Chapter 1

¹ Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the congregation of the Thessalonians who are in God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed: ² May you have loving care and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.

³ We’re always obligated to give thanks to God for you, brothers. This is appropriate because of the super growth of your faith, and [because of] the love that you have for each other, which keeps on growing. ⁴ We also take special pride in you among all the congregations of God, because of the endurance and faith that you’ve shown through all the persecutions and difficulties that you’ve been enduring. ⁵ So, the righteous judgment of God is being revealed in that you’re being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

⁶ And it’s a righteous thing for God to repay those who are persecuting you by crushing them, ⁷ while providing relief to you who are suffering this persecution (and to us also) when the Lord Jesus is revealed in the sky with his powerful messengers ⁸ in a flaming fire. Then he’ll bring vengeance upon all those who don’t know God and those who aren’t obeying the good news about our Lord Jesus. ⁹ [His] justice will repay them with age-long ruin away from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength. ¹⁰ [He will do this] when he comes to be glorified among his Holy Ones and to be marveled at by all those who believe, because you put faith in the testimony we gave that day.

¹¹ We’re also always praying this for you: That our God may count you worthy of the calling and fulfill upon you all [His] good intentions and powerful deeds of faith, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you (and you in him), through the loving care of our God and of the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.

Chapter 2

¹ However, brothers; regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One and our being gathered to him; we urge you ² not to quickly lose hope, or to be disturbed by [something from the] spirit, or by words, or [by things] in a letter that may have come through us, indicating that the Lord’s Day has arrived. ³ Don’t allow anyone to mislead you in any way, because it won’t come until after there is a great turning away and the lawless man is revealed… the son of destruction. ⁴ For, he opposes and puts himself higher than all others that are called gods or things of worship, and he seats himself in the Temple of God where he publicly displays himself as being a god.

⁵ Don’t you remember that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you?

⁶ So, now you know what’s holding him down and keeping him from being revealed in his appointed time; ⁷ for the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work. However, he’s being held down until his ways are [fully] developed. ⁸ Then, when the Lord Jesus arrives, the lawless one will be revealed and he'll do away with him by the breath from his mouth and bring him to nothing.

⁹ However, the Opposer will bring [the lawless one] to those who are destroying themselves through his powers of lying signs, omens, ¹⁰ and every sort of unrighteous deception. [They will choose this] instead of loving the truth, which would save them! ¹¹ So, that’s what God is sending to them instead. He’s allowing this wrong thing to be, so they can believe the lie… ¹² and so that all those who don’t believe the truth, but prefer unrighteousness, may be judged.

¹³ However, we are obliged to always thank God for you brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the start to be saved, to make you holy by his Breath, and to have faith in the truth. ¹⁴ This is why He called you through the good news we brought… so that you would receive the glory of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One.

¹⁵ Therefore, brothers; Stand firm and hang onto the traditions you were taught, whether by word [of mouth] or in letters from us. ¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus the Anointed One himself, and God (our Father) who loved us and kindly gave us comfort and a good hope in this age, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and make you firm in all good words and deeds!

Chapter 3

¹ Finally, brothers; Pray for us… and that the word of the Lord may be glorified and spread rapidly, as is being done among you. ² And [pray] that we may be delivered from unruly and wicked men, because The Faith isn’t for everyone. ³ But the Lord is faithful and he will make you firm and guard you from the wicked one. ⁴ We also have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing – and will continue to do – the things we’re telling you to do. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfast ways of the Anointed One.

⁶ Now brothers; We’re instructing you in the name of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One, to stay away from any brother who isn’t following the instructions and traditions you’ve received from us. ⁷ For, you know very well that it’s important to imitate us, because we didn’t step out of line when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we ask anyone to give us food. Rather, we worked hard night and day so as not to be a burden on any of you.

⁹ It’s not that we weren’t authorized to [ask for your support], but we wanted to set an example for you to imitate. ¹⁰ Why, when we were with you, we said: ‘If anyone isn’t willing to work, then don’t let him eat.’ ¹¹ But we’re hearing that some among you aren’t following these instructions… they aren’t working at all, but meddling in other people’s affairs. ¹² We instruct and urge them in the Lord Jesus the Anointed One, to be quiet and go to work so they’ll have something to eat.

¹³ However, brothers; Don’t give up in doing what’s good! ¹⁴ And if anyone isn’t willing to obey the things we wrote in this letter; Note this, and don’t associate with him, to shame him. ¹⁵ However, don’t think of him as an enemy, council him as a brother.

