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What Does Matthew 24:28 Mean about Eagles and a Dead Body?

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– The meaning of Matthew 24:28 according to the ancients
– Back in time: About emblems and emblem books
– The emblem painting of Matthew 24:28
– Further back in time: What Chrysostom, Cranmer, and Jewel said

Matthew 24:28 a call to Holy Communion? So said the ancients.

What does Matthew 24:28 mean? Who are the eagles, and who or what does the dead body represent? See the verse:

For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines to the west, so will the coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the dead body is, there will the eagles resort.

It will seem strange to people nowadays, but for many centuries it was taught in the church that the eagles represent believers, while the dead body represents the body of our Lord, wounded and dead on the cross for us. According to this interpretation, verse 28 is a call to, and a picture of, Holy Communion: the eagles, or believers, soar in flights of faith when they gather at Holy Communion to remember the Body and Blood of the Lord, the crucified Christ. Therefore, as verse 26 says, these eagles do not go out to the desert to find Christ, nor to secret places. Nor do they flock to places where false prophets are working their miracles, as it is said. No, but they go to where he is openly shown in Holy Communion, which is the sacrament and remembrance that he ordained, the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. This is where he is shown and known.

Here are the verses in fuller context:

Matthew 24:23-28, New Matthew Bible: 23Then if anyone says to you, See, here is Christ! or, There is Christ! – believe it not. 24For false christs and false prophets will arise, and will do great miracles and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. 25Take heed, I have told you beforehand. 26So if they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert! go not forth; or, Behold, he is in the secret places! believe it not. 27For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines to the west, so will the coming of the Son of man be. 28For wherever the dead body is, there will the eagles resort.

In partaking of Holy Communion, the eagles find and commune with their Lord; there they remember his atoning death, look upon his saving wounds, and receive of his Body and Blood. There they, as priests of the New Covenant, partake of the altar and are nourished up to holiness and eternal life in the body. And as lightning shines from the east to the west, illuminating all upon whom it lights, so comes the Son of man by the Spirit in his fashion, from the east to the west, wherever the body is shown. I recently heard a bishop put it well: The Eucharist is the presence of the Lord in this world.

The idea that the meaning of Matthew 24:28 concerns the Eucharist (or Holy Communion, the Table of the Lord, etc.) may seem strange, because this teaching is now lost and forgotten. Moreover, if we read modern Bibles, we could never understand Matthew 24:28 as a call to Holy Communion because they use unfitting terms. Some refer not to eagles, but to “carrion vultures,” which is pejorative imagery. The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson even refers to a “rotting carcass” where these vultures gather, rather than simply to a dead body. Since the New Testament expressly says that Jesus’ dead body did not see corruption (Acts 2:27, 2:31, 13:35), there is no way Peterson’s rendering could lead the mind to the holy mysteries: there could be no holy gathering at a sacrament of the “rotting carcass” of the Lord.

I believe modern Bible translators are misled by the word “carcass,” which was used in older Bibles to refer to the dead body of the Lord.  Formerly, “carcass” was a neutral term, whereas now it also is pejorative. But I won’t discuss here how modern translations have changed the meaning and tone of Matthew 24:28 because I already reviewed the changes in my 2013 paper here on Academia.edu (linked again at the end of this paper).

I am writing about this topic now again, a decade later, because I recently received an email from a Danish minister, Pastor Poul Asger Beck, after he read my 2013 paper. He told me that there is an old colour painting on the wall of his church, called an emblem painting (shown later), which pictorially links Matthew 24:28 to Holy Communion. Pastor Beck was doing research relating to this painting in connection with a book he has written (1), and that was how he found my paper. He kindly sent some materials to me, and I am excited to share them here.

About emblems and emblem books

I had never heard of emblems or emblem paintings before. Now I know that emblems are allegorical paintings or sketches. As well as emblem paintings that hang on the walls of churches, there are also emblem books. These books are collections of emblems together with explanatory texts, typically morals or poems. Emblem books were popular in the 16th and 17th centuries for devotions and meditations.

Although emblems are, to the best of my knowledge, little known in Canada or the USA, they were widely known throughout Europe. They were apparently the highest fashion for church decoration around the 18th century under Pietism. (Pietism began as a 17th century movement in the German Lutheran Church. Its purpose was to infuse new life into dry Protestantism. It spread to other countries, but took different forms over time.)

Pastor Beck told me that there are emblem paintings hanging on the walls of about sixty churches in Denmark, and they can still be found in churches in other European countries. The cover of his new book (below) features images of several such emblems:

Emblems that answer the question, What Does Matthew 24:28 Mean?

Shown below now is the colourful emblem painting that hangs on the wall of Pastor Beck’s church, and which relates to Matthew 24:28. It was painted in 1705 by Christen Pedersen Lyngbye (1645-1715), who in turn was inspired by the emblem work of a man named Daniel Cramer. The Latin words Sic Alor, writ large in the sky of the painting, mean “Here I feed,” or “So I feed”:

Late 17th or early 18th century painting by Christen Lyngbye, illustrating Matthew 24:28.

Lyngbye’s painting shows a believer as an eagle with a heart-shaped body. To me, this signifies a believer’s love for the Lord, and also that his or her “flight” in Holy Communion is a spiritual one, where heart and soul ascend in faith. The eagle-believer, in remembrance, looks in his mind’s eye upon the Lord’s dead body, which is shown as a pierced hand, foot, and heart, representing the spiritual food of Holy Communion. This is why it is called the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

The next item Pastor Beck sent me is the image, shown below, of pages 172-173 from an emblem book called Emblemata Sacra, (or Emblematum Sacrorum) by the aforementioned Daniel Cramer (1568-1637). Cramer himself illustrated the book. He has been identified as a German Lutheran. Some say he had ties with the Rosicrucian movement; I do not know if this is true, but it does not matter since he was only illustrating an interpretation of Matthew 24:28 that long predated him.

Cramer’s emblem again shows the heart-eagle and the Lord’s pierced hands, feet, and heart. A common denominator of Cramer’s emblems was this mystic heart, represented in different situations as soaring on wings, or chained, or nailed to a cross, etc. The words Sic Alor (“Here I feed”) are again seen here, printed prominently above the emblem:

Pages from the 17th century emblem book of Daniel Cramer, with his emblem illustrating the meaning of Matthew 24:28.

The large-print French verse on the page facing Cramer’s emblem says “Où sera le corps mort, là aussi s’assembleront les aigles.” In English this is, “Where the dead body is, there also will the eagles gather.”

