Acts 1 Peter’s verbal slop projects Yeshua onto Davidic prophesy

 Acts 1 Peter’s verbal slop projects Yeshua onto Davidic prophesy

Guide: CJB emphasis in bold (CJB online), text in green; NIV in magenta ; 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 Ken Tipton. My continually improved statement about Genesis 1:26-28 is at the end of this post.

Chief concerns:

1.    Acts1 seems to assert that Yeshua either unknowingly chose a traitor or diabolically entrapped someone foolish enough to betray a miraculous healer. I think Yeshua meant a person can choose necessary goodness: he said be perfect (Matthew 5:48).

2.    Doctrine is factual and a listener may and can accept it. So far, I perceive competing doctrine projected onto and hiding Yeshua’s civic influence to necessary goodness:

a.    His brother James, opined Yeshua the Messiah would return, in order to unite the 12 tribes of Israel to self-rule under the Tanakh, which is continually improved Torah.

b.    The elders and John may have opined that the Jewish Messiah was yet to come.

c.     Paul, self-elected apostle to the pagans (Gentiles), argued that Yeshua was sacrificial-blood come down from heaven to atone for sins of all believers.

d.    So far, it seems Peter, using verbal slop, projected Yeshua’s life and death onto mysterious Davidic-prophesy.

e.    I think Yeshua was a political and religious philosopher who recognized humankind’s power, authority, and responsibility to rule to necessary goodness on earth as reliably as The God would.

A person may pursue hope and comfort through their belief in any of contentions a. through d. and still collaborate to aid Yeshua’s civic influence.

3.    With no intentions to offend, I note passages that reflect doctrine, whether to believers in general, the various canon, or Church. Without integrity in sharing, it is not possible for fellow-students to discover The God’s message in the Bible, as Nomads class does.

4.    Incidentally, I promote revising Ramos v Louisiana (2020) to reinstate majority-jury-verdicts, deemed essential to defeating organized-crime influence. By their vote 6:3, The Court imposed unanimity on Louisiana. They cited English precedent, even though England adopted 10:2 majority decisions in 1967.

Working considerations:

1.    The 12 apostles included one traitor, Judas. With evil gone, why weren’t the remaining 11 (V13) sufficient to witness to the ascension?

a.    I don’t think 12-apostles mimic 12-Israel-tribes but can be wrong.

b.    V15 believers numbered 120

                                  i.    V16 belief in Tanakh, Hebrew canon, including Torah, the first five books

c.     V21 bringing the count back to 12 seems unwise, given Judas’ evidence that traitors exist.

                                  i.    V23 and why exclude women?

                                 ii.    Women might be freethinking about the Davidic prophecy

                               iii.    V25 NIV interprets emissary as apostolic ministry

d.    Perhaps mimicking Peter’s insistence, Anglo-American criminal juries have 12 members. Before April, 2020, Louisiana could have 10:2 majority verdicts. The United States unjustly requires unanimity, but England accommodates a majority of 10, in order to lessen criminal-organization influences. The United States Supreme Court wrongly decided Ramos v. Louisiana on April 20, 2020. It was as a racial rather than criminal issue and wrongly address Constitutional Amendment VI; https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/590/18-5924/. Ironically, their decision for unanimity came on a 6:3 vote; https://apnews.com/article/a4f065037299491913827b7d8eda9023.

e.    I am prompted to ask, why would Yeshua choose an infidel, and how is it possible for a contemporary to know Yeshua yet betray him? Yeshua choosing Judas is reported in Mark 3, wherein healing in the synagogue is reported. Yeshua takes his disciples into the hills, and chooses 12 emissaries, including in V19, “Y’hudah from K’riot, the one who betrayed him”. Yeshua’s commission is added in Matthew 10. Luke 6 seems redundant to Mark 3. The Yeshua I pursue would not choose an infidel as emissary but directly encouraged and facilitated contemporary waywards’ self-interest to reform. Peter’s ancient opinion seems a candidate for reform.

