Matthew 23: beware Paul's fatherhood and Church

 Matthew 23 seems to reproach both Paul’s fatherhood and his Church

First, consider 1 Corinthians 4:15 CJB, “For even if you have ten thousand trainers in connection with the Messiah, you do not have many fathers; for in connection with the Messiah Yeshua it was I who became your father by means of the Good News”, vs NIV, “Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.”

Paul repressed both Messiah and Yeshua by imposing Christ. I am not a Christian, because Paul is not my father. Matthew 23 seems to reproach Paul’s Church.

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 Ken Tipton. Ken seems to consider answers in a continuous search for ineluctable truth. My evolving statement about Genesis 1:26-28, now from OJB, is at the end of this post.

Note: beginning a series to celebrate the life of long-cherished Nomads class and UBC member, Bubba Henry. The series started with Micah 6, then Matthew Chapters 23, 9, and 5, respectively. A video from Yale completes the series.

Chief concerns and possible insights:

1.     This chapter of Matthew seems to re-iterate Paul’s message in early letters to his churches yet rebuke some Pauline principles.

a.      John Parks preached on trust-and-commitment. I trust neither Paul nor Matthew nor other NT writers but commit to Yeshua’s influence.

2.     Yet V 9 seems to refute 1 Corinthians 4:15, “. . . in Christ Jesus I [Paul] became your father . . .”.

a.      Matthew further decries Paul, as leader, in V 10.

3.     In V 10, Matthew suppresses Yeshua’s civic, civil, and spiritual influence, by drawing attention to the expected Messiah.

a.      Who can accept a man when they are looking for The God?

b.     I accept the mystery of The God and pursue Yeshua’s influences (civic, civil, and intentional).

c.      CJB calls Yeshua “leader”, compared to NIV’s “instructor”. I think “guide” (leaving the individual to choose) is more accurate, precise, and deep.

4.     V 22, in NIV, with lower case “god”, refutes that The Trinity is The One.

5.     V 23 focusing justice, mercy, and trust in church denies humankind, refuting Genesis 1:26-28, 31 as well as Micah 6s humility.

6.     Matthew may have been published 45 years after local people executed Yeshua and 29 years after Paul’s letter to the Galatians – plenty of time for scholarly spiritualism.

What the text seems to say:

1.     V 1-7. Accept the Torah, as presented by its scholars, but do not mimic their behaviors. They are hypocrites.

2.     V 8-12. Your Father is in heaven, and your leader is the Messiah.

a.      Therefore, fellow members are equally mutual-servants.

b.     Be humble to the Torah.

c.      Don’t let anyone call you leader or such.

3.     V 13- 32. The hypocrites

a.      Prevent people from the goodness they intend.

b.     Take advantage of widows.

c.      Coach people to proselytize evil.

d.     Promote and emphasize wealth rather than goodness.

e.      Encourage oaths to altar or church rather than to The God.

f.       Promote wealth-offering rather than justice, mercy, and trust.

g.     Promote appearance more than substance.

h.     Mourn the sins of ancestors yet maintain evil behavior.

i.       V 23s justice, mercy, trust competes with Micah 6s justice, mercy, and humility.

4.     V 33-36. I am sending you wise men, but you will kill them.

a.      You will be held responsible for blood that is shed.

5.     V 37-39. You’ve had your chance with me and can only hope for reprise.

a.      CJB has Adonai instead of NIV’s “the Lord”.

The CJB text with comments follows:

^23:1 Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his talmidim disciples: ² “The Torah-teachers and the P’rushim Pharisees,” he said, “sit in the seat of Moshe. ³ So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don’t do what they do, because they talk but don’t act! [Hypocrites contradict personal beliefs.] ⁴ They tie heavy loads onto people’s shoulders but won’t lift a finger to help carry them. ⁵ Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for they make their t’fillin phylacteries broad and their tzitziyot tassels long, ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ and they love being greeted deferentially in the marketplaces and being called ‘Rabbi.’