Below this, another line in the old French poetry says, “Mon cœur ailé de foi, tes plaies doucement va succant et s’en paist, pour non plus s’effrayer” (partially updated). I tentatively translate this, “My heart, on wings of faith, goes to gently suck and feed upon your wounds, no more to fear.”

Daniel Cramer got his inspiration for this emblem from the ancients. To go further back in time, to see the ancient sources he drew from, below are a few short quotations from leading men of the church.

John Chrysostom on the meaning of Matthew 24:28

John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) was a noted early Church father, known for liturgical reforms in the Greek Church, especially relating to Holy Communion. He was made Archbishop of Constantinople in about 397 AD. He spoke, taught, preached, and wrote in Greek, and studied the New Testament scriptures in their original tongue.

Chrysostom clearly referred Matthew 24:28 to Holy Communion; that is, to our Lord who was slain for us to take away our sins, and to  believers at the Communion Table, who, as soaring eagles, remember his death. Chrysostom wrote very eloquently:

For it is to this that the fearful and tremendous sacrifice leads us, warning us above all things to approach it with one mind and fervent love, and thereby become as eagles, so to mount up to the very heaven – nay, even beyond the heaven. “For wheresoever the carcase is,” saith he, “there also will be the eagles,” (Mat.xxiv.28), calling his body a “carcase” by reason of his death. For if he had not fallen, we would not have risen again. But he calls us eagles, implying that the person who draws near to this Body must be on high, and have nothing in common with the earth, nor wind himself downwards and creep along; but he must ever be soaring heavenwards, and look on the Sun of Righteousness, and have the eye of his mind quick-sighted. For eagles, not daws, have a right to this Table. (2)

Thomas Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer was a foremost English Reformer. As Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII and Edward VI, he gave the Reformation Church of England her heavenly liturgy for Holy Communion in the Book of Common Prayer. Cranmer was a martyr for the faith, burned alive by Bloody Queen Mary in 1556.

Archbishop Cranmer often quoted from Chrysostom, including where he touched on the meaning of Matthew 24:28 in his homily, The Worthy Receiving of the Sacrament:

Thou must carefully search out and understand what good things are provided for thy soul, whither thou art come [to Holy Communion] – not to feed thy senses and belly to corruption, but thy inward man to immortality and life; nor to consider the earthly creatures [the bread and wine] which thou seest, but the heavenly graces which thy faith beholdeth. For this table is not, saith Chrysostom, for chattering jayes, but for eagles, who fly there where the dead body lies. (3)

Again we see this emphasis upon a true, earnest flight of faith, to appreciate the Lord’s self-offering upon the cross for his eagles.

John Jewel

Bishop John Jewel of the early Reformation Church of England also referred to the high flight of eagle-believers who partake of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord. He wrote:

For Christ himself altogether is so offered and given us in these mysteries that we may certainly know we be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones, and that Christ continueth in us and we in him. And therefore, in celebrating these mysteries, the people are to good purpose exhorted, before they come to receive the Holy Communion, to lift up their hearts and to direct their minds to heavenward; because he is there by whom we must be full fed and live. Cyril saith, when we come to receive these mysteries, all gross imaginations must quite be banished. The Council of Nicea, as it is alleged by some in Greek, plainly forbiddeth us to be basely affectioned or bent toward the bread and wine which are set before us. And, as Chrysostom very aptly writeth, we say that “the body of Christ is the dead [body], and we ourselves must be the eagles”: meaning thereby that we must fly on high if we will come unto the body of Christ.” (4)

Conclusion

The ancient understanding of the meaning of Matthew 24:28 was meaningful and reverent, and it saddens me that it has been lost. I myself, since I first learned about it so many years ago, consciously practice this ascent of the eagles when I approach the holy sacrament.

To make an aside, I noticed when I was working on the New Testament that the parallel eagle-and-dead-body passage in Luke 17:37 is not apparently adaptable to the same interpretation. This is the only difficulty with it of which I am aware. Chrysostom and Cranmer did not, that I have ever seen, link the Luke passage with Holy Communion. But whatever the explanation (I won’t speculate here), I know that they were more advanced than I in their understanding. Further, they were uniquely chosen and gifted by God to give us the liturgy of the sacrament. Therefore, even if my heart was not instinctively drawn to their teaching on Matthew 24:28, I would defer to them. They knew the Scriptures. And they taught seriously and thoughtfully about the sacrament, and knew its blessings.

To close with a little more fruit from Cranmer’s pen:

We must be sure we understand that in the Supper of the Lord there is no vain ceremony. It is not just a bare sign. It is not an empty figure of something that is absent. As Scripture says, it is the Table of the Lord, the Bread and Cup of the Lord, the memory of Christ, the annunciation of his death, and the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord, in a marvellous embodiment and realization which, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, is wrought through faith in the souls of the faithful. By it not only do their souls live to eternal life, but they trust confidently to gain for their bodies a resurrection to immortality.

This result, and the union which is between the body and the Head (that is, the true believers and Christ), the ancient catholic fathers both experienced themselves and commended to their people. Some of them were not afraid to call this Supper the “salve of immortality” and “sovereign preservative against death.” Others called it a “deifical Communion” – that is, a communion that makes us to be holy like God. Others called it the sweet food of the Saviour, and the pledge of eternal health; also the defence of the faith, the hope of the resurrection; others still, the food of immortality, the healthful grace and conservation for eternal life…

All these things both the Holy Scripture and godly men have correctly attributed to this celestial banquet and feast…Here the faithful may see, hear, and know the mercies of God sealed, Christ’s satisfaction for us confirmed, the remission of sin established.  Here they may experience the tranquillity of conscience, the increase of faith, the strengthening of hope, the spreading abroad of brotherly kindness, with many other sundry graces of God. (5)

Amen and amen.

* * * *

Ruth Magnusson Davis, March 2023

For more history from a different perspective, including an etymological study of “carcass” as it was used in older Bibles, my 2013 research paper is here on Academia.edu.

This ancient understanding of Matthew 24:28 is not the only interpretation that has been lost today. Another is the correct understanding of  “Christ was made sin for us.” This is a Hebrew idiom which is not understood today. The meaning is that Christ was made a sin offering for us, as Augustine, William Tyndale, John Rogers, and other learned men have explained. I blogged on this topic here.

Another lost understanding concerns the-prohecy-of-daniel-927/

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(1) The book Pastor Poul Beck has written is called (English translation) Riddles of the Heart: The Emblems in Vroue Church Described and Illustrated. It is due to be published in May 2023. It includes colour photos and descriptions of the Vroue church’s forty-one emblems, and the emblems from Daniel Cramer’s Emblemata Sacra with the accompanying poems and biblical texts.