¹⁶ Now, may the Lord of peace himself give you peace in every way throughout all time. May the Lord be with all of you.

¹⁷ [Here’s] my greeting in my own (Paul’s) hand. Every letter proves it, because, this is the way that I write.

¹⁸ May the loving care of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with all of you.

Notes

Apostasy and Apostates

The Greek word apostasis (in its various conjugated forms) is used several times in the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl (OT). We find it used at 2 Chronicles 28:19, for example, where we've rendered it as 'turned away,' because that's what the term really means. It refers to a turning away from a righteous God-fearing way of life. For, the Greek word (which we pronounce as apostasy in English) literally means, 'turn away from (apo)' a 'standing or state (stasis).' So, it doesn't refer to a disagreement over the way some doctrine is viewed, as the word is misapplied by some religious groups.

Almost all Bible references to apostasy are speaking of a turning away from the way of IsraElite life that is outlined in the Law. And there are just two places where this term (apostasy) is used to indicate someone's unfaithfulness in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), at Acts 21:21 and at 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

At Acts 21:21 we read (concerning the Apostle Paul): 'But they have heard the rumor that you've been teaching Judeans who live among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to follow the traditions.'

Notice that Paul's teaching wasn't being called an apostasy; rather, the apostasy was not following the traditional Jewish way of life as outlined by Moses.

Actually, the proper word to use when speaking of teaching something that deviates from established doctrine is heresy, which is the word that the Catholic Church used extensively to accuse faithful Christians (and others) during their 'Inquisition' of 1400s and 1500s. Notice that they didn't accuse anyone of apostasy (turning from a Christian way of life), but of heresy (disagreeing with their established doctrines). So, they understood the difference.

There was at least one instance where Paul himself seemed to accuse and impose sanctions against other Christians for heresy. We find this account at 2 Timothy 2:17, 18, where he wrote: 'That was the problem with Hymenaeus and Philetus; they got away from the truth and started teaching that the resurrection has already happened, which misdirected the faith of some.'

So, deviating from teaching the truth of the Bible was a serious matter among First-Century Christians. However, in view of what Jesus said at Matthew 5:22 and what was said about Jesus at Jude 9, calling anyone such a thing as 'an apostate' or a 'heretic,' when there might be some question as to who is right, would be an even more serious matter before God.

The only other places in the Christian-Era Scriptures (NT) where the Greek word for apostasy is found, is where a 'certificate of dismissal' (divorce certificate) is mentioned (see Mark 10:4, for example). The words there are biblion apostasiu, which literally mean 'scroll of apostasy (or turning away).'

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

‘In’

The Greek word εν (en) simply means in. However, it is translated as in, one, in union with, and as other words, depending on the context.

Especially in the book of John do we find the question raised, 'Was Jesus really the same person as The God?' This a question has been raised because the text at John 10:38 literally says, '… in order that you should know and you may be knowing that in (en) me the Father and I in (en) the Father.' And in many Bibles, this text is translated as saying, 'I and my father are one.' Is this the true meaning of what Jesus said? Is Jesus 'one with' (the same as) the Father?

That could be a correct translation if the verse is pulled out of context. However, notice what Jesus said later on, as found at John 14:20: 'εν εκεινη τη ημερα υμεις γνωσεσθε οτι εγω εν τω πατρι μου και υμεις εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν,' or, 'In that the day you will know that I in (εν) the Father of me, and you in (εν) me, and I in (εν) you.'

So, if John 10:38 means that Jesus is the same person as his Father, then John 14:20 means that all of Jesus' followers are the same person and that they are also the same persons as Jesus and his Father. Is this a logical conclusion? No, because it doesn't harmonize with numerous other scriptures that show his followers to be individuals, but one with (or, in unity with) Jesus and God.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus alone as having it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God's Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos, which is used throughout the Bible in various conjugated forms and is often translated as eternal and forever, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age or era.

Where the singular form (aionos) is used, this appears to mean a period such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the plural form of the word (aiōnōn) is used, it refers to a longer time… at least multiple generations. Also, where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can't mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus' Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: 'Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?' Notice that aionos is also translated as world here in many Bibles, such as the KJ, and as system of things in other Bibles, such as the NWT. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those things, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or arrangement), not aionos.

You can see that aionos obviously doesn't mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age, or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God's Temple in JeruSalem would be destroyed, because that's what Jesus was explaining to them.