⁸ “But you are not to let yourselves be called ‘Rabbi’; because you have one Rabbi Teacher, and you are all each other’s brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘Father.’ father because you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to let yourselves be called ‘leaders,’ instructors because you have one Leader, and he is the Messiah the Messiah! [I prefer Yeshua.] ¹¹ The greatest among you must be your servant, ¹² for whoever promotes himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be promoted exalted.

¹³ “But woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! For you are shutting the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces, neither entering yourselves nor allowing those who wish to enter to do so. ^{14 Some manuscripts include verse 14:} Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! For you swallow up widow’s houses while making a show of davvening [Rabbinic praying] at great length. Because of this your punishment will be all the worse!

¹⁵ “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You go about over land and sea to make one proselyte; and when you succeed, you make him twice as fit for Gei-Hinnom hell as you are!

¹⁶ “Woe to you, you blind guides! You say, ‘If someone swears by the Temple, he is not bound by his oath it means nothing; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound by the oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is more important? the gold? or the Temple which makes the gold holy? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If someone swears by the altar, he is not bound by his oath; but if he swears by the offering on the altar, he is bound.’ ¹⁹ Blind men! Which is more important? the sacrifice? or the altar which makes the sacrifice holy? ²⁰ So someone who swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. ²¹ And someone who swears by the Temple swears by it and the One one who lives in it. [Elohim or Hashem lives in the temple.] ²² And someone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and the One one who sits on it. [By not capitalizing “One”, the NIV scholars express that they do not believe that The Trinity is One.]

²³ “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah — justice, mercy, trust. [Justice, mercy, and trust in a church usually neglects integrity to humankind. But a church can pursue comfort and hope without denying Genesis 1:26-28. Also, trust replaced humility from Micah 6.] These are the things you should have attended to — without neglecting the others! ²⁴ Blind guides! — straining out a gnat, meanwhile swallowing a camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Parush! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may be clean too.

²⁷ “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but inside are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of rottenness. ²⁸ Likewise, you appear to people from the outside to be good and honest righteous, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and far from Torah wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the tsaddikim righteous, ³⁰ and you say, ‘Had we lived when our fathers did, we would never have taken part in killing shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ In this you testify against yourselves that you are worthy descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead then, finish what your fathers started!

³³ “You snakes! Sons of snakes! How can you escape being condemned to Gei-Hinnom? ³⁴ Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and Torah-teachers — some of them you will kill, indeed, you will have them executed on stakes as criminals; some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. ³⁵ And so, on you will fall the guilt for all the innocent righteous blood that has ever been shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Hevel Abel to the blood of Z’kharyah Ben-Berekhyah Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. ³⁶ Yes! I tell you that all this will fall on this generation! [It seems Matthew was written in 78 CE about Yeshua, who was executed in 33 CE – plenty of time to opinionate on actual reality.]

³⁷ “Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! [NIV ruins this poetry with a run-on sentence.] ³⁸ Look! God is abandoning your house to you, leaving it desolate Your house is left to you desolate, ^{[Jeremiah 22:5, “But if ye will not hear these devarim, I swear a shevuah by Myself, saith Hashem, that this Bais shall become a desolation.”] 39} For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai the Lord.’” ^{[Psalm 118:26, “Baruch habah b’Shem Hashem; we have blessed you from the Beis Hashem.” ]} 

[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 evil 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 (pursue your personal perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34 (non-evil humans are gods -- facing death, as in Psalm 82:6-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as “go and sin no more”.

Discussion

I think Genesis 1:26-28 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 human choices.]

 

Ken listed other scripture that commends humility:  2 Chronicles Chapter 7, Psalms Chapter 25, Daniel Chapter 10, Luke Chapter 14, Romans Chapter 12, Ephesians Chapter 4, Philippians Chapter 2, and James Chapter 4.

 

2 Chronicles 7 OJB

^7:1 Now when Sh’lomo had made an end of davening prayer, the eish fire came down from Shomayim heaven, and consumed the olah offerings and the zevakhim sacrifices; and the kavod glory of Hashem filled HaBeis the temple.

