Footnote to Me...Stop Burning Rubber

 "Rabbi Tzaddok said: Do not separate yourself from the community. Do not act as a lawyer (in judgment). Do not make the Torah into a crown to magnify yourself with, or a spade with which to dig.” (Pirkei Avot 4:5)

There is much wisdom in Ethics of the Fathers.  We are not suppose to use the Torah to elevate our own stature in the eyes of man (magnify yourself) nor are we to profit by using the word to make money (a spade).  Another interpretation, do not use the Torah as a spade to beat another over the head, i.e, “Blazing Saddles”.

Although that is never my intent, I sometimes introduce concepts too quickly on people before preparing the ground to receive the message.  Sometimes I hit the accelerator before the wheels gain traction and just burn rubber without getting anywhere.

Such was the case this morning in our Bible Study class as we make our way through Hebrews chapter six.  The chapter begins by listing the first “elementary teaching” as “a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” (Heb 6:1).  Rather than asking others why repentance was listed as the first elementary teaching and why repentance is important, I preceded to plunge into a deep theological dissertation about the need for repentance.  I had studied the subject extensively over the last week and had a lot to say on the subject.  Without going into the details, I felt like I shot a cannon, when I slingshot would have done the trick.  I think I blew away a few people, but not in a good way.

We have a good group, get along well, people like the diversity of discussion, and all are forgiving of my rabbit trail discussions.  That fact does not excuse me from using the Torah incorrectly today.  Although I prepared for what I was going to say, it just did not feel right when I started to deliver.  I should have been more receptive to the Spirit’s leading and He often reminds me to slow down.  In the future, I will try to ask more questions and slow down to a school zone pace. After all, we are trying to learn something here.

(Scott Ditto – After failing to be able to post from my AOL login, I asked Bryan to set me up on the blog under a gmail address to see if that works.  When prompted for a name, Scott was already taken and nothing else immediately came to mind.  Have a blessed week and thanks for all the well wishes on our anniversary.)

Without Faith(fulness)...Part 3

TRANSLATION CONSIDERATIONS 

 

Why did the translators choose to render Habbakkuh 2:4 as “faith” and not “faithfulness”?  The Greek word used in Romans 1:17 is “pistis” and has some ambiguity as it can be rendered as either “faith” or “faithfulness”.  Based on the context of Paul’s writings, the translators chose to render “pistis” as “faith” over 200 times in the New Testament of the NASB.  The translators then appear to back translate Habbakkah 2:4 as “faith” consistent with the usage they perceived in Paul’s writings and not consistent with the original Hebrew word, “emunah.”  Emunah is never translated in the Hebrew text as “faith” apart from the reference in Habbakkah.  In fact, the word “faith”, translated from other Hebrew words, occurs only four times in the entire Hebrew text.  The predominant words in the Hebrew text are “faithful” and “faithfulness”, which speak of a person’s actions not just their verbal profession. 

In one verse of the Greek text, “pistis” is translated as “faithfulness” because the word refers to the behavior of God (Rom 3:3, NASB), who acts in a manner consistent with His word.  Another time in the gospel account of Matthew, Jesus tells the Pharisees that the weightier provisions of the Law are “justice and mercy and faithfulness,” (Matt 23:23).  Jesus appears to be quoting Micah 6:8, “What does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God.”  The translation as “faithfulness” would be consistent with Micah’s “walk humbly.”  The believer is also asked to “walk humbly” (Matt 18:4), in “the same manner as He (Jesus) walked,” (1 John 2:6).  Therefore, it appears valid to translate “pistis” in most passages as “faithfulness,” such as, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” (Gal 5:22).

Sometimes a shift in the meaning can occur when Hebrew words move into Greek and then into English.  One notable example is “repentance.”  The Hebrew word for repentance is “teshuvah,” which literally means “to turn around,” as in, “Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,” (Acts 3:19).  The Greek word used for repentance in the New Testament is “metanoeo,” which simply means, “to change one’s mind.”  Whereas the Greek culture of Paul’s day tended to elevate the intellect, the Jewish culture aspired to influence the heart since the action of the individual flow from the passion of the heart, as it is written, “Slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,” (Eph 6:6).  For this reason, concepts of actions in the Hebrew scriptures are often transformed to contemplation of the mind in the Greek text.
 

Another example is the word “Law”.  In the Greek Text, the word “Law” is derived from the Greek Septuagint “nomos,” which conveys the burden of legal requirements and punishments.  The original Hebrew word “Torah,” from which “nomos” is derived, is understood to mean “instructions or teachings,” such as in the statement, “My son, do not forget my teaching (Torah), But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you,” (Prov 3:1-2).  In addition, the Hebrew word for teacher, “moreh,” is a derived from “Torah,” as in “the LORD…your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher,” (Is 30:20). 
 

I find this shift significant and somewhat perplexing since God is unchanging, (Heb 13:8).  It is unclear if the shift occurred because the message moved from a Hebrew audience to a Greek audience or if there was another reason.

(Scott - Austin)

Without Faithfulness...Part 2

  
THE ORIGINAL HEBREW WORD: FAITHFULNESS

Since the words of Habbakkuh are the original source of Paul’s position, "The righteous shall live by faith" (Heb 2:4), it is reasonable to investigate the meaning and used of the original Hebrew.  The Hebrew word used in Habbakkuh is “emunah”, which is translated as “faithfulness” (25 times) and “faithfully” (8 times) at other places in the text.  This word is only translated as “faith” once in the entire Hebrew text and it is in this passage from Habakkuh.  According to Dan Lancaster, the Hebrew implies “his faithfulness…In the Hebrew of Hab 2:4, the righteous one lives by ‘his faithfulness,’ unlike the proud one who acts crookedly (‘his soul is not straight’).”

We are fortunate to have a Talmudic discussion (Makkot 23b-24a), that preserved the thought process of the Sages attempting to determine the underlying principle of the entire Torah.

 
“David came and established the number of commandments at eleven, as it is written, ‘A psalm of David, LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? (1) He whose walk is blameless and (2)who does what is righteous, (3) who speaks the truth from his heart and (4) has no slander on his tongue, (5) who does his neighbor no wrong and (6)casts no slur on his fellowman, (7) who despise a vile man but (8) honors those who fear the LORD, (9) who keeps his oath even when it hurts,(10) who leans his money without usury and (11) does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken,’  (Psa 15:1-6)

Isaiah then came and established the number of commandments at six, as it is written, ‘He who (1) walks righteously and (2) speaks what is right, who (3) rejects gain from extortion and (4)keeps his hand from accepting bribes, (5) who stops his ears against plots of murder and (6)shuts his eyes against contemplating evil,’ (Isa 33:14).
 

Micah then came and established the number of commandments at three, as it is written, ‘He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? (1) To act justly and (2) to love mercy and (3) to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8).
 

Amos then came and established the number of commandments at one, as it is written, ‘Seek the LORD and live’ (Amos 5:6).”
 
But the Talmudic discussion was not quite finished.  Rav Nachman bar Yitzhaq took exception to this citation from Amos, claiming that the divine commandment to “seek me” runs throughout the entire Torah.  Rather, it is Habakkuk who came and established the number of commandments at one, as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith,” (Hab 2:4).
 

Paul’s position that “The righteous will live by faith” was already a well understood position within first century Judaism.  However, notice that all the examples which precede the summation verse in Habakkuk are all examples of action, i.e., “faithfulness.”  Even the writer of Hebrews, in his chapter of faith, appears to connect the words of Habbakuk to the preceding actions of Amos, when he wrote,
 
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hab 2:4), for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Amos 5:6),”  (Heb 11:6).

 

(Scott - Austin)