Luqa could not have been written in Greek.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-02-00 AT 10:54 PM (CST)

LAST EDITED ON Oct-02-00 AT 10:53�PM (CST)

Shlama all,

I will be posting chapter 17 of Luqa very shortly.

As further proof of the Aramaic origin of this book, please reference verses 18 through 20.

When Maran Eshoo healed the 10 lepers near Jerusalem, only 1 returned to give praise to God.

Maran Eshoo asked "Why did the other nine SEPARATE (Prasho) themselves? Why is it that only this one man returned to give praise to God? And, he is a foreigner at that"

The illusion to the Pharisees can be found starting in verse 20.

The word "Preesha" (Pharisee) comes from the same Aramaic root, and means "one who has separated himself".

The meaning behind the illusion is that the Pharisees were living up to their name, they "separated themselves" from praising God, and foreigners were praising God in their place.

All of this in the commentary portion of Luqa, nonetheless! :7

Shlama w'Burkate,
Paul

In reply to message #0
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-00 AT 12:53 PM (CST)

Shlama all...

I've been thinking about a possible connection between Matti and Yukhanan and wanted some feedback. Please keep in mind that I am not saying there is only one way to look at this, but that its occurrence is interesting.

Yukhanan's main difference from the synoptics is in its spiritual depth. It gets into mystical issues that the others only hint at. What fascinates me personally is that Yukhanan bar Zawdee seems to have anticipated by many centuries much of later Kabbalistic thought, showing that the oral versions of these teachings have been around for much longer than their final written counterparts completed in the late Middle Ages.

So here is what I noticed. Matti 13:35 has Maran Eshoo say, "I will open my mouth in parables and utter things not mentioned since the foundation of the world." In Aramaic, the word for parables is:

MITHLEH

However, when we look at Yukhanan's creation account (1:1-5), it is drashing (comparing) with Psalm 33:6 when saying that the WORD made all things. In the Psalm, "word" is DABAR, but the mystics as well as the targum writers consistently use MEMRA instead when God is described in human forms, including His Word. In turn, the Aramaic equivalent of MEMRA is MILTHA, which Yukhanan uses instead of DABAR. Could the parables be reminiscent then of the WORD that created the universe, since their meaning has been hidden from the beginning until Maran Eshoo's time?

Could it also be that the statement in Matti may be referring to the proto-mystical teachings picked up by Yukhanan and referred to by another first century witness, the historian Philo? Also, it may even be that Matti was thinking of Yukhanan's words when setting this down, but that type of direct connection is probably impossible to prove.

On the other hand, MILTHA and MITHLEH may be sharing a the same common root, but I am not sure.

I look forward to all of your insights and thank you.

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth

In reply to message #1
 
Shlama Akhi Andrew,

I have read your wonderful commentary here, and although I've never really been good with theology and the "deeper meanings", I am very fascinated here with this insight.

Yukhanan is, to me, the most fascinating writer in the NT - and the parallels with later mystical traditions is amazing.

Whereas the authors of the Synoptics concerned themselves with the relation of the facts, Yukhanan gives us so much more insight into the Mystery (Raza) of Alaha's revelation to mankind.

That Maran Eshoo uttered the "secrets hidden since the foundation of the world", this is surely the case.

That the "mystics" even before Christ's advent (the Prophets) foresaw the shadows of these realities is also true.

Why not, then, the "mystics" (I use the term loosely) after Christ's time? Beginning with Yukhanan and continuing to Kabbalistic thought, and even our time and beyond?

I have always been a firm believer in Alaha's continuous revelation to bar-Nashutha (mankind). That even today, we receive revelation from HIM. And that we will spend eternity learning all the secrets (as the Peshitta puts it) which were hidden from the foundation of the world....and of which ultimately found fulfillment in HIM who is the object of our worship and adoration......

Nym0w Nym0
Ml9w 04h 0hl0l 0xbw4

Shlama w'Burkate,
Paul

>LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-00
>AT 12:53�PM (CST)
>
>Shlama all...
>
>I've been thinking about a possible
>connection between Matti and Yukhanan
>and wanted some feedback.
>Please keep in mind that
>I am not saying there
>is only one way to
>look at this, but that
>its occurrence is interesting.
>
>Yukhanan's main difference from the synoptics
>is in its spiritual depth.
> It gets into mystical
>issues that the others only
>hint at. What fascinates me
>personally is that Yukhanan bar
>Zawdee seems to have anticipated
>by many centuries much of
>later Kabbalistic thought, showing that
>the oral versions of these
>teachings have been around for
>much longer than their final
>written counterparts completed in the
>late Middle Ages.
>
>So here is what I noticed.
> Matti 13:35 has Maran
>Eshoo say, "I will open
>my mouth in parables and
>utter things not mentioned since
>the foundation of the world."
> In Aramaic, the word
>for parables is:
>
>MITHLEH
>
>However, when we look at Yukhanan's
>creation account (1:1-5), it is
>drashing (comparing) with Psalm 33:6
>when saying that the WORD
>made all things. In
>the Psalm, "word" is DABAR,
>but the mystics as well
>as the targum writers consistently
>use MEMRA instead when God
>is described in human forms,
>including His Word. In turn,
>the Aramaic equivalent of MEMRA
>is MILTHA, which Yukhanan uses
>instead of DABAR. Could
>the parables be reminiscent then
>of the WORD that created
>the universe, since their meaning
>has been hidden from the
>beginning until Maran Eshoo's time?
>
>
>Could it also be that the
>statement in Matti may be
>referring to the proto-mystical teachings
>picked up by Yukhanan and
>referred