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Tag: Isaiah

ANNOUNCEMENT of the Testimony of GOD
And when I came to you, brethren, came not in excellency of word, or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1 DBY

Further rebuke of CHRISTIAN MINISTERS

The Apostle Paul begins NOT with a reminder of his considerable credentials but with an apologia for God’s evidence in Christ crucified and risen.

1 Corinthians 2:

I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom [sophia]..
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Superiority, (elevation, pre-eminence, excellence in) Wisdom would have been what many Hellenists in Corinth might have expected in Paul.
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Note that the Apostle’s approach of rebuke of his Corinthian ‘brothers’ in the faith relies ONLY on the Authority of Almighty God. NOT speech (logos), NOT of wisdom [sophia], but an ANNOUNCEMENT and PROCLAIMATION.

proclaiming to you the witness of God.

καταγγέλλω – katangellō –

to announce, declare, promulgate, make known, to proclaim publicly, publish
Strong’s G2605 – katangellō – BlueLetterBible.org

AND shortly Paul will ask these Corinthian believers:

For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?
1 Corinthians 2:11a LSB

Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

testimony – μαρτύριον – martyrion

The APOSTLE of the RISEN CHRIST JESUS is providing ‘something evidential, i.e. (genitive case) evidence given or (specially), the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle):—to be testified, testimony, witness.

Paul has already written his thanks to God for the Corinthians, ‘even as the witness^G3142 about Christ was confirmed in you – 1 Cor 1:6

DO YOU FEAR GOD?
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Here is my testimony as Christ's apostle to you, my Corinthian brothers and sisters in the Lord:
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Jesus Christ, and Him crucified

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power..

Listen to some of the descriptions Paul uses here for their condition:
- WEAKNESS of the body: its native weakness and frailty, feebleness of health or sickness
- of the soul: want of strength and capacity requisite
  - to understand a thing
  - to do things great and glorious
  - to restrain corrupt desires
  - to bear trials and troubles
- φόβος – phobos – FEAR, dread, terror
- MUCH TREMBLING
  - quaking with fear
  - with fear and trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements,
    
    but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty
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Does this description of the Apostle Paul (who rebukes these Corinthians) resemble the pastoral approach of the ministers of YOUR church in any way?
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for ministers mature in Christ

Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.
1 Corinthians 2:6 NLT – Paul’s ‘word to the wise,’ mature ministers of God’s word

Jesus taught followers to be mature

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

“And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

“Therefore you are to be perfect^G5046, as your heavenly Father is perfect^G5046.
Gospel of Matthew 5:38 LSB

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete G5046, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Matthew 19:21 LSB

PAUL writes to the Corinthians who are MATURE ministers of the Lord to “be PERFECT,” become COMPLETE in your TESTIMONY of GOD.

the Mystery of God’s Wisdom

No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, (we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery ) which He destined for our glory before time began.

8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 Rather, as it is written:

“No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no heart has imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Isaiah 64:4

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10 Berean Study Bible

How are mature ministers of God different?
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The relationship of God and Man can become a Spirit to spirit love in Christ our Lord.
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14 The natural [psychikos] person does not accept the things of the Spirit [pneuma ] of God, for they are folly [foolishness] to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. – ESV

We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 BSB

Natural human? OR Spiritual minister?
- a natural man [anthrōpos] does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God
- 15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.
The Apostle again returns to the Prophet Isaiah:

16“For who has known the mind of the Lord [LORD or kyrios – ],

he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord

so as to instruct Him?”
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The APOSTLE here rebukes ministers of the church to be complete or mature in the Lord Jesus Christ:
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But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16b BSB
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Paul will later mention Peter's testimony (1 Cor 15).
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Christ Crucified AND Risen!

Then He opened their minds G3563 to understand the Scriptures…
Gospel of Luke 24:45 LSB

Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God..

11 He tends His flock like a shepherd;

He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart.

He gently leads the nursing ewes.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

or weighed the mountains on a scale

and the hills with a balance?

Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD *,

or informed Him as His counselor?
Isaiah 40:13 BSB
*Or mind of the LORD in the Septuagint (LXX)

NEXT: Meat for Ministers
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and Milk for New Babes
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and we — we have the mind of Christ. And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ..

1 Corinthians 2:16b-3:1 – Young’s Literal Translation

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
June 27, 2024
King for a Common Era Holy Week 3
KING jesus! KING jesus! KING jesus!

Gospel of Matthew 21:

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Gospel of Matthew 21:14 – New King James Version
Today in Jerusalem

~ A.D. 30

another account of a fictional witness
- SUNDAY had been a day with a festive parade into town by our savior KING.
HOSANNA! King Jesus! Thank God for our conquering KING!
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In case you missed my account from SUNDAY:
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King for a Common Era Holy Week – 1
- MONDAY everybody was asking, “Who is this?”
King for a Common Era Holy Week 2
- Will this KING jesus now conquer our captors?
Every Jew coming to the festival knew all-to-well of our obligation to buy a kind of kosher indulgence.

We tried to follow this KING

ALL of Jerusalem was abuzz with this Jesus, who had ridden into our captive city like a KING! And this Son of Man (as he called himself) began the day overturning tables of moneychangers and chasing merchants and animals out of the Temple courts!

Of course the Temple police appeared (though unprepared for such a disturbance as this), then pharisees and priests and scribes, even the chief priests.

In fact — they WITNESSED the marvelous miracles, signs of JESUS’s power from God!

