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#1: Love God with heart, mind, soul, etc. (consistency, integrity)
#2: Love neighbor as yourself (distributed system, negative feedback loop)
Love fellow believers unconditionally (no negative feedback loop)
Actively proclaim truth (without forcing).
Actively do good works.
Passively accept push-back (suffer).
4. Background
5. Aristotle: How people learn
English: Thus, some people do not listen to a speaker unless he speaks mathematically, others unless he gives instances, while others expect him to cite a poet as witness.
John 18:37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto thetruth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. [kjv]
ειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαικαι εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμονινα μαρτυρησω τηαληθειαπας ο ων εκ τηςαληθειαςακουει μου τηςφωνης [gnt]
Only John tells us why Jesus was born. Jesus witnesses to Pilate.
Jesus tells Pilate why he was born in John 18:37. When Jesus talks of "truth", as in the Greek and Hebrew words for truth, he is talking about the truth of reality and not of a logical true-false truth system.
Hebrews 1:11They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; [kjv]
αυτοιαπολουνταισυ δε διαμενεις και παντες ωςιματιονπαλαιωθησονται [gnt]
The second law of thermodynamics (about 1900) states that, over time, everything (in a closed system) becomes more disordered over time. Entropy increases over time.
Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [kjv]
εναρχηεποιησεν ο θεος τονουρανονκαι τηνγην [lxx]
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1 Ancient view
2 Biblical view
3 Secular view
4 Modern views
Year views: Bible: thousands Secular: billions Factor: million
There must be a beginning to time and an end to time. The secular view is called the "big bang". The Bible view is in Genesis 1:1. The secular end of time is the "heat death". From where came "coded information"? The "big bang" appears to require a "finite universe" and "finite time".
Science cannotprove God.
Science cannotdisprove God.
Information transcends science.
Coded information: book, DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid), etc.
The DNA code has 64 (6 bit) instructions that each code for an amino acid, start or stop code, etc. An average human has about 1,000,000,000,000 copies (cells) each with about 6,000,000,000 bits of coded information of DNA.
1. Life requires huge amounts of coded information.
2. Coded information cannot arise by chance.
This proves a creator outside of time and space with probability approaching 1.0 (certainty).
Related fields:
Statistics Informatics ComputerScience
What is the (approximate) probability that the flip of a fair coin results in heads?
If you say it is one half, then that is the probability to you. I can see the coin and to me it is either zero or one - I know the result.
The field of statistics has a deep connection to computer/information science though it may not be immediately obvious.
Saying: "statistics means nothing to a rock". Unlike data (every particle in the universe), codedinformation requires an intelligent "point of view".
The entire field of statistics is the concept of known and unknown information by an observer and determining a "best guess" at what the state of the actual information of interest.
One goal of computer science: Convert 1,000,000 to 20.
Goal: Given random amino acids everywhere, pick out all right-handed or left-handed at random to build a protein. This can be analyzed as a classical statistics coin flipping model.
Information in simplest self-replicating cell self-organizing (nucleotide level)
6,000,000,000
Information in human DNA (nucleotide level)
58
Microseconds in 8,000 years
270
Every small particle in the known universe
328
For each do million times a second for 8,000 years
348
Do for every particle for 8 billion years
358
Do for every particle for 8 trillion years
628
Make every particle a universe for 8 trillion years
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (336 bits)
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. (280 bits)
(56 letters/spaces, 5 or 6 bits per letter/space)
About 270 bits provide a unique identification code for each small particle in the known universe, estimated to have about 1080 particles.
Thus, 300 bits can identify each particle in 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) universes.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags, with 512 bits, can identify each particle in the known universe.
Here is a summary of the two-step (coded) information argument.
1. Coded information exists (DNA, book, etc.).
2. Coded information cannot arise by chance. (with probability quickly approaching 1.0)
Any theory of evolution must account for coded information arising by chance.
The only alternative appears to be that of a creator God outside of time and space. Ways have been proposed to get the needed infinity.
Monkeys typing (begs the question in that it assumes the result).
Oscillating universe.
Many worlds.
Note that the only alternative for those not wanting a creator is to assume coded information can arise by chance. This contradicts both logic and observed reality and requires a lot of "faith". To read about that "faith", check out the Wikipedia page on "Junkyard tornado".
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.Genesis 1:1
The "declarative" model of creation is before Adam and Eve were created. The exact way it happened does not matter.
It does not make sense to try to map time and space of reality as is known now to the that period.
The "historical" model of humanity started with Adam and continues to the present day. The exact datesdo not matter.
This is known more precisely since the start of written records and less precisely before then.
To show that the Bible is a true message from the creator, (fault-tolerant and error correcting) authentication codes are needed.