Yet, there are instances when some forms of the word could imply forever, such as when we find it in the form aiōniŏn. This is an adjective in the singular case, which, when combined with the Greek word zoe (in its various forms) is usually translated in other Bibles as everlasting life. However, that isn't a totally-accurate description.

In the past, we had tried to reconcile the words zoe aiōniŏn as meaning, life in the age. However, the word age in this instance would not be an adjective, so we have recently chosen, in most cases where we find this word combination, to translate them more accurately as age-long life, which we will agree could mean everlasting life.

For more information, see the linked Scriptural Commentary, Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Called and Chosen

There seems to be quite a bit of difference between the Bible's use of the words, called, and chosen, and their implications for the people involved. For, notice what Jesus said (as recorded at Matthew 22:14): 'Many are called but few are chosen (gr. polloi eisin gar cletoi, oligoi de eclectoi).' And this verse could be possibly even be translated as 'Many are nominated but few are elected.'

These words of Jesus seem to put an end to the notion that everyone who is called by God was foreordained to a favored position before his/her specific birth. Rather, what is implied in this parable, is that there would be people in general (not specific individuals) who would be chosen from among a larger number of those who are 'called.' Because, as Jesus makes clear here, not all who are among the called (or the nominated) to this hope are thereafter counted among the chosen (elected). For, why would God call people if He already knew that there was no chance of their being chosen?

Notice how this was stated at Revelation 17:14; for there we are told: 'Then they will go and fight against the Lamb. But, because he's the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb and those who are with him (the called, elected, and faithful) will conquer them.'

So, 'the called' also have prove faithful in order to become 'the elected' who will serve with Jesus.

Yes, that was the point of Jesus' parable at Matthew 22:1-14, which (as Jesus said) was an illustration concerning 'the Kingdom of Heaven.' In that parable, many were initially 'called' to the banquet of the King, but they didn't want to come. The obvious reference here is to the Jews who were invited first to become kings in that Kingdom, but who, for the most part, rejected the invitation.

The king then ordered his slaves to go out into the streets and 'call' anyone who wishes to come to the banquet. These words obviously refer to the calling of people of the nations, or the gentiles (gr. tas ethne – the ethnics).

So, is this parable talking about being called to heaven to rule there with Jesus… for isn't the wedding banquet for God's son to be held in heaven, and aren't those who are invited to God's banquet the bride who will be with Jesus in heaven? We have always thought so, but notice that the guests in this parable aren't referred to as virgins (as was the case of those mentioned in Revelation 14:1-4). Rather, they are called 'both the wicked and the good,' which is a strange way to refer to the 'Saints.'

Also, notice that in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 65:23, the elected are spoken of as fathering children, for there it says: 'My elected won't labor for nothing, nor will they produce children for a curse; for their seed and all their descendants, will then be a blessing from God.'

Next, as the parable continues, the king noticed a guest who wasn't properly dressed for a wedding feast (he didn't have the required qualities). This guest was then bound and thrown back outside (but not killed). So, as you can see, he was called but not chosen. Now, if we were to assume that this banquet is held in heaven (since the man was already there at the feast), we must ask: Was he then kicked out of heaven… and if so, then we would also have to ask, Why was he taken there to begin with?

Now, we do suspect that there are those who are taken to heaven to rule with Jesus, but if so, they are likely the bride at the wedding feast, not the guests (see Revelation 19:7-9). For, notice what Paul said of himself at Philippians 3:11, '… so I can somehow be found worthy of an out-resurrection from the dead'

What was Paul talking about here? It appears as though (when speaking of 'the out resurrection') he was saying that although he had been 'called,' he may not have been 'chosen' yet for heavenly life. That this is what he was likely talking about, can be seen from what he said at Philippians 3:12, '[I'm not saying] that I've made it yet, or that I'm already perfect.' Then he continued with the words (at Philippians 3:14), 'I'm running toward the goal, the prize of the higher (gr. ano – upward or higher) calling from God, through the Anointed Jesus.'

So, notice that the Bible speaks both of a 'calling' and of an 'upward calling,' which we assume refers to being called to heaven. And how would Paul know that he had been 'chosen' for this lofty reward? It appears as though such a person must first endure incredible suffering for his/her beliefs (as did Jesus), for notice what Paul wrote at Romans 8:17, 'We have to suffer together so we can also be glorified together.'

Such suffering must be much more than what is typical of the common suffering and death of mankind. Does this 'suffering' require a dying a martyr's death? That seems to be the gist of the prophecy at Revelation 6:9-11, which says, 'When he opened the fifth seal, I saw the lives of those who had been slaughtered because of the Word of God and because of the testimony that they gave, underneath the altar… Then they were each given a white robe and they were told to take it easy for just a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow slaves and brothers was filled (who were going to be killed, as they were).'