.. and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Gospel of Matthew 21:15b New King James Version – witness of Jesus in the Temple

Rather than praising GOD as even the children were now doing, THEY BECAME INDIGNANT.

One of them said to him (I think it was a chief priest):

“Do You hear what these are saying?”

YES, this Jesus answered him AND then quoted a familiar Psalm.

“Yes, Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”
Gospel of Matthew 25:16 NKJV – Jesus’ response to children singing about Him

By now a few more Legions became clearly visible in the distance, yet the Temple police seemed to be nowhere in sight.

In general the crowds were JOYFUL and above all praising the healings which Jesus had been doing for some who came to Him.

This irked the officials of the Sanhedrin, although they now turned away from making any trouble today for this Son of Man and Son of David, who some zealots in the multitudes were urging to be KING.

This Jesus slipped out through the crowds quickly and headed toward a gate leading to the road to Bethany.

an earlier Passover
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I'm trying to recall if it was last year [A.D. 29] or the year before that I had heard from someone that this was not unusual for this humble Nazarian Rabbi.
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Jesus had shown signs to more than five thousand men near Nazareth.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said,

“This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Gospel of John 6:14-15 NKJV

Why would the Son of David who rode into Jerusalem like KING DAVID leave to stay in Bethany overnight, I wondered?

To be continued.. God-willing…

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 26, 2024
King for a Common Era Holy Week 2
KING jesus! KING jesus! KING jesus!

A.D. 30
Monday in Herod’s Temple

an account of a single fictional witness
SUNDAY had been a day with a festive parade into town by our savior KING.

HOSANNA! King Jesus! Thank God for our conquering KING!
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In case you missed my account from SUNDAY:
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King for a Common Era Holy Week – 1

WE joined the multitudes with palm branches and our coats spread on the ground before the KING’s colt upon which he rode triumphantly to the gate.

(I think two or three THOUSAND of US ready to breach the hopeless walls of our captive capital)

I wonder what our conquering KING will do today?
How WE hate the Roman rule over US. And Herod? Unlike the Great is an impotent king collecting favors and taxes for Pilate the Prefect.
WE can’t wait to get into the city with the early CROWDS.

Is this KING jesus like DAVID or SOLOMON?

Will he finally call on us to take up arms against our ROMAN rulers?

WILL his insurrection now unseat HEROD?

NOW I have to report that yesterday on MONDAY, this KING jesus did NOT do at all what WE had expected.

WE were all there.

(I arrived in the Temple courtyard early, before the Christ WE anticipated would once more return triumphantly as the day before.)

The crowds packing the TEMPLE and city today can hardly be numbered!

AND when Jesus arrived I could again hear a few men flattering him with the glory of a KING.

Gospel of Matthew 21:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
Gospel of Matthew 21:9b – New King James Version

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying,

“Who is this?”
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HOSANNA! save now, I pray
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- Will this KING jesus now conquer our captors?
So the multitudes said,

“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Gospel of Matthew 21:11 New King James Version

And now what?
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Continuing from yesterday's account of a fictional witness, we look to MONDAY of Holy Week (as we have long designated this festival)..
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Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Solomon’s Portico – crowded for the festival

Then Jesus went into the temple of God..

.. and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple,

.. and overturned the tables of the money changers

.. and the seats of those who sold doves.
Gospel of Matthew 21:12 New King James Version

for years Before Christ

Now I have to tell you, God’s Temple, with its several strict regulations of the Sanhedrin has always been a lucrative place for a Jew to do business.

The Pesach festival week this year had not seemed to be much different than any the last five decades since Herod the Great began construction of the still not-quite-finished Temple grounds for God’s ordinary people.

Trouble is that more and more Zealots have more openly attacked our occupiers’ Legions even though ROME has included Judea in its ‘peace‘ for a hundred years or so.

Every Jew coming to the festival knew all-to-well of their obligation to buy a kind of kosher indulgence.

This KING Jesus who called himself Son of Man (rather than son of David) would have none of it.

There were already dozens of these authorized vendors at work with hundreds of early bird customers like us.

When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
Gospel of John 2:15-16 NKJV

Prophesy of Isaiah

As a good Jew I thought I knew these sayings this new Prophet Jesus quoted. One is about the gentiles — and believe me they were all there too.

Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Isaiah 56:7 NKJV

And He said to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Gospel of Matthew 21:13 NKJV

You know what else I remember from this Prophet from seven centuries ago concerning Israel’s leaders?

His watchmen are blind..

And they are shepherds
Who cannot understand;
They all look to their own way,
Every one for his own gain,
From his own territory.
Isaiah 56:11b NKJV

Isaiah calls them ‘greedy dogs’ who are never satisfied.

It seems fit that this Man would clear the Temple of these dogs indulging our Council of leaders comfortably walled-up away from God’s place of worship.

THIS JESUS even knew that our captive weeping Prophet had called it “a den of thieves!”

We tried to follow this KING

This Jesus had our attention. He was right in everything he said and did.

But because of the crowds WE could only get glances of this King as He moved about the Temple courts.

WE kept hearing stories though — confirmation of things Jesus did that no other man or prophet could do.

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple,
and He healed them.
Gospel of Matthew 21:14 New King James Version – witness of Jesus in the Temple

ALL of Jerusalem was abuzz with this Jesus, who had ridden into our captive city like a KING!

AND also this Jesus from Nazareth also showed many SIGNS of power by His own hand.

To be continued.. God-willing…

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 26, 2024