What is the gospel? The old English word “gospel”, literally “good news”, has its roots in the Old Testament where the Hebrew verb “basar” meant to carry good news: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say […]
Since the Aramaic translation of the Greek New Testament has only one word for “rock” Kepha, how do we know that Jesus intended to contrast Petros and Petra in Matthew 16:18?
Since the Aramaic translation of the Greek New Testament has only one word for “rock” Kepha, how do we know that Jesus intended to contrast Petros and Petra in Matthew 16:18? This question relates to the Greek wordplay in Matthew 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter (Greek masculine noun, Petros, loose […]
What is the “Dayspring” in the song of John the Baptist’s father Zechariah? (Luke 1:78)
What is the “Dayspring” in the Luke 1 song of John the Baptist’s father Zechariah? This is old English, “the day spring” in Tyndale 1525, and occurs in the Authorised or King James Version of 1611: “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us” (Luke 1:78 KJV) […]
What was the vinegar offered Jesus to drink on the cross?
The Greek word here is oxos (ὄξος), a tonic drink which may or may not have had sour wine as one of the ingredients. Oxos had a history as a tonic drink in classical Greek, and is mentioned by Aeschylus, Hippocrates, Aristophanes, Xenophon, and others. Hippocrates recommend adding honey to the tonic drink to sweeten it. In […]
Why does Matthew omit 3 kings Ahaziah, Jehoash, Amaziah, from the legal genealogy of Jesus?
The simple answer to the question why does Matthew omit 3 kings Ahaziah, Jehoash, Amaziah, from the genealogy of Matthew 1:8 is probably to conform with Matthew’s scheme of .fourteens. But that that then throws up two questions – why omit these 3, and why fit the genealogy to groups of 14? The answer to […]
What date is the Book of Job?
Dating the Old Testament books is a complex and often controversial matter. However for the Book of Job which is a work of literature, a wisdom book, rather than a historical record, the dating can be left to matters of language, such as vocabulary, and content. The following is from Job by Edward L. Greenstein. […]
1 Peter 3:14 “Sanctify the Lord [God]” quoting Isaiah 8:13 “Sanctify the LORD [Sabbaoth]”
There is variance among the Greek manuscripts of 1 Peter 3:15. The majority text, on which the King James Version is based has “Lord God” – as the original Hebrew in Isaiah 8:13. But the Alexandrian manuscripts have “Christ the Lord” 1 Peter 3:15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always […]
What is “manifestation” of God, and is it the same as “agency”?
A straightforward question to which we give a short general answer: The subject of God’s manifestation to man is terminology mainly used in 19th Century books. It simply means how God reveals himself. The terminology is partly Trinitarian, in that it is used of “God the Father” being manifested by “God the Holy Spirit” and […]
“the LORD … from the LORD out of heaven.” Genesis 19:24
The Hebrew text of Genesis 19:24 contains et- (from) plus a duplication of YHWH which some have misread as meaning that there are two YHWH. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. (Genesis 19:24) The idea occurs in the Babylonian Talmud and was popularised for modern audiences by […]
Does “let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:15) mean the escape to Pella in Jordan?
The Olivet prophecy includes a warning by of Jesus of a time when those in Jerusalem would need to flee: “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… For then […]