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Title: Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus: New Insights from a Hebraic Perspective by David Bivin, Roy B. Blizzard ISBN: 1-56043-550-X Publisher: Destiny Image Pub. Date: February, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.41 (17 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A New Look at the Hebrew Roots of the New Testament
Comment: Imagine what popular American sayings such as "killing time" or "He put his foot in his mouth" would sound like if translated literally into another language. The authors of Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus argue that that is why so many New Testament phrases and especially the words of Jesus sound so strange or awkward or just plain confusing. The authors make a very good case that the Gospels were originally written in Hebrew and then translated into Greek and too often the translator gave a literal translation to what was a Hebrew saying or idiom which means it doesn't make sense in English. The authors do an excellent job of placing Jesus in his proper historical context, as highly educated in both the study of the Torah and in the culture of his day. We cannot grasp His meaning without keeping in mind the Jewish roots to all His teachings. The book is too short, only 169 pages. While this makes it a quick and easy read, it also leaves the reader wishing for more and deeper exploration. This is a good book for a beginner who wishes a good tool for understanding the New Testament. The last 50 pages are an Appendix which gives examples of what the authors see as the true meaning and proper translation of some of the most obscure Biblical passages. One could wish the Appendix were twice as long, but it makes a good, sound introduction to the subject. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: This is the Missing Link!
Comment: These guys have tapped into the fundamental issue of understanding the New Testament. To understand the Jewish thought, culture and language of the 1st century is to know the real Jesus and His teachings. Jesus was an observant Jew, and modern day Christianity has seemed to overlook that for too long. Read this book to understand Jewish idiom and thought. Then, Jesus' words begin to make a lot more sense.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Personal Watershed
Comment: "It is indeed unfortunate that of all the New Testament writings, the words and sayings of Jesus himself are the most difficult to understand." So begins this remarkable little book.
The minor premise is undisputed: Jesus was Jewish. The major premise is: the "Hebraic mindset" (-language, thought, culture, idioms) is far removed from the Greek. To understand Jesus, therefore, one must appreciate the Hebraic/Jewish background of the Greek gospels. (A growing minority of Scripture scholars consider that our present Greek gospels are translations of Hebrew or Aramaic originals and that they are best understood when read that way.
Though serious scholarship underlies the work, it aims to teach the general public what it means to think of Jesus as an observant Jew versed in and devoted to the Torah. Running just over 130 pages, it leaves the reader hungry for more examples and more detailed analysis. Yet it may come as a watershed to readers who--like me--have thought too little about how the Jewish background of Jesus influenced the way he thought and taught.
Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, no one disputes that Hebrew was still used during the time of Jesus. The book provides a good primer on this point and its importance.
The next main section concerns the implications of misunderstanding Jesus. Such misunderstandings fall into two categories. First, there are the times we think we understand Jesus perfectly but do not. For example, Bivin and Blizzard argue that by "kingdom of heaven" Jesus was not referring to a futuristic place but rather to a present reality. (The reign of God means God reigns in one's life.) Further, Jesus was not a pacifist, despite "turn the other cheek", and he did not advocate indiscriminate charity, despite "give to him who asks of you."
Then there are the things Jesus says that we know we don't understand. Such as "blessed are the poor in spirit." Shouldn't one be rich in spirit? Yes, and Jesus was cautioning against self-righteousness. Christians tend to 'get' that despite the curious wording. But what about "to bind" and "to loosen" from Matthew 16? What was Jesus giving Peter the authority to do? And over whom? During the Sermon on the Mount what did Jesus mean by 'I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it?' Christians aren't required to follw the Law, are they? If that doesn't 'abolish' it, then what would?
My favorite example concerns a puzzling verse from Luke's account of the Passion. Jesus tells the women of Jerusalem, "For if they do these things IN a green tree, what shall be done IN the dry?" Odd as this idiom may sound, I grew up with the sense that it meant, "Listen, ladies, don't weep for me but for yourselves. If this is how they treat me, how do you think they'll treat you?" Something like that is part of what Jesus is saying here, but there's more. The use of "green tree" (rooted in Ezekiel 20:47) is a MESSIANIC claim. Many scholars nowadays argue that Jesus never thought of himself as the Messiah--if he were, they reason, why didn't he just say so? Biven and Blizard argue persuasively that, in a Jewish way, he did exactly that, time and time and time again.
This book is by no means 'the last word on the subject.' But it is an enticing intro to a subject of great consequence for all Christians who seek to understand Jesus.
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Title: Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R. Wilson ISBN: 0802804233 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pub. Date: April, 1989 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church by Ron, Dr. Moseley ISBN: 1880226685 Publisher: Messianic Jewish Publishers Pub. Date: February, 1998 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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Title: Jewish New Testament Commentary: A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament by David H. Stern ISBN: 9653590111 Publisher: Jewish New Testament Pubns Pub. Date: October, 1992 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel: A Message for Christians by David H. Stern ISBN: 9653590014 Publisher: Jewish New Testament Pubns Pub. Date: February, 1988 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Jesus the Jewish Theologian by Brad Young, Marvin R. Wilson, David J. Wolpe ISBN: 1565630602 Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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