² And the Kohanim priests could not enter into the Beis Hashem, because the kavod Hashem had filled the Beis Hashem.

³ And when all the Bnei Yisroel people saw how the eish came down, and the kavod Hashem upon HaBeis, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the ritzpah (floor, pavement) and worshiped, and gave thanks to Hashem, saying, Ki tov ki l’olam chasdo (For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever).

⁴ Then HaMelech and kol HaAm offered zevach before Hashem.

⁵ And HaMelech Sh’lomo offered zevach of 22,000 bakar, and 120,000 tzon; so HaMelech and kol HaAm dedicated the Beis HaElohim.

⁶ And the Kohanim stood at their mishmerot (watches); the Levi’im also with kelei shir Hashem, (musical instruments of Hashem) which Dovid HaMelech had made to give thanks to Hashem‖ki l’oham chasdo (for His mercy endureth forever)‖whenever Dovid praised by their means; and the Kohanim sounded khatzotzrot (trumpets) opposite them, and kol Yisroel stood.

⁷ Moreover Sh’lomo set apart as kodesh the toch hekhatzer (center of the courtyard) that was in front of the Beis Hashem; for there he offered HaOlot and the chelvei hashelamim (fat of peace offerings), because the Mizbe’ach hanechoshet which Sh’lomo had made was not able to receive the Olot, and the Mincha, and HaChalavim (the fats).

⁸ Also at the same time Sh’lomo kept the Chag (see v. 9) shivat yamim, and kol Yisroel with him, a Kahal Gadol Me’od, from the Levo (Approach) Chamat unto the Wadi Mitzrayim.

⁹ And on the Yom HaShemini they held an Atzeret (solemn assembly); for they kept the chanukat HaMizbe’ach (dedication of the altar, i.e., the Beis Hamikdash) shivat yamim, and the chag [Sukkot] shivat yamim.

¹⁰ And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent HaAm away into their ohalim joyful and tovei lev for the goodness that Hashem had showed unto Dovid, and to Sh’lomo, and to Yisroel His Am.

¹¹ Thus Sh’lomo finished the Beis Hashem, and the Beis HaMelech; and all that came into the lev Sh’lomo to do in the Beis Hashem, and in his own palace, he prosperously effected.

¹² And Hashem appeared to Sh’lomo balailah, and said unto him, I have heard thy tefillah, and have chosen this makom for Myself for a Beis Zevach.

¹³ When I shut up Shomayim that there be no matar, or when I command the locusts to devour HaAretz, or when I send dever among Ami (My People)

¹⁴ If Ami, which are called by Shmi, shall humble themselves, and daven, and seek my face, and turn from their derakhim hara’im (wicked ways), then will I hear from Shomayim, and will forgive their chattat, and will heal their land.

¹⁵ Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attentive unto the tefillah that is made in Makom HaZeh.

¹⁶ For now have I chosen and set apart as kodesh HaBeis HaZeh, that Shmi may be there ad olam, and Mine eyes and Mine lev shall be there kol hayamim.

¹⁷ And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Me, as Dovid Avicha walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My chukkot and My mishpatim;

¹⁸ Then will I establish the kisse of thy Malchut, just as I have covenanted with Dovid Avicha, saying, Lo yikaret lecha ish moshel b’Yisroel.

¹⁹ But if ye turn away, and forsake My chukkot and My mitzvot, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve elohim acherim, and worship them,

²⁰ Then will I uproot them out of My Adamah which I have given them; and HaBeis HaZeh, which I have set apart as kodesh for Shmi, will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a Mashal (byword) and an object of ridicule among Kol haAmim.

²¹ And HaBeis HaZeh, which is elyon, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath Hashem done thus unto HaAretz HaZot, and unto HaBeis Hazeh?

²² And it shall be answered, Because they forsook Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, Who brought them forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and they laid hold on elohim acherim, and worshiped them, and served them; therefore hath He brought all this ra’ah upon them.

