the rule of law to
develop statutory justice. Yeshua*
affirmed these ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no power to order earth beyond
humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (civic loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (perfection), and in
other direct dialogue.
The next Bible canon could and should include the law codes of Sumer and
competing civilizations. Resulting insights would take the heat off
Judeo-Christianity, a Christ vs Messiah** vs the God competition that
obfuscates Yeshua.*** Personal and institutional divinity egregiously deludes
Yeshua’s civic influence to the good. The collaborative view from Ancient
Testament, Old Testament, and New Testament could accelerate mutual pursuit of
human being (verb) and lessen habitual baby killings, like those happening in
Israel, in Ukraine, and in the U.S. in the year 2024.
*In
4 BC, Yosef and Myriam of Nazareth begot Yeshua. 250 years beforehand, Greek
translation of the Torah provided Ἰησοῦς and χριστός, both of which competed
with “Yeshua”, the former during Yeshua’s life and the latter in afterdeath. By
the 16th century CE, Christianity used “Jesus Christ” to
repress Yeshua.
The
person, Yeshua, said, in my paraphrase: if people don’t speak my name they can
neither consider my civic influence nor share my open-heartedness; people who
do not appreciate Yeshua cannot respect Yeshua. Competitive monotheism hides
Yeshua’s civic influence. Churches hide Yeshua. Churches claim the Holy Bible
is the word of the God yet do everything they can to negate Genesis 1:26-28:
humankind is responsible to rule to the good on earth.
The
God is a mystery. However, civic citizens may, can, and a few do discern
Yeshua’s civic influence. Accepting Genesis 1:26-28 helps yet does not exclude
the open-minded and open-hearted fellow citizen who has not discovered Yeshua,
yet is due civic appreciation anyway. Appreciation requires constraint to bad
actors and elimination to evil doers.
**Cyrus,
600 BC, is called a messiah in Isaiah 45:1.
***Competitive
monotheism survives on war.]
The
Mark 8 NIV commentary originated on December 10, 2023, before I committed to
Yeshua’s civic influence then updated using CJB on July 9, 2024
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