(2) Chrysostom, St. John, Homily XXIV on 1 Cor.x.13, Homilies on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Translator not identified. Editor Paul A. Boer, Sr. Original publisher Wm. B. Erdmanns Publishing Company, date not provided, (Facsimile publisher Veritas Splendor Publications, 2012), p. 266. [English minimally updated.]

(3) Cranmer, Thomas, “The Worthy Receiving of the Sacrament,” contained in Homilies (first published 1547, republished Oxford City Press, 2010), p. 368. William Tyndale called Cranmer “a holy man.”

(4) Jewel, John, An Apology of the Church of England, c. 1561, Editor John E. Booty (First published 1963, republished by Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, 2010), pp. 34-35.

(5) Cranmer, Thomas, excerpts from his homilies on common prayer and the sacraments, updated and published here: Thomas-Cranmer-on-Common-Prayer-and-the-Sacraments. See page 6. The updated homily is the joint work of editors Rev. Stanley F. Sinclair and this author.

Key words: What does Matthew 24:28 mean? The meaning of Matthew 24:28

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 5

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through Bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible and gently updated as needed.

Topic: Adultery

This is the fifth and final part under the topic “Adultery” in John Rogers’ Table of Principal Matters of the Matthew Bible. It begins with the 12th heading and ends with the 15th.

Under the 12th heading, the scripture reference is mysterious to me. The heading reads, “One ought to beware of adulterers.” It might mean, in modern English, “One ought to be aware of adulterers,” but either way, the meaning is nearly the same. The scripture reference is “Deut.v.b,” or Deuteronomy 5.b. There were no verse numbers in the earliest English Bibles, so scripture references were by letters assigned to whole sections of a chapter (a,b,c, etc.). (Sometimes this makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact verse or verses intended.)

Deuteronomy 5 contains the Ten Commandments, and the only references to adultery are in verses 18 and 21: “Thou shalt not break wedlock (commit adultery),” and “Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour’s wife.” But what do these verses have to do with being wary (or being aware) of adulterers? Is the idea to look out for others who might lust after your wife? However, the main point of the Ten Commandments is to direct one’s own, personal conduct. Or does it suggest that adulterers (unless repentant) show that they despise God’s laws, and are generally not to be trusted?

But perhaps the reference to chapter ‘v’ or ‘5’ was a mistake? Such errors were not uncommon. To doublecheck, I compared the 1535 French Bible of Pierre Olivetan. People who have read Part One of The Story of the Matthew Bible will know that Rogers and Olivetan had the same Table of Principal Matters in their bibles. However, Olivetan shows the same heading and scripture reference at the 12th heading. In the old French spelling, he had “On se doivt informer des adulteres. Deutero.v.b.” (Note, there were no accent marks in old French.)

All things considered, I must keep the Bible verses from Deuteronomy 5.b, although it is difficult to understand how they relate to the heading. (This would be a good question for bible study groups to explore.)

And now, to see the last part of the topic “Adultery” in John Rogers’ (and Pierre Olivetan’s) pioneering work. It has been a marvellous gathering together of bible verses and teachings on this subject:

Adultery (cont’d)

(12) One ought to beware of adulterers.

Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not break wedlock.

and 5:21 You shall not lust after your neighbour’s wife.

(13) God witnesses against adulterers.

Malachi 3:5 I will come and punish you, and I myself will be a swift witness against the witches, against the adulterers …

(14) A special sacrifice for the suspicion of adultery.

Numbers 5:11-31 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: If any man’s wife goes aside and trespasses against him, in that another man lies with her carnally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it has not come to light that she is defiled (for there is no witness against her, inasmuch as she was not taken in the act), but the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous over his wife, and she is defiled – or perhaps the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous over his wife but she is yet undefiled – then let her husband bring her to the priest. And he shall bring an offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; but he shall pour no oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is an offering of jealousy and an offering that reminds of sin.

And let the priest bring her and set her before the Lord. And let him take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is in the floor of the habitation and put it into the water. And the priest shall set the wife before the Lord, uncover her head, and put in her hands the offering to remind her, which is the jealousy offering. And the priest shall have bitter and cursing water in his hand. And he shall adjure her and say to her, If no man has lain with you, and you have not gone aside from your husband and defiled yourself, then this bitter cursing water will not hurt you. But if you have gone aside from your husband and are defiled, and some other man has lain with you besides your husband (and let the priest put her under oath with the invocation of the curse and say to her), may the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, so that the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly to swell:– so go this bitter cursing water into your bowels, so that your belly swells and your thigh rots.

And the wife shall say, Amen, Amen.

And the priest shall write this curse in a bill and wash it out in the bitter water, and shall give the wife some of the bitter cursing water to drink. When the cursing water is in her and is bitter, then let the priest take the jealousy offering out of the wife’s hand, wave it for a food offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. And he shall take a handful of the reminder offering and burn it upon the altar, and then make her drink the water. And when he has made her drink the water, if she is defiled and has trespassed against her husband, then the cursing water will go into her and be so bitter that her belly will swell and her thigh will rot, and she will be a curse among her people. And if she is not defiled but is clean, then she will have no harm, but will be able to conceive.

This is the law for jealousy, when a wife goes aside from her husband and is defiled, or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man and he is jealous over his wife. Then he shall bring her before the Lord and the priest shall administer all this law concerning her; and the man shall be guiltless, and the wife shall bear her sin.

(15) One may leave his wife for the cause of adultery

Matthew 19:9 I say therefore to you, whoever puts away his wife (unless it be for fornication) and marries another, breaks wedlock. And whoever marries her who is divorced, commits adultery.

~~End of all five parts of the topic “Adultery” in the Matthew Bible~~

Called the Sotah Ritual by the Hebrews, a wife suspected of infidelity is made to drink the bitter cursing water. This 18th-century illustration is by Jan Luyken.

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page look for “Categories” and search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 4

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through Bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible, and gently updated as needed.

Topic: Adultery

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters was long, so I have divided it into 5 separate posts, this being Part 4.

Under the topic of adultery, Rogers drew twice from the Apocryphal writings. The first he drew from was the one-chapter book of Susanna, which we saw in Part 2. Here he drew from Ecclesiasticus (also known as “Sirach”), which is one of my favourites. Note, the Apocryphal books of the Matthew Bible were often quite different from later versions, so sometimes I had to improvise the verse numbering.

In the last post (Part 3) we saw how two heathen kings took Abraham’s wife Sarah into their houses, but once they learned that she was married, they sent her back to Abraham. These stories were given under heading 8, concerning how God punishes adultery. We saw there how God lifted punishment from the heathen rulers when they restored Sarah to her husband.