But in the case of Jesus' words found Matthew 22:14 ('Many are called but few are chosen'), we would have to conclude that God calls many people from among mankind to become His faithful slaves and to thereafter attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb (whether in heaven or earth is not stated), but not all who are called are found worthy.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

In the Bible, the most common use of the word pneuma is to convey the idea of a force that can't be seen, such as breath or wind. And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost, is that those words have been given religious meanings that aren't implied by the Greek texts.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as 'spirits.' Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God's Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God's] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, 'Breath of Life.' This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It's the unseen force of life for all creatures… it's what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the 'pneuma' as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) 'return to God' at death,' because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God's Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, 'Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?' As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God's Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3, God said concerning the wicked people on earth before the Downpour: 'I won't allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.' In Greek that reads, 'Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,' or, 'Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.'

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God's Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though what God was saying here, is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as 'My Breath,' there may be a link implied between God's Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, 'The Powers of God's Holy Spirit.'

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), 'he hung his head and gave up the breath' (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to 'the breath of life,' or that force which gave him life as a human.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Revealing of the ‘Lawless Man’

At 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, Paul wrote, 'Don't allow anyone to mislead you in any way, because [the Lord's Day] won't come until after there's a great turning away and the lawless man is revealed, the son of destruction. He opposes and puts himself higher than all that are called gods or things of worship. He seats himself in the Temple of God and publicly displays himself as being a god.'

Notice that this 'lawless man' comes as the result of a 'great turning away' from true Christianity, which proves that it is a religious organization. He also 'seats himself in the Temple of God' (or the organization pretends to have authority over all proper religious worship), and he sets himself up as a 'god' (or he expects people to worship the organization and its clergy)… does this sound familiar?

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Satan, Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub

It is appropriate that the heavenly name of the great Opposer and Slanderer of God is never given in the Bible. However, several terms (and one mistakenly) have been used to describe him. Here is a list of those descriptions:

· Satan: This is a Hebrew word meaning, opposer, resistor, and a wily person who does things just to serve his own interests. It was applied to the Evil One, because of his opposition to God. And so, to keep from misleading people into thinking of Satan as a name, it is translated as 'the Opposer' herein.

· Devil: This is the only Greek word (Diabolos) used in the Bible to describe the evil one. The first part of the word, dia, means through, and bolos means throw (it's where we get the English words ball and bowl). So, Devil means one who throws through, which amounts to being a slanderer (using the Greek colloquialism), so that's the way it's translated herein.

· Lucifer: Lucifer is commonly thought of as another name for the Biblical Opposer. However, this word doesn't appear as a name in most translations of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James Version, at Isaiah 14:12, in which the King of Babylon is referred to as Lucifer, Son of the Morning. However, the original Hebrew words were: Helel ben Shahar or, Day/star, son/of the/dawn. So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan to Lucifer. Changing the description day star son of the dawn into a name (Lucifer) was done by Augustine, when he was translating the text in IsaiAh from the original Hebrew into Latin.

· BeelZebub: There are eight references in the Bible to this Hebrew noun, and it does refer to the Slanderer. However, once again, this is not a proper name. It appears to be a title. Beel (like Baal) means Lord, and Zebub appears to refer to flies (the insects). So, BeelZebub likely means Lord of Flies.

Is the Opposer (Slanderer or BeelZebub) a real person? All one has to do is look at the titles he was given above to realize that he is. To deny his existence negates the rest of the Bible. For example, when dealing with Adam's sin, why did God adhere so closely to a law, when other options were available to Him? Why didn't he just destroy rebellious Adam and create another man?

The fact is, He created men and His spirit sons (messengers or angels with the ability to choose whether to serve Him or not; so none are automatons. And as a man failed in the Paradise of Pleasure, we can assume (and as the Scriptures support) that there were failures (and rebels) in the heavens also. This is the reason why it became necessary to have a law that clearly outlined what rebellion against God constituted, and what the consequences for violating that law would be. It was obviously for the sake of the millions of millions of heavenly spirit (breath) creatures that the issue of rebellion here on the earth had to be resolved by legal means, and in a way that demonstrated the love and loyalty of God's first-born son, which resulted in the painful need for a 'ransom' (Jesus' death).