 

Psalm 2 OJB

 

^25:1 (Of Dovid) [Aleph] Unto Thee, Hashem, do I lift up my nefesh.

² [Bais] O Elohai, I trust in Thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine oyevim triumph over me.

³ [Gimel] Yea, let none that wait [hoping in] Thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

⁴ [Dalet] Show me Thy ways, Hashem; teach me Thy paths.

⁵ [Heh Vav] Lead me in Thy emes, and teach me; for Thou art the Elohei of my Salvation; on Thee do I wait kol hayom.

⁶ [Zayin] Remember, Hashem, Thy rachamim and Thy lovingkindnesses; for they have ever been of old.

⁷ [Chet] Remember not the chattot of my youth, nor my peysha’im; according to Thy chesed remember Thou me for the sake of Thy goodness, Hashem.

⁸ [Tet] Tov and yashar is Hashem; therefore will He teach chatta’im in the Derech.

⁹ [Yod] The meek will He guide in mishpat; and the aniyim will He teach His way.

¹⁰ [Kaph] All the paths of Hashem are chesed and emes unto such as keep His Brit (covenant) and His Edot (covenant demands, urgings, reminders, testimonies).

¹¹ [Lamed] For the sake of Thy Shem, Hashem, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

¹² [Mem] What man is he that feareth Hashem? Him shall He teach in the Derech that he shall choose.

¹³ [Nun] His nefesh (soul) shall dwell in prosperity; and his zera shall inherit the earth.

¹⁴ [Samech] The secret of Hashem is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His Brit (covenant).

¹⁵ [Ayin] Mine eyes are ever toward Hashem; for He shall pluck my feet out of the reshet (net).

¹⁶ [Peh] Turn Thee unto me, and be gracious unto me; for I am yachid (alone, lonely) and afflicted.

¹⁷ [Tzade] The tzoros of my lev are multiplied; O bring Thou me forth out of my distresses.

¹⁸ [Resh] Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and take away all my chattot.

¹⁹ Resh] Look upon mine enemies; for they are increased; and they hate me with sinas chamas.

²⁰ Shin] Be shomer over my nefesh, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed; for I take refuge in Thee.

²¹ [Tav] Let tohm (integrity, guilelessness) and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.

²² Redeem Yisroel, O Elohim, out of all his tzoros.

Daniel 10 OJB

10 In the shnat shlosh of Koresh (Cyrus) melech Paras (Persia) a davar (word) was revealed unto Daniel, shmo (his name) called Beltshatzar; and emes was the davar, and of a tzava gadol (great conflict, affliction); and he understood the davar, and had binah of the vision.

² In those days I Daniel was mourning a full shloshah shavu’im (three weeks).

³ Choice lechem I did not eat, neither came basar nor yayin into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, until the completing of the full shloshet shavu’im.

⁴ And in the four and twentieth yom of the chodesh harishon (first month), as I was on the bank of the nahar hagadol (the great river) which is the Tigris;

⁵ Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, hinei, there before me was as an ish clothed in linen, around whose waist was a belt of the finest gold of Uphaz.

⁶ His geviyah (body) also was like the chrysolite, and his face like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like torches of eish, and his zero’ot (arms) and his raglayim (feet) like in color to polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the kol hamon (voice of a multitude).

⁷ And I Daniel alone saw the vision, for the anashim that were with me saw not the vision; but a charadah gedolah (great terror) fell upon them, and they fled, for they hid themselves.

⁸ Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no ko’ach (strength) in me, for my hod (comeliness) was changed upon me into disfigurement, and I retained no ko’ach.

⁹ Then I heard the kol (voice) of his words, and when I heard the kol of his words, then I was in a deep sleep on my face, and my face was on the ground.

¹⁰ And, hinei, a yad (hand) touched me, and raised me, trembling, upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

¹¹ And he said unto me, O Daniel, ish chamudot (man greatly valued, beloved), understand the devarim that I speak unto thee, and stand upright, for unto thee now shulachti (I was sent). And when he had spoken the davar hazeh (this word) unto me, I stood trembling.