However, in this Part we see how the Israelite ruler King David not only committed adultery, but added murder to his sin in order to escape detection; and though he repented, punishment was never lifted from his house for the rest of his life. Sin always has consequences in this life, although for the saved the eternal consequences are remitted for the next life. At the end of this post, I added bible verses that deal with David’s punishment.

This part also covers King Herod, who took and married Herodias, his own brother’s wife. Herodias was angry at John the Baptist because he openly rebuked this egregious adultery, and so arranged for him to be beheaded.

And now, on to Part 4, which begins with the 10th heading under “Adultery” from the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible.

Adultery (cont’d)

(10) Adultery is the cause of procuring another man’s death.

2 Samuel 11:2-17 It chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king’s palace, and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to inquire what woman it was. And it was answered him that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, and wife to Uriah the Hittite.

And David sent messengers to fetch her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. And she was straightaway purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house. And when the woman perceived that she had conceived, she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

Then David sent a message to Joab [the commander of his army], directing him to send to him Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah had come to him, he asked how Joab was doing, how the people fared, and how the war prospered. And David said moreover to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet.

And Uriah departed out of the king’s palace, and there followed him a service from the king’s table. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

Then they told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house. Then David said to Uriah, Seeing that you have come from journeying, why do you not go down to your house? And Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in pavilions, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord live in tents upon the flat ground; and should I then go down into my house to eat, drink, and lie with my wife? By your life, and as sure as my soul lives, I will not do that thing. Then David said to Uriah, Tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.

And so Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next day. And David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And in the evening, Uriah went out to lie on his couch with the servants of the lord, and did not go down to his house. Therefore, on the next day David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Put Uriah in the forefront of the battle, where it is most fierce, and get back from him, so that he may be smitten to death.

And as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew that strong men were.  And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And there were certain men smitten among the people and among the servants of David, and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Loyal and faithful, Uriah the Hittite lies dead, slain by his king.

~~~

Matthew 14:3-10 [King] Herod had seized John [the Baptist], and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said to him, It is not lawful for you to have her. But when Herod would have put him to death, he feared the people, because they counted John as a prophet.

But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod; whereupon he promised with an oath that he would give her whatever she would ask. And she, being first instructed by her mother, said, Give me here the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

And the king sorrowed. Nevertheless, because of his oath, and because of the people who were sitting also at the table, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent and beheaded John in the prison.

This gruesome image depicts the head of John the Baptist on a platter, after he was beheaded by King Herod.

~~~

See also Mark 6:14-29 (a parallel account of the adultery of Herod and Herodias, and how Herodias procured the death of John the Baptist.)

(11) Adultery defames the person.

Proverbs 6:29 Whoever goes in to his neighbour’s wife and touches her, cannot be guiltless.

Ecclesiasticus 23:18 & 21 A man who breaks wedlock, and who regards not his soul but says, Tush, who sees me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls conceal me; nobody sees me; whom need I fear; the Most High will not remember my sins! – He understands not that his eyes see all things. For all such fear of men drives away the fear of God from him; for he fears only the eyes of men, and considers not that the eyes of the Lord are clearer than the sun, beholding all the ways of men and the ground of the deep, and looking even to men’s hearts in secret places. …

The same man shall be openly punished in the streets of the city, and shall be chased abroad like a young horse foal. And when he is least thinking upon it, he will be taken. Thus shall he be put to shame before everyone, because he would not understand the fear of the Lord.

Ecclesiasticus 23:22-26 And thus shall it go also with every wife who leaves her husband and gets inheritance by a strange marriage. First, she has been unfaithful to the law of the Most High. Secondly, she has forsaken her own husband. Thirdly, she has played the whore in adultery, and gotten her children by another man. She shall be brought out of the congregation, and her children shall be looked upon. Her children shall not take root, and as for fruit, her branches shall bring forth none. A shameful report shall she leave behind her, and her dishonour will not be put out.

And they that remain shall know that there is nothing better than the fear of God, and there is nothing sweeter than to take heed to the commandments of the Lord. It is a great honour to follow the Lord, for long life shall be received from him.

~~ ~~~ ~~

This 1611 painting is by Pieter Lastman. It depicts King David handing his loyal servant Uriah the Hittite the letter that directs Joab to make sure Uriah is killed in battle.

Here I (Ruth) add a section on the punishment that came on King David and his house due to his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. Note, as it was said above under heading 11, David was brought to open dishonour. Contrariwise, how sweet it would have been, had he heeded God’s commandments. Also, as it was said, David sought to hide from the eyes of man, and forgot that the eyes of God see all things.

The story of David’s grievous sins continues with Nathan the prophet going to the king’s palace to rebuke him, and to open his eyes to his sin. The prophet conveyed God’s message to him:

2 Samuel 12:7-15 Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and delivered you out of the hands of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom; and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would have given you so much more. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do wickedness in his sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and taken his wife as your wife, and have slain him by the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because (says the Lord) you have despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will stir up evil against you, even from your own house; and will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbour, who will sleep with them in the sight of the sun. And you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.

Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan answered David, The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because in doing this deed you have given the enemies of the Lord cause to rail, the child that is born to you will surely die.

And indeed, it came to pass that the child died, and that the sword never departed from David’s house. It reminds me of the proverb: he who rewards evil for good, evil shall never depart from his house (Proverbs 17:13).

The prophet Nathan rebukes David of his sin.

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Categories/ Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– The preceding topics in this series are:
Adultery Part 1
Adultery 2 (Susanna)
Adultery Part 3

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 3

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through Bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table. It also sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible and gently updated as needed.

Topic: Adultery

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters was long, with 15 headings. Some of the scriptures are also quite long. Therefore, I have divided this topic into five separate posts, of which this is the third. Headings 1-5 are in the previous two posts, and here we cover headings 6-9.

I noticed a curious thing under heading 8. This heading reads “Those who have minds only to commit adultery are punished.” The scripture verses given are in Genesis chapters 12 and 20. These chapters respectively tell the stories of Pharaoh and King Abimelech, two heathen rulers who took Abraham’s wife Sarah into their houses. (Sarah was called Sarai in chapter 12.) Their intent was to have her as their wife or concubine. However, both men were unaware that Sarah was married to Abraham (called Abram in chapter 12), because he lied and said that she was his sister.

