The Holy Bible is a very complex entity. It is almost as if it were a living breathing evolution of a teaching passed down from ancient times that is still relevant to many people in this modern age.
Before it was ever written, it was transmitted by Oral Tradition. It is believed that afterward there were literally scriptures written in stone, which is debatable. However there is a treasure trove found in Qumran, a city in Israel, known collectively as The Dead Sea Scrolls.These scriptures date to around 150 B.C.E to 70 C.E (within 40 years of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ). The only scrolls believed to be older are the Nash Papyrus (though they are still hotly debated among scholars to this day).
I attended a lecture given by one of the prominent translators and scholars on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Professor Lawrence Shiffman. The presentation was very helpful to have a better understanding of the original teachings of the Holy Bible, including the pseudepigrapha which were writings that were intentionally fake to better explain certain concepts; The Book of Enoch is one of the many confirmed pseudepigrapha.
Dr. Shiffman also stated that the content (words) of the scrolls is not very different from what we find in our modern Holy Bible. That knowledge blows a huge hole in the theory that the Holy Bible was drastically altered and changed to be completely different from the original source (The First Council of Nicaea). Ironically the Roman Catholic Church did not change much of what was written in the modern Bible, but did change what was taught (religious practice). It was illegal to read it yourself when the Pope was in power over the King, thanks to the unification efforts of Constantine. There are slight variations in a few words, but nothing that changes the original concept. The original commandment was not changed from "Thou shalt steal" to "Thou shall not steal," for example.
This being said there are no existing copies of the 100% original scripture as written by the first hands that ever wrote them (dictated by God), but we can thank Oral Tradition for preserving these teachings for so long. In the Hebrew Museum of Israel, the original text of the Prophet Isaiah is written in a different dialect of Hebrew (not the original Hebrew). That brings me to the language issue. The original Hebrew is not the same as it was in the times of Moses. According to Dr. Shiffman, Aramaic (used from the time of the major prophets until shortly after Jesus Christ) was "not completely understandable by knowing Hebrew, but similar to a Spanish speaker being able to pick up a good amount of Portuguese." That is how we are have a fairly close translation without a codex or "Rosetta Stone" like object.
There is always so much more to say, but that's all for now folks. Please enjoy the Spiritual look into the word below if you'd like!
____________________________________________________________________________
Spiritual Corner: Let's take a deeper look into this scripture:
"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." - Matthew 5:18
The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied that the Word of God would never pass away until heaven and earth pass away. This implies that heaven (the universe) and earth (as a whole planet) will pass away (perish) eventually. This doesn't mean that you should start to run around like a chicken without a head, or go into mass panic. God's time is not our time... "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8).
What is important to note is that His Word will never pass away, it transcends physical space and time, and if you obey His Word, then the promise is that you will have eternal life that transcends physical space and time. Furthermore the commands that God gives are for better living on Earth, it's not all about waiting to die to get your reward (contrary to popular belief).
You see the Law, which is followed by Jewish believers (from a Rabbinical tradition) and many times followed by Christians who actually obey what is written in the Word, was not meant to limit our lives or simply to take away what we like. Many Christians believe that Jesus Christ came into the world to get rid of Jewish Law (the Law of Moses) however He Himself said (in the verse right before the focal verse) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17) The Law that Jesus was referring to was the Torah (first 5 books of Moses) and the Major/Minor Prophets plus the Books of Wisdom (Psalms, Proverbs,etc.)... In other words these words of the Old Testament still apply to this day for those who believe:
"13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul--
14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.
15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied." - Deuteronomy 11: 13-15
No comments:
Post a Comment