The idea (which some religions have promoted) that the Slanderer isn't real, but only a state of mind, creates some conundrums. For example:

· When Jesus was being tempted in the desert, was he simply struggling with the bad within himself rather than against a real, evil personality? If so, we would have to conclude that there was bad in Jesus.

· Is the battle in heaven that is spoken of at Revelation the Twelfth Chapter to be just figurative, and not a real war against the Opposer and his messengers? If so, then in what sense would 'the Opposer' and his 'messengers' lose the battle and be confined to the earth? Also, why would this entity, if just internal evil be 'angry' in knowing that he just has 'a short period of time left?'

· And lastly, when the Opposer entered God's presence and spoke to Him (as spoken of in Job the First Chapter), could we assume that this inherent evil was found in God? That isn't likely.

However, there is some question as to the use of the Greek word Diabolos found at 1 Chronicles 21:1 (in the Greek Septuagint), where 'a slanderer' had urged King David to take a census of Israel. Since Diabolos is a Greek word and First Chronicles was written in Hebrew, we would assume that Diabolos (Slanderer) was substituted for the Hebrew word Satan (Opposer) when the Bible was first translated into Greek. But the text seems to imply that a slanderer, not the Slanderer, had come to David. So, we don't really know if the text implies that the Evil One came to him personally, if it was just an evil spirit that came over or to him, or if some bad human had urged David to defy God and take a census of IsraEl.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Who Wrote Paul’s Letters?

We find the entire flap about who wrote Paul's letters – by scholars and critics alike – funny. For, much has been made of the fact that the writing styles of Paul's letters vary so much, it is improbable that he wrote them all; and he obviously didn't, as the words of Romans 16:22 testify, 'I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in [the] Lord.'

Paul, as several of his letters indicate, had very poor eyesight (see Galatians 4:13-15). Why? Was this caused by the brightness of his vision of Jesus, as some say? Well, it could have been, but we doubt it. Remember that there were no eyeglasses at the time when Paul wrote, he was likely over forty years old, and many of us who are beyond that age couldn't see to write letters today if it weren't for our eyeglasses. And there are several other natural causes for poor eyesight – other than miraculous visions.

A further indication of Paul's poor eyesight is found at Galatians 6:11, where he wrote, 'Look at these large letters that I wrote with my own hand!' This can indicate that; either Paul wrote the book of Galatians by himself, or that he had written just those few words of the letter. However, the mentioning of 'large letters' shows that he could barely see his own handwriting. That he could have written this letter himself is seen by the relatively short and less 'flowery' introductory words (Galatians 1:1-5).

Obviously, a man named Tertius wrote the letter to the Romans for Paul. Then, if you look at the headings or conclusions of other letters, you'll find references to those who likely did the writing. For example, First Corinthians starts with the words, 'Paul … and Sosthenes our brother.' Then Second Corinthians starts out the same way, 'Paul … and our brother Timothy.'

So, there are obviously different writing styles in Paul's letters, because (as the letters themselves indicate), different people did the writing. This may be quite a revelation to critics and college professors, but they obviously haven't actually read the letters.

For more information, see the attached link, The Bible's Internal Proofs of Its Authentic History.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible, we find references to 'the Day of Jehovah,' and 'the Day of the Lord' (Jesus). Are both of these references to the same time, and if so, how do we know?

There is no conflict between the two Days; in fact, they appear to be the same. Notice what we are told in the Revelation, when it is speaking of the beginning of that Day (at Revelation 12:10), 'Now it has come to pass; the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the empowerment of His Anointed One!'

As you can see, the purposes of that Day are tied together. For, the establishment of God's Kingdom (with the battle in heaven and the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers) and the empowerment for Jesus (the Lord) to begin his rule, appear to begin at the same time.

So, does the Lord's Day begin when the things spoken of in the Revelation start to happen? It appears to be so, because it starts out with John's words (at Revelation 1:10), 'Through the Breath [of God] I found myself in the Lord's Day.'

What are some of the features of that Day? Well, they appear to start with the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers from heaven (See Revelation 12), which is followed by the destruction of 'The Great Babylon' (See Revelation 17, 18). Then in rapid succession there comes the 'marriage of the Lamb,' the Battle of Armageddon, tossing the Opposer and his messengers into the abyss, and the resurrection (see Revelation 19, 20). And finally, the Opposer is released for a short time, which precipitates the battle against Gog of Magog , and is thereafter followed by the descent of 'New JeruSalem' to the earth and the making of the 'new earth and sky' (see Revelation 21).