2.    Tentatively-winning claims by the writer

a.    V1 “[in Luke] I wrote about everything Yeshua set out to do and teach”.

                                  i.    However, miracles and blood-sacrifice challenge reliability.

1.    Would belief aid my commitment to Yeshua’s civic influence?

                                 ii.    I explore Yeshua’s civic influence, by setting aside, pending more evidence, both miracle reports (“Jesus”) and blood-sacrifice (“Christ”).

3.    Acknowledging doctrine

a.    V2 motivation and inspiration expressed as Holy Spirit

b.    V2 Yeshua’s ascension

c.     V11 the second coming

d.    V16-17 the Jewish faction who urged Rome to execute Yeshua were “our allies”, projecting Yeshua onto Davidic prophecy.

e.    V18-19 even Judas was an ally in the Yeshua-projection

                                  i.    V20, the writer misrepresents both Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 to promote projection of Yeshua onto Davidic prophesy.

                                 ii.    [Similarly Pontius Pilot would be “our ally”, executing the one he deemed innocent.]

4.    Bible benchmarks also contest the writer’s reliability

a.    V3 he was “alive for 40 days”; https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/40.html; used 158 times in KJV.

b.    V3 “the Kingdom of God”; https://christianfaithguide.com/how-many-times-is-kingdom-mentioned-in-the-bible/; “kingdom” is mentioned 520 times in NIV, 155 in the NT. I think it is a 2000 year old projection of human, national politics onto The God.

                                  i.    The God has no need for “self-rule” V6.

c.     V4 the recent 2000 years discredit hearers’ immediacy to stay in Jerusalem.

d.    V8 discovery lessens “eye-witness” reliability.

The CJB text follows:

^1:1 Dear Theophilos:

In the first book, I wrote about everything Yeshua set out to do and teach, ² until the day when, after giving instructions through the Ruach HaKodesh ["the spirit of the holy one", a name for Yahweh] to the emissaries [representatives] apostles whom he had chosen [Probably not matching 12 tribes of Israel: https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/12-apostles-12-tribes/ but maybe so; https://christian.net/bible-facts/why-did-jesus-chose-12-apostles/#google_vignette], he was taken up into heaven.

³ After his death he showed himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. During a period of forty days they saw him, and he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God.

⁴ At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. ⁵ For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!”

⁶ When they were together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore self-rule the kingdom to Isra’el?” ⁷ He answered, “You don’t need to know the dates or the times; the Father has kept these under his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y’hudah and Shomron Samaria [middle land between Judah and Galilee], indeed to the ends of the earth!”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up before their eyes; and a cloud hid him from their sight. ¹⁰ As they were staring into the sky after him, suddenly they saw two men dressed in white (angels) standing next to them. ¹¹ The men said, “You Galileans! Why are you standing, staring into space? This Yeshua, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come back to you in just the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” [Foretelling the second coming.]

¹² Then they returned the Shabbat-walk distance from the Mount of Olives to Yerushalayim. ¹³ After entering the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. The names of the emissaries were Kefa, Ya‘akov, Yochanan, Andrew, Philip, T’oma, Bar-Talmai, Mattityahu, Ya‘akov Ben-Halfai, Shim‘on “the Zealot,” and Y’hudah Ben-Ya‘akov. ¹⁴ These all devoted themselves single-mindedly to prayer, along with some women, including Miryam (Yeshua’s mother), and his brothers. Present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James . . . along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

¹⁵ During this period, when the group of believers numbered about 120, Kefa stood up and addressed his fellow-believers: ¹⁶ “Brothers, the Ruach HaKodesh spoke in advance through David about Y’hudah Judas, and these words of the Tanakh the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He was guide for those who arrested Yeshua — ¹⁷ he was one of us and had been assigned a part in our work.” ¹⁸ (With the money Y’hudah received for his evil deed, he bought a field; and there he fell to his death. His body swelled up and burst open, and all his insides spilled out. ¹⁹ This became known to everyone in Yerushalayim, so they called that field Hakal-D’ma — which in their language means “Field of Blood”). ²⁰ “Now,” said Kefa, “it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his estate become desolate, let there be no one to live in it’; ^{Psalm 69:26(25), “Let the place where they live be desolate, with no one to live in their tents” [Peter changes “they” to “his”, in order to project David’s plea respecting all enemies onto Judas.]}

and

‘Let someone else take his place as a supervisor of leadership.’ ^{Psalm 109:8, “May his days be few, may someone else take his position.” of leadership [Peter misapplies David’s plea for an evil person to attack David’s enemies.] [I do not trust the writer of Acts.]}