These rulers had conceived a lust for Sarah, and no doubt this was carnal and fleshly. However, strictly speaking they did not have adultery in their minds. Indeed, both men returned Sarah to Abraham immediately once they learned that she was his wife – and, fortunately, without having violated her. It was clear from their conduct that they shrank from adultery and feared God. While punishment came passingly upon them and their houses so long as they held Sarah, perhaps as a kind of forewarning, it was lifted when they restored her to her husband.

If no adulterous deed was in fact committed by these two rulers, but only contemplated without knowledge of Sarah’s married state, and yet God punished them, what will be the punishment of those who knowingly practise adultery?

Another curious thing is that no reference is made under heading 8 to another ruler who did knowingly commit adultery and was sore punished: King David, who lay with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. In my next post are some scriptures where the Table of Principal Matters used David’s story to illustrate how adultery may lead to murder. King David had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah killed (though Uriah was a good and honourable man) in order to avoid detection. Then God afflicted King David and his house for the rest of his life, even though he repented of his double sins.

A final note: the word ‘fornication’ in the Scriptures may include adultery and any form of sexual immorality. It needs to be broadly understood in biblical context.

Adultery (continued)

(6) He who looks upon his neighbour’s wife, lusting after her, has already committed adultery with her.

Matthew 5:27-28 You have heard how it was said to the people of the old time, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whosoever looks on a wife, lusting after her, has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

(7) Many are adulterers.

Ezekiel 22:11 Every man has dealt shamefully with his neighbour’s wife, and abominably defiles his daughter-in-law.

Jeremiah 23:10 … the land is full of adulterers, for which it is destroyed, and mourns; and the pleasant pastures of the desert are dried up.

Hosea 4:11-12 Whoredom, wine, and drunkenness take the heart away. My people ask counsel at their wooden gods; their staff must inform them. For a whorish mind has deceived them, so that they commit fornication against their God.

2 Peter 2:13-14 They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spots they are, and vileness, living at pleasure, and in deceptive ways feasting with you, having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls.

(8) Those who have minds only to commit adultery are punished.

Genesis 12:14-19 As soon as he came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw [Sarai], that she was very fair. And Pharaoh’s lords saw her also, and praised her to Pharaoh. So it came about that she was taken into Pharaoh’s house, who treated Abram well for her sake, so that he had sheep, oxen, and he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and camels.