Suppose an email message (Bible) arrives that claims to be from your boss (God).
You find some spelling and grammer errers, but can still understand the message. Due to inerrancy considerations, you might reason as follows.
The boss made a mistake. I can ignore the message.
Someone must have changed the message but the original was inerrant.
Does it matter?
The message tells me about things that only the boss (God) knows. (authentication code)
Is the authentication more important than any spelling or grammar mistakes in the message?
Discuss: Why do some people spend more time arguing about spelling and grammer errers and fixing them than in actually doing what the message says to do?
Isaiah describes God writing history before it happens.
Isaiah 46:9Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, [kjv]
καιμνησθητεταπροτερααπο τουαιωνοςοτι εγω ειμι ο θεος και ουκ εστιν ετι πλην εμου [lxx]
46:10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, … [kjv]
αναγγελλωνπροτερονταεσχατα πριν αυτα γενεσθαι και αμα συνετελεσθη και ειπα πασα μου η βουληστησεται και παντα οσαβεβουλευμαιποιησω [lxx]
tellingbeforehand the latter events before they come to pass, and they are accomplished together: and I said, all my counsel shall stand, and I will do all things that I have planned: [bs3]
Isaiah in writing about 800 B.C. Daniel is given of history (and prophecy) to write about some 250 years later, about 550 B.C.
The English word "gematria" is from the ancient Greek word "γεωμετρία" ≈ "geometry".
Greek dropped some Hebrew/Phonecian letters (except for numbers) as unneeded or duplicate sounds.
The Hebrew and Greek languages had numerical values for most of their letters. These values are well established. Analyzing and conjecturing about the resulting values of words, phrases, and sentences is a field called gematria.
Translating John 1:1 using "to" or "towards" is in line with a reflexive fixed point while the KJV (King James Version) changes the word to "with". The reasoning is top-down and backward-chaining.
Bottom-up thinking (most people): put equality first, then relation, then goal.
Top-down thinking (computer scientists, John): put goal first, then relation, then equality
2500+ year history of Greek as a living spoken and written language.
70 year (actually 69) Babylonian captivity: Hebrew to lingua franca Aramaic in 70 years. Aramaic is easier. Hebrew forgotten as spoken language and as written language (except for religious elite).
350 year Greek lingua franca in Judea. Almost everyone spoke Greek. Greek is easier to read and write. Why write anything in Aramaic?
Today, English is the lingua franca of the world, but Spanish is easier to read and write.
26. Languages at the time of Jesus
If you grew up speaking Greek, it was easy to learn to read and write Greek.
24 letters, all upper case
no spaces, simple rules
unique sounds
write like you hear it
read like you see it
Like almost everyone, Jesus spoke Greek and Aramaic and some Latin.
The religious elite studied reading and writing Hebrew and probably looked down on Greek.
Jesus uses play on words in Greek which many people listening understood (and snickered) while the religious elite were confused with the double (and more) meanings.
27. Language fallacies
Academics (pastor, etc.) convince you that Greek is very precise and unambiguous. Greek has ambiguities like any other language. People in every language overcome apparent language deficiencies to communicate.
Academics (pastor, etc.) use selected examples from Greek where the language appears to be more precise and then exaggerate that precision.
If you do not know actual underlying Greek, you must accept what is said.
If questioned, academics (and pastors, etc.) use the "idiom excuse".
If pressed, academics (and pastors, etc.) use the "Aramaic excuse".
To overcome obvious translation issues, suspect etymologies about English words are created.
Assumption: If the accepted primary meaning of an ancient Greek word fits the GNT (Greek New Testament), then that meaning should be used. Often, the GNT will use the accepted meaning except for passages that are to be translated in another way.
The "Latin Vulgate" from the 4th century influenced all modern translations - even modern Greek where words with the same meaning today is in the GNT are changed to the Latin or English KJV meaning.
The Bible dictionary used by pastors, etc. is often explained away as being a different Greek, the Koine Greek, that the people spoke, with special idioms of Greek. Changes are often attributed to:
☐ Koine Greek being different than Ancient Greek.
☐ Originally written in Aramaic. Koine Greek had many idioms.
☐ English changing over the years.
A problem arises when ancient, medieval and modern Greek, as one continuous language, have the same meaning for the same word but the Koine Greek definition is different and matches the Latin word used to translate that Greek word in the 4th century. This happens with many important words but not so much with less important words. Suspicion arises when the common Greek meaning makes more sense in the Bible text than the English word based on the Latin word.
[language ambiguity, preciseness of Greek language fallacy]
30. Matthew and Luke
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1 Jesus teaches people
2 Matthew writes Gospel
3 Luke writes Gospel
Luke records and correctly reports what people remembered as to the meaning of what Jesus said, sometimes using other words. This often loses the additional meanings as recorded in Matthew.