 

²¹ Therefore, one of the men who have been with us continuously throughout the time the Lord Yeshua traveled around among us, ²² from the time Yochanan was immersing people until the day Yeshua was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”

²³ They nominated two men — Yosef Bar-Sabba, surnamed Justus, and Mattityahu. [Excluding women.] ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over the work and the office of emissary [diplomatic representative] apostolic ministry that Y’hudah abandoned to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they drew lots to decide between the two, and the lot fell to Mattityahu. So he was added to the eleven emissaries.

[I read to apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy. The Sumerians are parochially referenced by Semite scribes 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, civic humankind has the power and authority to pursue necessary goodness and constrain the bad. Civic citizens may use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. Yeshua* affirmed contributing ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (spousal loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (pursue your 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 vs Yeshua’s civic influence.*** Personal and institutional competition egregiously deludes Yeshua’s influence to necessary goodness. The collaborative view 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 2025.

*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. Rome affirmed a triune God in 325 CE. By the 16^th 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. 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 necessary goodness on earth.

The God is a mystery. However, civic citizens may, can, and 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. In other words, human-beings may and can mimic Yeshua without knowing his home town or his beginning.

**Cyrus, 600 BC, is called a messiah in Isaiah 45:1.

***Competitive monotheism survives on war.]

[I think Genesis 1:26-28 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

Acceptance of the power, authority, and responsibility to rule on earth is human being (verb). Reliable human-beings pursue necessary-goodness to actual-reality.

The rest of the Bible discloses the chaos that ensues if most individuals choose wanton behavior -- neglect the laws of physics and progeny, e.g., biology and psychology.

The civic collective cannot rule if most fellow citizens practice/accommodate badness and allow evil. Civilizations can and do exist without civic integrity.

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, e.g. in Matt 5:48 (be as perfect as goodness); 18:18 (expect consequences rather than error-correction); and 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness). 

Today there are more than 4,000 religions and 45,000 Christian sects on earth. Today is the time for individuals to accept the power, the authority, and the responsibility to practice civic integrity in personal living. “Ourselves” may either continue to leave reliable responsibility to “our Posterity”, referring to the preamble to the US Constitution, or practice necessary goodness.

Notes re modern perspective:

1.     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.

a.      Blue highlight is to emphasize Genesis 1:26-28 pronoun usages, “our” and “we”.

b.     Perhaps the “we” infers the androgynous pair, like a married couple more than a mating couple.

c.      It seems human choice may and can conform to the discovered laws of physics.

d.     Yet human inspiration and motivation are driven by goodness,

e.      When goodness is uncertain, humility seems an option.

2.      Scholars understand that humankind in its present mutation is Homo sapiens (HS)

a.      Distinguished by brains with synapses and neurons continuously developing speed and capacity to handle exponential complexities

b.     Indeed HS is the dominant species on earth and its extensions

c.      Yet HS, so far, is challenged-to, perhaps will-not, control earth as much as possible

d.  Unfortunately, after 200,000 years, sexual-attraction rather than necessary goodness dominates society.

3.      The rest of the Holy Bible expresses the validity of Genesis 1:26-28:  Humankind may and can choose to rule on earth.

a.      Genesis 1 predates the existence of Israel by at least 1500 years.

b.     About 2000 years have passed since Yeshua lived.

c.      Yet war in the Middle East threatens humankind’s opportunity.

d.     It seems time to pay more attention to primitive thought – psychological and civic discovery during the period 8000 years ago to 4000 years ago.]