Also, in the prophecy found at Joel 2:1-12, 'the Day of the Lord' appears to start with the destruction of JeruSalem by worldly armies, and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies (see Joel Chapter Three). Then, in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God's Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Who are God’s ‘Anointed?’

Notice that in this Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (for example) says, 'The One who guarantees that we all belong to the Anointed One, and He who anointed us, is God.'

So, why didn't these translators just go ahead and render the word (Anointed) as Christ – as countless other translators have done? For two reasons:

· Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that 'Christ' was Jesus' last name. It wasn't.

· Because Christ is a word that was made up by early Bible translators and is only used in that form when they think that the Bible was speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated as anointed.

If you look at the above verse in Greek, you'll see that it reads, 'Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis Christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,' or, 'The of stabilizing us with you into Anointed and anointing us God.'

You will notice here that Christon (Christ or Anointed) and chrisas (anointing) are both derived from the same root word, which by the way, is Greek for olive oil. Why olive oil? Because that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those whom God chose to be kings or priests over IsraEl. For example, David and Solomon were both anointed (oil was poured over their heads) in proof of the fact that they had been chosen by God to be kings over IsraEl.

So, the word means anointed. But if you prefer the word Christ, then Saul, David, and Solomon were Christs, for you can't have it both ways. As an example; look at the words that David spoke about Saul, as found at 1 Samuel 24:6 LXX): 'Kai eipin David pros tous andras autou: Medamos moi para kiriou ei poieso to hrema touto to kyrio mou to christo kyriou epenegkai cheira mou ep auton hoti christos kyriou estin autos,' or 'Said David to the men of/his: By/no/means of/me from the/Lord if I/should/do this thing to my/Lord to/the Christ (Anointed) of/the/Lord to/raise my/hand against him, for the/Christ (Anointed) of/the/Lord this is.'

So as you can see; if Christos should be translated as Christ, then unrighteous King Saul was also Christ. However, almost all Bibles translate christos as anointed in this case (one of many instances).

Such a physical anointing with oil appeared to picture receiving God's Holy Breath, which happened to Jesus at his baptism, to 120 of Jesus' disciples at Pentecost of 33-C.E., and to other First-century Christians. So Jesus didn't really become the Christon (Christ, Anointed, or Chosen One) until he was anointed with Holy Breath at his baptism (when the 'dove' came down on him).

If you understand this nuance, you get the true meaning of the word Christ (Anointed) as it applies to Jesus; it means that he was the one who God chose to be king over His people. Also, Paul was telling the Christians in Corinth that they too would be anointed… become 'christs.' For, when they were 'anointed' and sealed in their hearts by God's Holy Breath, they were selected to be 'kings on the earth' (Revelation 5:10).

Notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For there, many Bibles say that Jesus foretold the coming of false Christs and false prophets. But what he actually said was, 'Because false anointed ones and false prophets (gr. pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise and they will perform great signs and omens to mislead (if possible) even the elected.'

So, Jesus wasn't necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him, but people would come falsely claiming to be the anointed and prophets. For more information, see the linked document, False Anointed and False Prophets.

Another example of the poor use of the title Christ (implying Jesus) by Bible translators can be found at 1 Peter 1:10, 11, which reads in this Bible: 'When it comes to salvation, the Prophets looked and searched for this loving-care that's being shown to you. They tried, through the spirit of anointing that was in them, to determine the exact time and circumstances of the sufferings of the Anointed One and of his being glorified, which they knew about even back then.'

Other Bible say that it was the Spirit of Christ that was in the ancient Prophets. However, as we pointed out above, Jesus didn't become the Christ or the Anointed until after his baptism.

So, what Peter was saying in those verses, is that those ancient Prophets tried through the power of God's Breath which had anointed them to be Prophets, to determine the time and circumstances of the glorification of Jesus. For, if you check the wording of those verses in Greek, you'll see that there is no definite article preceding the first christou (anointed), which would be required if it was saying that the Spirit of the Christ (or the Anointed One) was in them.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Undeserved Kindness or Care?

The Greek word caris is where we derive the English words care and caring. Old English Bible translations have rendered caris as grace. But the nuance that grace implies (smooth and flowing) totally distorts the meaning of this term in contemporary American English.

Most Bible dictionaries prefer to see caris translated as undeserved kindness. However, this phrase, which may or may not make some minor technical difference in the meaning, adds wordiness, which distracts from the ease of reading. So you will find it translated as care, loving care, caring, or kindness herein, depending on the setting.