English: ... And some want to have everything done accurately, while others are annoyed by accuracy, either because they cannot follow the connexion of thought or because they regard it as pettifoggery ...
Some have trouble following precise and accurate logical details or regard it as "hairsplitting".
GNT:
"invalid logic" ⇒ "strife".
"personal opinion" ⇒ "vain glory".
If you ask an engineer for an explanation, be ready to listen for a while. Just nod your head and pretend you understand what he is saying. You'll wish you had never asked.
Luke 18:23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. [kjv]
ο δε ακουσας ταυταπεριλυποςεγενηθη ην γαρ πλουσιος σφοδρα [gnt]
18:24And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ! [kjv]
ιδων δε αυτον ο ιησους ειπεν πωςδυσκολωςοι ταχρηματαεχοντες εις την βασιλειαν του θεου εισπορευονται [gnt]
The ancient Greek word "δύσκολος" ≈ "annoyed, grumpy, bad-tempered" with one original meaning of "hard to satisfy with food" - perhaps due to a "bad intestine". The modern Greek word "δύσκολος" (THEE-sko-los) ≈ "difficult" but this meaning appears to have developed from what theologians decided the word meant that Jesus used (below).
Note: A few verse following (next chapter) Jesus calls rich Zacchaeus down from the tree.
KJV: And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God !
Greek: ιδων δε αυτον ο ιησους περιλυπον γενομενον ειπεν πως δυσκολως οι τα χρηματα εχοντες εισελευσονται εις την βασιλειαν του θεου εισπορευονται
37. Camels and needles
The Latin changes the Greek "which is a better toil" to a statement!
Luke 18:25For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. [kjv]
ευκοπωτερονγαρ εστιν καμηλον δια τρηματος βελονης εισελθεινηπλουσιον εις την βασιλειαν του θεου εισελθειν [gnt]
Possible paraphrase: Which is a better toil or work, to get a camel through the eye of a needle or a rich man into the kingdom of God?
Discuss: Compare and contrast the KJV statements about a rich man in Luke 18:25 with Jesus and Zacchaeus, a rich man, in Luke 19 (start of the next chapter). Does Zacchaeus keep all or some or none of his wealth?
A "refrigerator magnet sermon" is a sermon that is quite "attractive" but contains little meaningful content. Such sermons can be preached in any church. A euphemism for a "refrigerator magnet sermon" is ARMS (Attractive Refrigerator Magnet Sermons).
When someone asks you what you thought of the church or sermon, you can say:
☐ "Your church has real open ARMS."
☐ "I felt welcomed with open ARMS"
☐ "That preaching was an great example of open ARMS."
Note: A "refrigerator magnet sermon" not of the polarity of the congregation is "repulsive" unlike actual magnets where opposite poles attract.
Matthew 5:36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not makeonehairwhite or black. [kjv]
μητε εν τηκεφαλησουομοσηςοτι ου δυνασαιμιαντριχαλευκηνποιησαιημελαιναν [gnt]
10:30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [kjv]
υμων δε και αιτριχεςτηςκεφαληςπασαιηριθμημεναιεισιν [gnt]
As a secondary meaning, Jesus is the "head" of the "church" of "believers". Let us paraphrase both verses using this insight and using a "person" (or "believer") as a "hair".
Matthew 5:36: Do not swear by Jesus because you cannot make/judge/separate one believer/person as 'white' or 'black'. (or "narrow gate" or "wide area" or "heaven" or "hell", etc.).
Matthew 10:30: But the very believers/persons of Jesus are all numbered.
Discuss: Why might the church not want you to have money to take along to spread the "Good News"? Provide any known historical examples of either case.
Matthew 11:5The blindreceive their sight, and the lamewalk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deafhear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [kjv]
Six noun‑verb pairs
1.
blind
sight
2.
lame
walk
3.
lepers
cleansed
4.
deaf
hear
5.
dead
raised
6.
poor
gospel
These signs are recognized as "signs" of the Messiah. Is there a deeper meaning?
Jesus cites six pairs of nouns (representing people) and verbs (representing actions), shortened for table and discussion purposes.
Jesus often uses double meanings here the nouns represent something else while the verbs are carefully chosen. This requires looking at the Greek words in more detail.