¹² Then said he unto me, Al tirah (fear not), Daniel, for from the yom harishon (first day) that thou didst set thine lev to understand, oolehitannot (and to afflict, humble thyself) before Eloheicha, thy words were heard, and I am come because of thy words.

¹³ But the Sar Malchut Paras (Prince of the Kingdom of Persia) was standing before me 21 yamim; but, hinei, Micha’el, one of the Sarim HaRishonim came to help me; and I was detained there with the Melachim Paras.

¹⁴ Now I am come to give thee binah (understanding) of what shall befall thy People in the acharit hayamim ([Messianic] latter days); for there is still a chazon (vision) for [those] yamim (days).

¹⁵ And while he was speaking such devarim unto me, I bowed my face toward the ground, and I became unable to speak.

¹⁶ And, hinei, one with the likeness of the bnei adam touched my lips; then I opened my mouth, and spoke, and said unto him that stood before me, Adoni, because of the vision my pangs have overcome me, and I have retained no ko’ach.

¹⁷ For how is the eved adoni here able to speak with such as adoni? For as for me, now no ko’ach remains in me, neither is there neshamah (breath) left in me.

¹⁸ Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, v’yechazkeini (and he strengthened me),

¹⁹ And said, Al tira, ish chamudot (fear not, O man greatly valued, beloved); Shalom to you; chazak (be strong), yea, chazak. And when he had spoken unto me, I felt myself strengthened, and said, Let adoni speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

²⁰ Then said he, Knowest thou why I have come unto thee? And now I shall return to fight against the Sar Paras (Prince of Persia); and when I am gone forth, hinei! The Sar Yavan (Prince of Greece) comes.

²¹ But I shall make known to thee that which is inscribed in the Writing of Emes; and there is no one mitchazak (putting forth strength) with me in these things, but Micha’el your Sar.

Luke 14 CJB

14 One Shabbat Yeshua went to eat in the home of one of the leading P’rushim, and they were watching him closely. ² In front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. ³ Yeshua spoke up and asked the Torah experts and P’rushim, “Does the Torah allow healing on Shabbat or not?” ⁴ But they said nothing. So, taking hold of him, he healed him and sent him away. ⁵ To them he said, “Which of you, if a son or an ox falls into a well, will hesitate to haul him out on Shabbat?” ⁶ And to these things they could give no answer.

⁷ When Yeshua noticed how the guests were choosing for themselves the best seats at the table, he told them this parable: ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, don’t sit down in the best seat; because if there is someone more important than you who has been invited, ⁹ the person who invited both of you might come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then you will be humiliated as you go to take the least important place. ¹⁰ Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the least important place; so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Go on up to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone sitting with you. ¹¹ Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹² Yeshua also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives or rich neighbors; for they may well invite you in return, and that will be your repayment. ¹³ Instead, when you have a party, invite poor people, disfigured people, the crippled, the blind! ¹⁴ How blessed you will be that they have nothing with which to repay you! For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

¹⁵ On hearing this, one of the people at the table with Yeshua said to him, “How blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God!” ¹⁶ But he replied, “Once a man gave a banquet and invited many people. ¹⁷ When the time came for the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready!’ ¹⁸ But they responded with a chorus of excuses. The first said to him, ‘I’ve just bought a field, and I have to go out and see it. Please accept my apologies.’ ¹⁹ Another said, ‘I’ve just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to test them out. Please accept my apologies.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have just gotten married, so I can’t come.’ ²¹ The slave came and reported these things to his master.

“Then the owner of the house, in a rage, told his slave, ‘Quick, go out into the streets and alleys of the city; and bring in the poor, the disfigured, the blind and the crippled!’ ²² The slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ ²³ The master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the country roads and boundary walls, and insistently persuade people to come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling along with Yeshua. Turning, he said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be my talmid. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Don’t you sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough capital to complete it? ²⁹ If you don’t, then when you have laid the foundation but can’t finish, all the onlookers start making fun of you ³⁰ and say, ‘This is the man who began to build, but couldn’t finish!’