But God plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, Why have you dealt thus with me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say that she was your sister, and cause me to take her as my wife? But now, lo, there is your wife. Take her, and be walking.

~~~

Genesis 20:2-7, 14, 17-18 Abraham said of Sarah his wife that she was his sister. Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent and fetched Sarah away. And God came to Abimelech by night in a dream and said to him, See, you are but a dead man because of the woman that you have taken away, for she is a man’s wife.

But Abimelech had not yet come near her, and therefore said, Lord, would you slay righteous people? Did he not say to me that she was his sister? Yea, and did she herself not say that he was her brother? With a pure heart and innocent hands I have done this.

And God said to him in a dream, I knew well that you did it in the pureness of your heart, and therefore I kept you so that you would not sin against me; neither did I suffer you to come near her. Now therefore, deliver to the man his wife again. And let him pray for you so that you may live. But if you do not deliver her back, be sure that you shall die, with all that you have. …

Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, menservants and womenservants, and gave them to Abraham, and delivered Sarah his wife to him again. … And so Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they bore children. For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

(9) Adulterers have no part in the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Be not deceived. For neither fornicators, nor worshippers of images, nor whoremongers, nor effeminates, nor abusers of themselves with the male sex,  nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor cursed speakers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 13:4 Let wedlock be had in honour in all points, and let the bedchamber be undefiled. For whorekeepers and adulterers God will judge.

“Abram’s Counsel to Sarai.” This painting by James Tissot (1836-1902) depicts Abram counseling Sarai to tell people that she is his sister, from Genesis 12.

~~ End Part 3, Adultery ~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Categories/Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– The preceding topics in this series are:
Adultery Part 1
Adultery Part 2 (The Story of Susanna)

The Santa Claus Lie: Merry Santamas Ho Ho Ho

Posted on by Posted in Ruth's Picks

I wrote elsewhere about the Santa Claus lie in 2012, after hearing non-stop songs of praise, and even love, to Santa on secular adult radio during Christmas. Now this year I’ve noticed them again: “Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight!” “It’s the most wonderful time of the year, ho ho ho!”

In many respects now, Santa really is a counterfeit Jesus at Christmas. For example, besides songs of praise to him, people now (at least, where I live) rarely decorate their homes with nativity scenes, but with Santa scenes. I heard someone say that this is the “Santa Season.” I heard a personal testimony about a woman who, in her suffering, is comforted by thoughts of Santa. So sad, to think of such “tidings of comfort”! Then again, a man said he was looking forward to watching his favourite old Christmas story on film: “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” Never mind that Christ conquered the devil! I have heard talk about the miracle of Santa, and never mind the miracle of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Then there is the intense focus of the promise of Santa to come: “Santa Claus is coming to town!” This mimics, and, as far as the world is concerned has quite replaced, the traditional Christmas focus on Christ who is to come.

The Christmas Advent season in the Church’s liturgical calendar is not only a time to remember Christ’s birth and first coming, or his first advent. It is also a time of preparation for his second or next advent, which will be as Judge at the Last Day. But in the popular consciousness, the preparation for Santa’s next advent counterfeits and has displaced all thought of Christ. From a popular Santa song:

Who comes around on a special night? Santa comes around on a special night … Who very soon will come our way? Santa very soon will come our way … Must be Santa, Must be Santa, Must be Santa, Santa Claus. (From the song Must be Santa)

Perhaps we should rename the season “Santamas”! As far as the world is concerned now, Santa is the reason for the season.

Santa comes in the sky with a shout, Ho Ho Ho!

The promise of Santa’s advent is a lie simply because no one named Santa exists or is coming. I realize that some people will say that the Santa story is only a fun and harmless fairy tale. However, Santa is not usually presented to children as a fairy tale figure, but rather as someone real, someone in whom they should believe. But, people will say, believing in Santa motivates children to be good. Consider the following well-known lyrics:

You better watch out, you better not cry, I’m telling you why … He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice … He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice … He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake … He knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!  (From the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town)

But the gospel of Jesus, and believing on him, was meant to teach children to be good. Here it has been replaced by the gospel of Santa – and this in the very season set aside to remember Christ. This song also reveals another way that Santa counterfeits the Lord: both are all-seeing, and both know when you’ve been good or bad.

The fact that the gospel of Santa is given in the season named for Christ makes it pernicious: the jolly fat man has usurped Christ in popular lore and in nighttime children’s stories. Is Santa’s eagerly awaited advent from the North Pole really just a harmless story to teach children at Christmas? From a Santa preacher:

Santa Claus songs – some are very familiar! Have fun with them. Teach them to your children! The lyrics are right here for you! Sing a song of Christmas fun! Santa always makes me smile! Ho!Ho!Ho! Laugh a little and sing a lot! Your children will treasure the memories of singing with you. Sing as if nobody’s listening! Sing for the pure joy of singing! Have fun! (From the website squidoo.com/santa-songs, 2012)

Should we set children’s little hearts a-blaze with the joyful hope of Santa’s coming? But by this means, an infinitely worthy hope has been exchanged for a “fun” but vain one.

The Santa Claus lie has consequences

I remember how betrayed I felt on the day when, as a child, a boy at school told me that there was no such person as Santa. He mocked me for believing the Santa Claus lie. It rocked me: What! My parents had lied to me? When, as they had taught me to do, I wrote down my prayers for good things in a letter to Santa, burned it in the fireplace, and watched it go up the chimney to the North Pole in drafts of smoke, I was deceived? When I lay in bed on Christmas Eve listening for hoof beats on the roof, I was waiting for something that never could or would happen? When my sister and I watched the sky for the lights of a passing sleigh, we were living a lie?

Children write letters to Santa and send them up the chimney to the North Pole in drafts of smoke (as they believe).

It was a bad shock to me. I had always trusted that my parents told me the truth, but my trust was shaken. When I got home from school that day, I looked around, and in the back of a closet found evidences of the lie: the usual Santa goodies stuffed in a box. Just to be sure (what should I believe?), on Christmas Eve, when Santa was supposed to come, I kept myself awake, and saw my father creep into the room and put a stocking on the end of my bed. I can still see it in my mind’s eye: at the same I both loved him and mourned the lie. (I still love him and mourn the lie when I remember it now.) I wondered if I should tell my younger siblings the truth, but if I did this, was I betraying Mum and Dad? I also wondered about telling my parents that I knew their secret. I did not want to participate in the lie by pretending that I still believed in Santa.

The plain fact is, there is no Santa Claus, and if you preach Santa to your children, you are lying to them. I hope no Christian parent does this. We are not to love and make lies (Revelation 21:27, 22:15). As Augustine said, we are not given a tongue and the gift of speech to fabricate falsehoods. At the very least, if they do not avoid the fiction entirely, parents should be upfront about the fact that there is no real Santa Claus. My parent did not do this; they erred. I forgive them. I know they did it of love. But still, the lie hurt me.

Lies have consequences, especially for an earnest and truthful child. But for all children, lying to them teaches them that lies are okay — and worse yet, to love lies. Further, this lie destroys the real meaning of Christmas and snuffs out the gospel of the Son of God.

The s-a-t-a-n anagram

And what about the eerie santa/satan anagram? Anagrams, or letters inverted to make new words, are said to be employed under Satanic influence. (Karl Marx made Oulanem out of Emmanuel.) The name Satan, with the inversion of a few letters, is easily altered to Santa.

How much should we make of this? I don’t know. I have not taken time to research it, except to check the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The OED says only that the word “Santa” arose in the USA in the 18th century. It gave no other etymological information, and did not mention any link with Saint Nicholas. But in any case, it matters not who Saint Nicholas was, but what Santa has become. The OED ominously noted that Santa is “now virtually synonymous with Father Christmas.” Thus, since the 18th century, God the Father has been replaced by Father Christmas. And indeed, I heard a song on the radio titled “I believe in Father Christmas.” I looked up the lyrics to this song, and it was written by one Greg Lake in the 1950s,  with the deliberate intention to put Father Christmas for the Lord:

