| Subject: 'J' ever notice....? |
Author:
Theo Book
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Date Posted: 09:02:53 03/30/08 Sun
Author Host/IP: cpe-72-184-206-15.tampabay.res.rr.com/72.184.206.15
'J'ever notice...?
(Bad grammar but catchy)
Did you ever notice that when one angrily retorts with scripture, it is because he fears that his scripture may not be saying what he is attributing to it?
Quite an observation, but is it warranted? I don't know. But sometimes I suspect that is the case.
I heard a heartfelt sermon one time in which the preacher expounded on Jesus' love; he went on to observe that Jesus' love was unconditional, and that Peter had to learn it the hard way. He referenced John 21:15-17 for his proof text. The main point of his whole lesson, was that since Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus made him admit his love three times.
I was saddened by the shallowness of that remarkable
observation, for it not only adhered straitly to the
mistranslation, but carried over into a misinterpretation of the Greek; and made Jesus much more of a man with frailties, than a man with a mission. Jesus never "got back at " anybody in his life. And that understanding completely misses the truth of the referant material.
The faulted English translation reads thusly: "When they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, yea Lord, thou knowest that Ilove thee. He saith unto him, feed my lambs.
He saith unto him again the second time Simon, son of Jonas, loveth thou me? He saith unto him, yea Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? and he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, feed my sheep.
In the Greek, a far differnt exchange takes place. There are several Greek words which are translated "love" in the English. Agape, as in devotion. A soldier loves his country, enough to die for it. A mother will die for her family because of this type of love.
Eros, from which we produce "errotica" which is a physically stimulating love between a husband and wife.
Pornos, from which we develope "pornography," an illicit sexually explicit malfunctioning behavioural pattern.
Phileo; affection; Remember the two Greek words phileo and adelphos? love and brothren, from which we developed "philadelphia," the city of brotherly love.
Jesus asked Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, are you devoted to me?" ("Agape thou me?")
Peter replied, "of course, you know I have affection for you." (I phileo thee)
Jesus said, "feed my lambs."
Jesus asked a second time, "Simon, son of Jonas, are you devoted to me?" (Agape thou me?)
Peter answered, "yea Lord, I (phileo) have affectiuon for thee."
Jesus said "feed my sheep."
Jesus asked him the third time "Simon son of Jonas, (phileo) do you have affection for me?"
Peter was grieved because the third time, Jesus questioned his affection.
Jesus said unto him, "feed my sheep."
Notice two major lessons to be found herein:
First, if your affection doesn't turn into devotion, Jesus will at some appropriate point, question your affection.
Second, Jesus perceived Peter as adequately qualified to feed the little ones of the flock, because of his affection for the Lord. But when his devotion to the Lord was wanting, Jesus then found Peter qualified to feed only the sheep. The lambs were not to be fed by one who is lacking devotion.
And the English misses all this by a faulty translation.
I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My younger brother would make his baloney sandwich, and lay it on the counter whiile he poured himself a glass of milk. My older brother would take the baloney from the younger brother's sandwich, and place it in with his own, giving him a two-slice sandwich.
When my younger brother ate his sandwich he never
missed the baloney, because he was already sure it was in there, he could only accept that it tasted perhaps a little weaker than he remembered, but he never checked for the meat.
Sometimes, we miss the "meat" of the lesson because we have been taught that the preacher is after all, a man of God, and surely HE wouldn't make such mistakes. Besides all that, he has forty years experience.
Did you ever try to help someone do a job better that he was doing? And get rebuffed with "I've been doing this twenty years, and you think to tell me how to do my job?"
Did you ever stop to consider, maybe instead of twenty years experience, he has one years experience twenty times. And the preacher may have five years experience eight times.
We cannot allow ourselves to be misled at the jeopardy of our souls, based upon a misguided love for our preacher. But how to tell him he is wrong without offending? How to tell the truth without seeming to boast? How to present the humble story of redemption and salvation, without seeming to "take over" the board?
I have found that a simple statement of truth, reinforced with scripture, and presented without rancor, anger, or self agrandizement, often serves to pave the way for a gentle discussion of issues raised. But sometimes even that is not enough. When one says "I don't care what you say" (even if you only quote scripture) "I know what I believe..." Weeellll, there's not much you are going to do with that fella.
Then there's always the "but everyone knows..." theorist, who argues from the position of "common knowledge" instead of truth.
Common knowledge once held that the earth was the center of the universe, Galileo was arrested, tried by the church, condemned to house arrest for life, and his books buried in a vatican library for 213 years, for daring to suggest that the earth is not the center of the universe. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the pope allowed his books to be returned to public scrutiny.
Mixing "what everyone knows" with theology can get you burned at the stake in almost any century. It was
scientists and theologians who led the fight against Galileo.
We sometimes need to just step back, take a look at the claims made by good-hearted, well-intentioned people, who happen to be zealous for the Lord, but wrong. Saul of Tarsus was an example of this type of man. He went about arresting Christians and carrying them prisoner to Jerusalem, and murdering them as heretics, thinking he was serving God.
And that's about 'nuff ramblin' for one morning. That's what I think. What say you?
In the love of Jesus by the grace of God
Theophilus Book
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