³¹ “Or again, suppose one king is going out to wage war with another king. Doesn’t he first sit down and consider whether he, with his ten thousand troops, has enough strength to meet the other one, who is coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he hasn’t, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation to inquire about terms for peace.

³³ “So every one of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has cannot be my talmid. ³⁴ Salt is excellent. But if even the salt becomes tasteless, what can be used to season it? ³⁵ It is fit for neither soil nor manure — people throw it out. Those who have ears that can hear, let them hear!”

Romans 12 CJB

12 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. ² In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. ³ For I am telling every single one of you, through the grace that has been given to me, not to have exaggerated ideas about your own importance. Instead, develop a sober estimate of yourself based on the standard which God has given to each of you, namely, trust. ⁴ For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function; ⁵ so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. ⁶ But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, use it to the extent of your trust; ⁷ if it is serving, use it to serve; if you are a teacher, use your gift in teaching; ⁸ if you are a counselor, use your gift to comfort and exhort; if you are someone who gives, do it simply and generously; if you are in a position of leadership, lead with diligence and zeal; if you are one who does acts of mercy, do them cheerfully.

⁹ Don’t let love be a mere outward show. Recoil from what is evil, and cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other devotedly and with brotherly love; and set examples for each other in showing respect. ¹¹ Don’t be lazy when hard work is needed, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. ¹² Rejoice in your hope, be patient in your troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer. ¹³ Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you — bless them, don’t curse them! ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be sensitive to each other’s needs — don’t think yourselves better than others, but make humble people your friends. Don’t be conceited. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but try to do what everyone regards as good. ¹⁸ If possible, and to the extent that it depends on you, live in peace with all people. ¹⁹ Never seek revenge, my friends; instead, leave that to God’s anger; for in the Tanakh it is written,

“Adonai says, ‘Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay.’”^[a]

²⁰ On the contrary,

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For by doing this, you will heap
fiery coals [of shame] on his head.”^[b]

²¹ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Footnotes

1. Romans 12:19 Deuteronomy 32:41
2. Romans 12:20 Proverbs 25:21–22

Ephesians 4 CJB

4 Therefore I, the prisoner united with the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

² Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, ³ and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of shalom. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as when you were called you were called to one hope. ⁵ And there is one Lord, one trust, one immersion, ⁶ and one God, the Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is in all.

⁷ Each one of us, however, has been given grace to be measured by the Messiah’s bounty. ⁸ This is why it says,

“After he went up into the heights,
he led captivity captive
and he gave gifts to mankind.”^[a]

⁹ Now this phrase, “he went up,” what can it mean if not that he first went down into the lower parts, that is, the earth? ¹⁰ The one who went down is himself the one who also went up, far above all of heaven, in order to fill all things. ¹¹ Furthermore, he gave some people as emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers. ¹² Their task is to equip God’s people for the work of service that builds the body of the Messiah, ¹³ until we all arrive at the unity implied by trusting and knowing the Son of God, at full manhood, at the standard of maturity set by the Messiah’s perfection.

¹⁴ We will then no longer be infants tossed about by the waves and blown along by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in every respect grow up into him who is the head, the Messiah. ¹⁶ Under his control, the whole body is being fitted and held together by the support of every joint, with each part working to fulfill its function; this is how the body grows and builds itself up in love.