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a silent night
And they told me a fairy story
Till I believed in the Israelite.
And I believed in father ChristmasAnd I looked to the sky with excited eyesTill I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawnAnd I saw him and through his disguise

This song concludes with, “Hallelujah, Noel, be it heaven or hell, The Christmas we get we deserve.” The lyrics are confused and somewhat bitter.

This song was followed by another with the lyrics “You can say there’s no such thing as Santa, but as for me and Grandpa, we believe.” It put me in mind of that day in 1998 when I believed on the Lord Jesus, and was filled with the Holy Spirit, and stood up and said, “I believe!” And how blessed I am to believe — though now I receive mockery of a different sort. Regardless, my trust will never be shaken.

The rising up of Santa as the Father of Christmas – or rather, Father of Santamas – is due partly, of course, to the fact that we live in a post-Christian age. But this was hastened and abetted by the casting aside of the Church Calendar. First the Puritans rejected the Calendar. (They even, during their revolutionary parliament in England, outlawed any and all observance of Christmas, while at the same time they expressly set aside holidays for secular recreation! Maybe next Christmas I will blog on that.) Other breakaway groups also rejected the Calendar. However, the Calendar was good to help us live life with a daily consciousness of the gospel, and to hold before us the various seasons and remembrances of Christ and the New Covenant.

How badly have things progressed? I recently learned from a Facebook post that Disney staged an event that played on the Santa/Satan anagram, and which exhorted people to love Satan. I was told this was deliberate, but I doubt it:

A Disney production. Changing the letters in ‘Santa’ makes ‘Satan.’

Even if it was a mistake, this highlights the eerie Santa-Satan anagram.

Of course, loving Satan is obviously an atrocious thing to teach children. But still, loving Santa, while a less obvious evil, is a pernicious counterfeit for loving Jesus. Santa has indeed become a ubiquitous, counterfeit Lord and Father of Christmas, who should be loved, obeyed, remembered, sung to, and eagerly awaited. But who would want to fill our songs, our nighttime stories, our minds and hearts, with a loving, fatherly figure to replace Jesus, and to usurp the place of God the Father who sent him? Satan/Santa, of course.

Merry Santamas, ho ho ho!

Eleven Satanic counterfeits

Below are eleven Satan/Santa counterfeits in the gospel of Santa. There are more; for example, we might compare Santa’s reindeer, who carry him around to world, with the apostles who carried the message of Christ around the world. But for starters:

1. The Lord is all-seeing and all-knowing (Psalm 147:5) and is high in heaven (Eph 4:10).
— Santa is all-seeing and all-knowing, and high in the North Pole.

2. Jesus can walk through walls and upon water, and he ascended up to heaven in the air. (Luke 24:36, M’t 14:26, Eph 4:10).
— Santa has supernatural powers to move through obstacles: he goes down chimneys, and through walls in homes that have no chimney. He can also fly in the air.

3. Jesus is God, and is therefore everywhere at once.
— Santa is everywhere at once all around the world on Christmas Eve.

4. In the past, children were taught about, and to believe in, Jesus.
— Children today are taught about and believe in Santa.

5. God is Father to Christ, for whom Christmas was named.
— Santa is “Father Christmas.”

6. God’s children make their prayers and requests to him, whom they cannot see.
— Children make their requests to Santa, whom they cannot see.

7. Believers everywhere anticipate the advent of Christ.
— Children everywhere anticipate the advent of Santa.

8. Christ is exalted in Christianity.
— Santa is exalted in pop culture.

9. The faithful sing songs and melodies to the Lord (Eph 5:19).
— People sing to Santa.

10. Christ will come again and descend from the sky (Rev 1:7).
— Santa will come again and descend from the sky.

11. The Lord knows who has been good and who has been bad, and will reward accordingly.
— Santa knows who has been good and who has been bad, and gives gifts accordingly.

Thus several points on the counterfeit gospel of Santa. But one thing that is missing from the Santa gospel is any serious concept of judgement for being bad, whereas the Bible warns in grave terms that Jesus as Judge will reward each according to his deeds (M’t 16:27; Ro 2:6; Rev 20:13 and 22:12). But never mind, and ho ho ho!

The Santa idol

It is not an exaggeration to say that Santa is something of a modern-day idol or image:

Santa Claus is one of my favorite heroes! He reminds us all of the joy of giving! (“Joan 4”, an adult, commenting on the website squidoo.com/santa-songs, 2012)

I love Santa songs. When I was a kid (5-6) we had to sing a song to Santa, and I was worried that Santa maybe didn’t like my song… so Mom, to calm me down, told me all kinds of stories about Santa who loved all the kids and all the songs in the world. (Comment from “Michey,” an adult, ibid.)

In the last song we see another soft counterfeit: the good news of Santa is that Santa so loves the children of the world that… etc. But the Gospel of John tells us that God so loves the world, he sent his only Son (John 3:16). Also, Jesus showed a special love for children, saying that his disciples should allow them come to him, for the kingdom of heaven is made of such (Matthew 19:14). But if children are taught about Santa instead of about Christ, they cannot come to him.

Santa with children.

 

Jesus with children.

We know that Satan desires to destroy the knowledge of Christ and the true worship. Therefore, he is happy to see anyone or anything besides Christ put in his stead. In praising Santa, adults praise an idol, even if Santa is just a fun and atheistic idol to them. I say “atheistic” because adults do not believe Santa is real, nor call him a god in so many words. But for children, Santa is real. The gospel of Santa fills their minds and hearts, and teaches them to lift up their thoughts to this image:

In the United Kingdom children write letters to Santa, or Father Christmas … Santa, Santa, high in the sky (from learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org, 2012)

My parents were Irish, so when they taught us to write letters to Santa, they were following this tradition of the UK.

Satan, the father of lies, is worshiped through lies. Since the 18th century the Santa lie, a secular gospel, has displaced the true gospel at Christmas time: everywhere is the promise of Santa! Therefore, the jolly Father Christmas is not as benign a figure as we might think. Innocent children are beguiled and look forward to his coming again with gifts in his hand. Meanwhile, they do not learn of God’s son Jesus, by whom only we can know the true Father, and who brings the true gifts in his hand to those who believe on him, and who is coming again:

… in whom even now, though you see him not, yet you do believe, and rejoice with joy inexpressible and glorious, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Principal Matters: Adultery (2), Susanna

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the Bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings, with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table. It also sets out in full the bible verses under each entry, taken from the Matthew Bible.

Topic: Adultery (Part 2)

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters was long, so I have divided it into several shorter posts. This post deals with only one entry. It concerns the story of Susanna, from the apocryphal book named after that woman. Susanna, a beautiful and godly wife, was targeted by some very evil men who were elders and judges in Israel.

People who have a facsimile of the 1537 Matthew Bible might notice that the Bible verse cited under this heading in the Table of Principal Matters was Daniel xiii.c (Daniel 13:22-23). This is because, in the Latin Vulgate Bible, the story of Susanna was the 13th chapter in the book of Daniel. However, in Reformation Bibles the 13th chapter was extracted from Daniel, re-named “Susanna,” and put with the Apocryphal books. Therefore, in modern Bibles, Daniel has only 12 chapters. (It is not until we reach the end of “Susanna” that we learn why it was originally included in the book of Daniel.)

Susanna’s story will be of interest simply because it will be new to many, the Apocryphal books having fallen into disuse after the 17th century. I have given the entire chapter, both because the story is now unknown and because it is an instructive account of the lusts and evil contrivances of man. It shows the worst kinds of sins that evil lusts may lead to, and God’s wrath against such sins. A bible study question would be to identify the incremental sins that arose here from fleshly desire, and to consider the necessity of cutting off all evil roots of lust and affection, which grow into deadly plants.

Adultery (continued)

(5) Susanna would rather die than commit adultery.

Susanna (first draft, updated for the New Matthew Bible):

There dwelt a man in Babylon called Joacim. He took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Chelcias. She was a very fair woman, and such a one as feared God. Her father and her mother also were godly people, and had taught their daughter according to the law of Moses. Now Joacim her husband was a great, rich man, and had a beautiful orchard adjoining his house. And the Jews commonly resorted to him because he was a man of reputation among them.

That same year, there were appointed two judges, men such as the Lord speaks of: All the wickedness of Babylon comes from the elders; that is, from the judges who seem to rule the people. These men came often to Joacim’s house, and all such people has had anything to do with the law came there to them.

