The Goths were a collection of Germanic tribes from north-central Europe. Wulfila translated the Bible into Gothic in the 5th Century. It is most of what we know about the Gothic language.

The Goths moved from place to place.

• The Ostragoths would settle in northern Italy (having sacked Rome at one point).
• The Visagoths would settle in Spain.

The Goths influenced both languages.

In Greek, the word translated as "temptation" meant an examination using ideas that one knew or believed to be true. In a negative sense, such a "temptation" would try to deceive using things one believed to be true.

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

More: Do not mention temptations nor attempt to be a pirate

In Greek, the word translated as "temptation" meant an examination using ideas that one knew or believed to be true. In a negative sense, such a "temptation" would try to deceive using things one believed to be true.

More: Matthew 4:1-11 Examining evil temptations

More: Do not mention temptations nor attempt to be a pirate

The German word "Reich" ≈ "kingdom, empire" as in the "Third Reich" is related.

• The modern Greek word "δήμος" (THEE-mos) ≈ "municipality".
• In Bible times, the Greek word «δύμος» meant "people" or "public".

Note the German "Volk" and the Norsk "folket" for "people".

The German automobile company "Volkswagon" means, literally, the "people's wagon" or car.

The Latin word for "people" as "populus" is the source of the English word "population".

A form of democracy arose In ancient Greece. Often this involved some form of mob rule and these (and later) democracies ended up in tyranny/dictatorship.

• What is "socialism"?
• What does the Bible say about "socialism"?
• What is "capitalism"?
• What does the Bible say about "capitalism"?

• The modern Greek word "κράτος" (KRA-tos) ≈ "state".
• In Bible times, the Greek word «κράτος» meant "power".

Note that while the English word "noun" comes from the Greek word for "name" the English word "verb" comes from the Latin word "verbum".

Note: Old Church Slavonic later became Russian and other Slavic languages.

So many Slavic peoples were enslaved throughout the centuries that this is the source of the English word "slave" as opposed to "servant".

The founding fathers of the American Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution noticed this and tried to build in safe-guards in the forms of enumeration of powers, checks and balances, etc., to avoid this unhealthy transition.

At the time, many people were serious Christians and Peter had said to "honor the King".

• The Latin word "regem" ≈ "king" from
• The Russian word "царь" (czar) ≈ "king" is the source of the English word "czar".

Any form of government where the people do not honor the established reign of power will have difficulty maintaining that form of government. In totalitarian regimes that rule is established by fear and might. In a democracy, that rule is established by the people accepting that form of rule as legitimate. Where the people in general are not Christian or do not accept that belief, that government may have difficulty surviving as a democracy. (Declaration of Independence)

The American Revolution let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. While attempting to base the Declaration of Independence on Biblical principles, no later revolution of the people made any such pretense.

Note that all later socialist revolutions were atheist in nature.

The French Revolution led to a more than 10,000 people losing their heads over the matter. The French democracy was short-lived.

Soon, General Napoleon Bonaparte took over as dictator. Napoleon was not French but was born in Corsica.

The modern nationalist movement created huge armies and huge casualties - all in the name of humanistic democracy.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 ended the rule of the Czar and started a democracy.

Lenin took advantage of the democracy to take over, promising anything and everything to anyone who would listen.

After he took over, he got rid of all opposition and ignored any promises made. Millions died in the ensuing Russian Civil War (Reds vs. Whites).

The result was the USSR, the United Soviet Socialist Republic. Soon, Stalin, who was not Russian, but Georgian, took over.

In 1932-1933 Stalin starved about 10,000,000 of his own people to death in the Ukraine and Black Sea area.

In total, Stalin eliminated upwards of 20,000,000 of his own people. The initial Russian Revolution led to a fledgling democracy. Lenin, however, took advantage of the situation, promising almost anything to anyone knowing that if he got power, he could do anything he wanted. This takeover, in the bigger Russian Revolution, led to many millions of people killed as groups fought to see who would be the leader of the people.

After World War I, the fledgling Weimar Republic was the democracy of Germany.

Hitler, who was not German, but Austrian, attempted a takeover by force in the 1920's, but it failed.

After the economy all but collapsed in Weimar Germany, Hitler and the National Socialist Party, or Nazi party, used the rules of the democracy against itself to take over in 1933.

Hitler was responsible for about 10,000,000 civilian deaths, including about 6,000,000 Jews.

During and after World War II, communist socialists and national socialists fought for control of China.

Mao established his version of communist socialism on China.

In the 1960's, it is estimated that about 60,000,000 people "disappeared" during the "cultural" revolution.

The holding back of power is a form of temperance or continence that is expressed in another Greek word.

The Waffen SS as a more atheistic military unit did not use "God" as part of their motto. Instead, they used the motto "Meine Ehre heißt Treue" meaning "My honor is loyalty".

• The German word "die Treue" ≈ "loyalty".
• The German word "die Ehre" ≈ "honor".

The phase "God with us" is often read at Christmas.

This phrase has been used as a battle cry before and after his translation in other nations and languages.

It was used by German Wehrmacht (Army) in World War II.

Does God take sides in a war? Many armies throughout time have used the phrase "God with us" (in an appropriate translation) as if God is on their side or God should be on their side.

Sweden used the phrase "Gott mit uns" as a war cry in the Thirty Years' War, 1816-1648.

In the 17th century, the phrase Gott mit uns was used as a 'field word', a means of recognition akin to a password by the army of Gustavus Adolphus at the battles of Breitenfeld (1631), Lützen (1632) and Wittstock (1636) in the Thirty Years' War. (Wikipedia).

In some areas of Germany, up to 60% of the population died during the war, mostly as a result of starvation.

For a comparison and Bible reference, see Shibboleth: how something is said.

Martin Luther shook Germany, but Francis Drake calmed it again - he gave us the potato. Heinrich Heine.

Much of the famine in the Thirty Years' War resulted from an invading army seizing grain crops or, when retreating, burning grain crops to keep them from the enemy.

The potato was a blessing. Although it took more work to grow and harvest, army could not easily seize nor burn potato crops as they were buried under the ground.

As another side effect, the potato was easy to convert into beer which became another staple of central Europe and Germany.

This phrase "Gott mit uns" was adopted by the Prussian military about 1700.

The German Empire used it from 1871 through the end of World War I in 1918. German helmets in World War I had it inscribed on the helmet.

The Third Reich (1933 to 1945) used it before and during World War II.

The West German Army used it from 1949 to 1962.