¹⁷ Therefore I say this — indeed, in union with the Lord I insist on it: do not live any longer as the pagans live, with their sterile ways of thinking. ¹⁸ Their intelligence has been shrouded in darkness, and they are estranged from the life of God, because of the ignorance in them, which in turn comes from resisting God’s will. ¹⁹ They have lost all feeling, so they have abandoned themselves to sensuality, practicing any kind of impurity and always greedy for more. ²⁰ But this is not the lesson you learned from the Messiah! ²¹ If you really listened to him and were instructed about him, then you learned that since what is in Yeshua is truth, ²² then, so far as your former way of life is concerned, you must strip off your old nature, because your old nature is thoroughly rotted by its deceptive desires; ²³ and you must let your spirits and minds keep being renewed, ²⁴ and clothe yourselves with the new nature created to be godly, which expresses itself in the righteousness and holiness that flow from the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, stripping off falsehood, let everyone speak truth with his neighbor,^[b] because we are intimately related to each other as parts of a body. ²⁶ Be angry, but don’t sin^[c] — don’t let the sun go down before you have dealt with the cause of your anger; ²⁷ otherwise you leave room for the Adversary.

²⁸ The thief must stop stealing; instead, he should make an honest living by his own efforts. This way he will be able to share with those in need.

²⁹ Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them. ³⁰ Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.

Footnotes

1. Ephesians 4:8 Psalm 68:19(18)
2. Ephesians 4:25 Zechariah 8:16
3. Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:5(4)

Philippians 2 CJB

2 Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, ² then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind. ³ Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves — ⁴ look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own.

⁵ Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:

⁶ Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
⁷ On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.

And when he appeared as a human being,
⁸ he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
⁹ Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;

¹⁰ that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
¹¹ and every tongue will acknowledge^[a]
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.

¹² So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling,^[b] 13 for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him. ¹⁴ Do everything without kvetching or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation,^[c] among whom you shine like stars in the sky, ¹⁶ as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing. ¹⁷ Indeed, even if my lifeblood is poured out as a drink offering over the sacrifice and service of your faith, I will still be glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise, you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

¹⁹ But I hope in the Lord Yeshua to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I too may be cheered by knowing how you are doing. ²⁰ I have no one who compares with him, who will care so sincerely for your welfare — ²¹ people all put their own interests ahead of the Messiah Yeshua’s. ²² But you know his character, that like a child with his father he slaved with me to advance the Good News. ²³ So I hope to send him just as soon as I see how things will go with me, ²⁴ and I am confident in the Lord that before long I myself will come too.

²⁵ Also I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, the emissary whom you sent to take care of my needs; ²⁶ since he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, close to death; but God had mercy on him — and not only on him, but also on me — otherwise I would have had sorrow piled on sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore, I am all the more eager to send him, so that you may rejoice when you see him again; and I, for my part, may be less sad. ²⁹ So give him a joyful welcome in the Lord; honor such people. ³⁰ For he risked his life and nearly died working for the Messiah, in order to give me the help you were not in a position to give.

Footnotes

1. Philippians 2:11 Isaiah 45:23
2. Philippians 2:12 Psalm 2:11
3. Philippians 2:15 Deuteronomy 32:5

James 4 CJB

4 What is causing all the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it your desires battling inside you? ² You desire things and don’t have them. You kill, and you are jealous, and you still can’t get them. So you fight and quarrel. The reason you don’t have is that you don’t pray! ³ Or you pray and don’t receive, because you pray with the wrong motive, that of wanting to indulge your own desires.

⁴ You unfaithful wives! Don’t you know that loving the world is hating God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy! ⁵ Or do you suppose the Scripture speaks in vain when it says that there is a spirit in us which longs to envy? ⁶ But the grace he gives is greater, which is why it says,

“God opposes the arrogant,
but to the humble he gives grace.”^[a]

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded people! ⁹ Wail, mourn, sob! Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom! ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers, stop speaking against each other! Whoever speaks against a brother or judges a brother is speaking against Torah and judging Torah. And if you judge Torah, you are not a doer of what Torah says, but a judge. ¹² There is but one Giver of Torah; he is also the Judge, with the power to deliver and to destroy. Who do you think you are, judging your fellow human being?

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city, stay there a year trading and make a profit”! ¹⁴ You don’t even know if you will be alive tomorrow! For all you are is a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If Adonai wants it to happen, we will live” to do this or that. ¹⁶ But as it is, in your arrogance you boast. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So then, anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it is committing a sin.

Footnotes

1. James 4:6 Proverbs 3:34