Matthew 11:5The blindreceive their sight, and the lamewalk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deafhear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [kjv]
Six noun‑verb pairs decoded
6.
poor=fallen, beggars
start
gospel=good news preached
5.
dead=asleep
then
raised=wake up you deadhead
4.
deaf=not listening
then
hear=listen and understand
repent
3.
lepers=sinners
then
cleansed=be born again#44; cleansed in the blood
Ask
2.
lame=passive
then
walk=active start walking in righteousness
Seek
1.
blind=not seeing
then
sight=look up/ahead and see God & others
Knock
The top-down verses (in English) may be more understandable as a bottom-up progression (as events unfold in time) using the Greek meanings of the words. Approaches to change: (stop, repent, be cleansed and walk).
11:6And blessed is he, who soever shall not be offended in me. [kjv]
Matthew 11:5The blindreceive their sight, and the lamewalk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deafhear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [kjv]
11:6And blessed is he, who soever shall not be offended in me. [kjv]
… blessid… sclaundrid … [wy]
… happy … offended … [ty]
blind
look up
lame
walk
lepers
cleansed
deaf
hear
dead
woken up
poor
gospel preached
Having discovered a deeper meaning to Matthew 11:5, how might someone "misinterpret" what Jesus has said?
What should the church be doing?
What should believers be doing?
Discuss: Do churches or believers ever get "ensnared" or "misinterpret" in helping the poor, the blind, those without clothes, in prison, etc., and lose sight of the real purpose of Jesus? Many of those words used by Jesus have double meanings.
47. Both love your God and love your neighbor as yourself needed
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1
2
3
4
Jesus clearly states the two laws on which the law and the prophets hang in Mark 12:30-31 (and elsewhere).
Law/Pearl 1: Love God (and the rules of God).
Law/Pearl 2: Love your neighbor as yourself.
The religious establishment at the time of Jesus emphasized law 1, "Love your God", but ignored law 2, "Love your neighbor as yourself" rule. This is, literally, "against the law" (of God).
According to Jesus, both rules are needed. What happens if the religious establishment ignores "Love your God" and emphasizes only "Love your neighbor" and often leaves out "as yourself"? This is, literally, "against the law" (of God)
49. Matthew 7:3-5 Beams and motes: the devil is in the details
Matthew 7:3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? [kjv]
τι δε βλεπεις τοκαρφοςτο εν τω οφθαλμω του αδελφου σου την δε εν τω σω οφθαλμωδοκονου κατανοεις [gnt]
7:4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? [kjv]
η πως ερεις τω αδελφω σου αφεςεκβαλωτοκαρφοςεκ του οφθαλμου σου και ιδου ηδοκοςεν τω οφθαλμω σου [gnt]
7:5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. [kjv]
υποκριταεκβαλεπρωτον εκ του οφθαλμου σου τηνδοκον και τοτε διαβλεψειςεκβαλειντοκαρφοςεκ του οφθαλμου του αδελφου σου [gnt]
The Greek word for "hypocrite" meant "pretending" or "acting" as an actor. In the GNT, there is a pun of "mote" or "twig" as "fruit" and of "beam" as "expectation". One should not even be looking at the possible "twig".
Build your house on the granite rock of Jesus and not on the human sand (or stones) of man, Matthew 7:24-27. Sand is a chip off the old block of granite and made in the image of granite.
Church of believers built on the rock of Christ.
Church of believers built on the sand of man.
The higher one goes up the human sand hierarchy or sand tree, the more the temptation to ignore the foundation of the rock and to start to "influence" or "manipulate" others as "leaders" for one's own purposes.
To the extent that the Church of believers built on the sand of man helps one do what Jesus wants them to do, it is good. To the extent it does not, it is not good.
Some birds will make "stones" (sand on which to build their birdhouse) appear as "bread". That is, give "bad" "gifts" or "houses" to their "children".
The end result of giving what is "holy", control of the group, to a wolf-dog and having white and then gray "pearls" cast to "swine" to be trodden down to become black pearls is to divide the group into "few" and "some". Only the "few" who have otherwise ignored the "wolf" will find and knock on the gate to life and have it opened.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. [kjv]
Only John tells us why Jesus was born. Jesus witnesses to Pilate.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [kjv]
There must be a beginning to time and an end to time. The secular view is called the "big bang". The Bible view is in Genesis 1:1. The secular end of time is the "heat death". From where came "coded information"? The "big bang" appears to require a "finite universe" and "finite time".
The only alternative appears to be that of a creator God outside of time and space. Ways have been proposed to get the needed infinity.
Matthew 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. [kjv]
μητε εν τη κεφαλη σου ομοσης οτι ου δυνασαι μιαν τριχα λευκην ποιησαι η μελαιναν [gnt]
Jesus often uses double meanings here the nouns represent something else while the verbs are carefully chosen. This requires looking at the Greek words in more detail.
Build your house on the granite rock of Jesus and not on the human sand (or stones) of man, Matthew 7:24-27. Sand is a chip off the old block of granite and made in the image of granite.