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

2 Thessalonians 1:9

The precise wording and meaning of 2 Thessalonians 1:9 is a bit difficult to determine, and we have chosen to deviate from the thoughts expressed in other Bibles for the following reason: In Greek, the verse reads, ‘oitenes diken tisousin holethron aionion apo prosopou tou kyriou kai apo tes doxes tes iskous autou,’ or, ‘which/ones justice will/pay ruin age-long from face of/the Lord and from the glory of/the strength of/him.’

In the New American Standard Bible (for example) this is rendered as: ‘These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.’ And this, as you can see, is an obvious mistranslation. For, not only does the word aionion not mean eternal, but being eternally destroyed is inconsistent with the thought of being sent away from the face of the Lord and from his glory and strength. In other words, the sentence just doesn’t make sense.

What Paul appears to have meant is that those who are persecuting faithful Christians will suffer the ruin of being sent away from the face of the Lord and his glory and strength for ages of time, not that they would be eternally destroyed. So, we have rendered this verse as reading: ‘[His] justice will repay them with age-long ruin away from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength.’

Also, notice how the proper translation of the Greek word ourano (sky, not heaven) better indicates when this justice will happen (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8): ‘And it’s a righteous thing for God to repay those who are persecuting you by crushing them, while providing relief to you who are suffering this persecution (and to us also) when the Lord Jesus is revealed in the sky with his powerful messengers in a flaming fire. Then he’ll bring vengeance upon all those who don’t know God and those who aren’t obeying the good news about our Lord Jesus.’

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Removing the Wicked

Jesus' Instructions About Taking Your Brother to Court

In Matthew the Eighteenth Chapter, Jesus spoke of how Jews should deal with each other when one was guilty of harming another, and he outlined three steps that they should take, ending with the words (verse 17), ‘If he refuses to listen even to the congregation, then let him become as a man of the nations, or as a tax collector to you.’

Although many have concluded that Jesus was discussing how to handle such matters within the Christian Congregation, we have to realize that the Christian Congregation hadn’t been formed yet, and that Jesus wasn’t giving these instructions just to Christians. Rather, he was speaking to Jews in general, and referring to what the Bible calls ‘the congregation of IsraEl.’ So his instructions here, were to be kind to each other and try to work things out among themselves, before taking such matters before their religious court (the Sanhedrin), synagogue, or the Roman authorities.

These instructions are very similar to what Jesus said at Matthew 5:25, 26:
‘If someone has a lawsuit against you,
Settle it quickly before going to court.
Then there will be not a chance,
That you’ll fall into the hands of the judge,
And from the judge to the bailiff,
And you end up being thrown into prison.
I tell you this for a fact:
If that should happen to you,
You won’t be released ‘til you’ve paid your last cent.’

Paul's Instructions About Dealing With a Serious Wrongdoer

However, in First Corinthians (after the formation of the Christian Congregation), Paul laid out some procedural guidelines on how to deal with ‘those called brothers’ who are guilty of serious and un-repented sins. This matter was raised when a brother in Corinth was said to be guilty of ‘taking his father’s wife’ as his own. Such a thing, even if the wife was widowed, was very serious in God’s eyes, for the Old Law shows that it is the same as uncovering the nakedness of one’s father (see Leviticus 18:7, 8). And if this man was having sex with the wife of his living father, that was even worse and creating a public scandal among the Jews. So, Paul’s instructions were for Christians to ‘judge such matters’ and to ‘remove the wicked man from among yourselves.’ What did this entail?

Thereafter, notice what Paul said should be done (at 1 Corinthians 5:11), ‘However, now I’m writing you to quit associating with anyone called a brother who is immoral, greedy, an idol worshiper, an insulter, a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with a person like that!’

You can see that he didn’t say to stop talking to the person, just to not treat the person as a friend who you would eat with. Of course, in those early days of Christianity, most of their congregational meetings were held in private homes (not ‘synagogues’ or public meeting places), so exclusion from the congregation likely meant that the offender was no longer welcome at their (private) meetings.

For more information on how this problem was resolved, see the Note in 2 Corinthians, Accepting a Repentant Sinner Back Into the Congregation.

'Marking'

There seems to be a similar instruction at 2 Thessalonians 3:14, 15, where Paul wrote, ‘And if anyone isn’t willing to obey the things we wrote in this letter; Note this, and don’t associate with him, to shame him. However, don’t think of him as an enemy, council him as a brother.’

Unfortunately, many religious groups have failed to recognize what Paul was talking about here, and as the result, they have created an entirely new category of shunning, which they call 'Marking.' But notice that Paul seems to have been talking about perhaps a single person in the congregation in Thessalonica who didn't work for a living but did a lot of visiting to get free meals; and in the process, he or she was becoming a busybody and spreading gossip. So Paul wrote, 'semeioo' (say-mi-o'-o), meaning (according to NASB Word Usage), take special note, and yes, even mark. However, he didn't say, mark him, but simply, note. So, Paul doesn't appear to have been giving Christians another group of reasons for giving their brothers 'the cold shoulder.' He was simply telling the brothers there not to invite him (or her) in for free meals.

John's Instruction About How to Deal With 'Anti-Christs'

Then John (the Apostle) gave similar instructions a 2 John 7, when he was talking about people in the Christian Congregation who ‘have strayed [back] into the world and won’t admit that Jesus the Anointed One came in the flesh.’ He referred to them as the ‘AntiChrists,’ and instructed (at 2 John 10, 11): ‘If anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching (of the Anointed One), don’t welcome him into your homes or even greet him; because, whoever greets him shares in the wicked things he does.’

So, in the case of someone who denies that there was a Jesus (the AntiChrists), such individuals shouldn’t even be greeted on the street. However, these instructions don’t seem to be added to what was said by Jesus and Paul, because the circumstances were different. Also, notice that these added directions from John were penned almost sixty years after what Jesus said on the matter, and about forty years after the writings of Paul. So as you can see, there were no instructions that forbade talking to errant Christians during most of the First Century.

Those Who Disagree

Would this same action (not to welcome him or even greet him) be taken against anyone who disagrees on some doctrinal matter? No, because; notice what actually Paul wrote about this at Romans 16: 17, ‘Now, I beg you brothers; keep an eye on those who are creating divisions and setting traps by going against the teachings that you’ve learned… avoid them.’ So, Paul’s instructions were to ‘keep and eye on’ (gr. scopein) them and to ‘avoid’ them (gr. ecclenete ap auton – incline away from them), not cut them off from the congregation. For more information, see the Note in 1 Corinthians, Should Christians Agree on Everything?

Serious Offenses

Now, Paul did speak of several types of unrighteous actions that may have been worthy of shunning for the sake of the safety and good name of the Christian Congregation, which include:

· Sexually immorality

· Idol worshiping

· Adultery

· Homosexual behavior (gays and men who have sex with men)

· Thievery

· Greed

· Drunkenness

· Insulting

· Extortion.

Religious Interpretations

Through the years, expulsions of notorious members from Christian congregations have taken many forms. Catholics, for example, call such removal excommunication. However, they limit these disciplines to just those that offend their Church. Yet, other groups may disfellowship or expel unrepentant sinners for reasons that are closer to those outlined by Paul, while many religions just ignore Paul’s instructions altogether and object to taking any such actions against members who sin in vile and notorious ways.

In certain cases, religious groups have adopted the extreme view that the sanctions recommended by Jesus, Paul, and John are cumulative and that they must take all the actions listed above against those who are guilty of any of the practices listed in those combined verses, including even those who may disagree over doctrinal points (heretics). These religions forbid associating with or even talking to persons whom they judge to be violators in matters of business, morality, or doctrines. And even after such wrongdoers have repented, such religions may impose further disciplinary sanctions on them. Of course, these views and actions can’t be supported from Bible texts.

In addition, some religions have gone so far as to ban normal conversations with ones’ own family members when they are guilty of any of the offenses listed above. Is this a correct understanding?

It would seem that whenever there are no clear written Biblical guidelines (as in the case of how to treat erring family members), Christians should turn to basic Scriptural law. And God’s Law requires wives to respect their husbands, husbands to love their wives, children to obey their parents, for everyone to respect their mothers and fathers, and for each one to provide for those who are in their own households. Anything less than that would fit the description that Paul gave of how Godless people would act in ‘the last days’ (at 2 Timothy 3:3), which says, ‘They won’t love their families (gr. astorge) or be willing to agree on anything.’

Such sanctions obviously go beyond Paul’s instructions at First Corinthians the Fifth Chapter, and they stray into conflict with Jesus’ words to the Pharisees as found at Matthew 15:6-9, which say, ‘So, [you are really saying] that [you] shouldn’t honor [your] parents at all. And when you do this, you are nullifying the Word of God with your traditions. You hypocrites! How well Isaiah prophesied about you when he said, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me! It’s a waste for them to keep worshiping Me, because they preach the teachings of men as commandments.’

Use your browser BACK button to return to the text you were reading

Home Page