Now when the people returned again in the afternoons, Susanna would go into her husband’s orchard to walk. The elders seeing this – that she went in daily and walked – burned with lust for her. Yea, they were almost out of their wits, and cast down their eyes so that they would not see heaven nor remember that God is a righteous judge. For they were both wounded with the love of her. Neither one told the other of his affliction, and for shame they did not tell her of their inordinate lust, that they desired to have to do with her. Yet they laid wait for her ardently from day to day, so that they might (at the least) have a sight of her.

And the one said to the other, Up, let us go home; for it is time for the mid-day meal. So they went their ways from her. When they returned again, they came across each other. Asking why between themselves, the one told the other of his wicked lust. Then they appointed a time when they might catch Susanna alone.

It happened also that they spied out a convenient time, when she went forth to walk (as her manner was) and no one was with her except two maids. And she was thinking to wash herself in the garden, for it was a hot season. And there was not one person there except the two elders, who had hidden themselves to watch her.

So she said to her maids, Go and fetch me oil and soap, and shut the orchard door so that I may wash myself.

And they did as she bid them and shut the orchard door, and went out themselves at a back door, to fetch the things that she had said. But Susanna did not know that the elders lay there hidden within.

Now, when the maids had gone out, the two elders got up and ran upon Susanna, saying, Now the orchard doors are shut, so that no one can see us! We are in love with you. Therefore, consent to us, and lie with us. If you will not, we will bring a testimony against you, that there was a young fellow with you, and that is why you sent your maids away from you.

Susanna groaned and said, Alas, I am in trouble on every side! If I follow your mind, it will be my death, and if I do not consent to you, I cannot escape your hands. Well, it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing this deed than to sin in the sight of the Lord.

And with that, she cried out with a loud voice. The elders also cried out against her. Then someone ran to the orchard door and forced it open. And when the servants of the house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in at the back door to see what the matter was. And when the elders told them, the servants were greatly ashamed, because there was never such a report made of Susanna.

On the next day, the people assembled to Joacim her husband. And the two elders came also, full of mischievous imaginations against Susanna, to bring her to death. And they spoke thus before the people: Send for Susanna the daughter of Chelcias, Joacim’s wife!

And immediately they sent for her. So she came with her father and mother, her children, and all her kindred. Now, Susanna was a refined person, and marvellously fair of face. Therefore the wicked men said to take off the cloths from her face (for she was covered), so that at the least they could be satisfied by her beauty. Then her friends – yea, and all who knew her – began to weep.

These two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their hands upon Susanna’s head. She was weeping and looking up towards heaven, for her heart had a sure trust in the Lord. And the elders said, As we were walking in the orchard alone, this woman came in with her two maids, whom she sent away from her and barred the orchard doors. With that, a young fellow who was hidden there came out to her and lay with her. As for us, we stood in a corner of the orchard. And when we saw this wickedness, we ran to her and perceived that they had meddled together. But we could not hold him, for he was stronger than we. Thus he opened the door and got away. Now, when we seized this woman, we asked her who this young fellow was. But she would not tell us. This is the matter, and we are witnesses of the same.

The common people believed the two men because they were the elders and judges of the people, and so they condemned her to death. Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, O Everlasting God, searcher of secrets, you know all things before they come to pass! You know that they have borne false witness against me! And behold, I must die, although I never did any such things as these men have maliciously invented against me.

And the Lord heard her voice. For when she was led forth to death, the Lord raised up the spirit of a young child whose name was Daniel, who cried with a loud voice, I am clean from this blood!

Then all the people turned towards him and said, What do these words mean, which you have spoken?

Daniel stood in the midst of them and said, Are you such fools, O ye children of Israel, that you cannot discern? You have here condemned a daughter of Israel to death, and know not the truth of it! Go and sit in judgment again, for they have spoken false witness against her.

And so the people turned back in all haste. And the elders (that is, the principal heads) said to him, Come and sit down here among us, and make known to us this matter, seeing God has given you as great honour as an elder.

And Daniel said to them, Put these two apart one from another, and then I will hear them.

When they were put apart one from another, he called one of them and said to him, O thou old, cankered villain, who has practiced your wickedness for so long! The evil deeds that you have done before are now come to light. For you have given false judgments; you have oppressed the innocent and let the guilty go free, whereas yet the Lord says, The innocent and righteous, see that you slay not. Well then, if you saw her, tell me: under what tree did you see them talking together?

He answered, Under a mulberry tree.

And Daniel said, Very well now, your lie is upon your own head. Lo, the messenger of the Lord has received the sentence from him, to cut you in two.

Then he put him aside and called for the other, and said to him, O thou seed of Canaan, but not of Judah! Beauty has deceived you, and lust has subverted your heart. Thus have you dealt before with the daughters of Israel; and they (for fear) consented to you. But the daughter of Judah would not abide your wickedness. Now tell me then, under what tree did you catch them speaking together?

He answered, Under a pomegranate tree.

Then said Daniel to him, Very well, now your lie is also upon your head. The messenger of the Lord stands waiting with the sword to cut you in two, and to slay you both.

With that, all the whole multitude gave a great shout and praised God, who always delivers those who put their trust in him. And they came upon the two elders (whom Daniel had convicted with their own mouth, that they had given false witness) and dealt with them as they would have done with their neighbouress. Yea, they did according to the law of Moses, and put them to death. Thus the innocent blood was saved that same day.

Then Chelcias and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna, with Joacim her husband and all the kindred, that there was no dishonour found in her.

From that day forth, Daniel was had in great reputation in the sight of the people.

This 1603 painting by Domenchino is one of many artists’ renderings of the two elders accosting Susanna in the garden.

~~The end of the story of Susanna~~

Notices:

– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.

– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– The preceding topics in this series include  Adam and Adultery Part 1.

Principal Matters: Adultery Part 1

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were short headings with bible verses for further study.

This Principal Matters series follows the topics in the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

Topic: Adultery (Part 1)

The topic of adultery in the Table of Principal Matters is long, and some of the scriptures given are also quite long. Therefore, this topic is divided into several parts.

There were some bible verses here that I was unable to identify due to typographical errors in the Matthew Bible.

Adultery

(1) Adultery is a violation of the faith promised in marriage, which thing is forbidden to us.

Exodus 20:14 You shall not break wedlock.

Leviticus 18:20 You shall not lie with your neighbour’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not break wedlock … You shall not lust after your neighbour’s wife.

(2) Adulterers are stoned to death [under Mosaic law].

Leviticus 20:10 He who breaks wedlock with another man’s wife shall die for it, because he has broken wedlock with his neighbour’s wife; and so shall she likewise.

Deuteronomy 22:23-24 If a maiden is betrothed to a husband, and then a man finds her in the town and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gates of the same town and shall stone them with stones to death: the damsel because she did not cry out, being in the town, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. And you shall put away the evil from you.

But if a man finds a betrothed damsel in the field and forces her and lies with her, then the man that lay with her shall die alone, and to the damsel you shall do no harm, because there is in the damsel no cause of death.

Deuteronomy 27: 20-23:

Cursed be he that lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s covering. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lies with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lies with his sister, whether she be the daughter of his father or of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

(3) If the adulterers are not punished by men, God will punish them.

Jeremiah 5:7-10 Your children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods. And although they were bound to me in marriage, yet they fell to adultery, and frequented harlots’ houses. In the desire of unclean lust they have become like the lusty horse, every man neighing at his neighbor’s wife. Should I not correct this? says the Lord. Should I not be avenged upon every people that is like this?

Jeremiah 7:8-10, 14-15  But take heed! You trust in counsels that beguile you and do you no good. For when you have stolen, murdered, committed adultery and perjury; when you have offered to Baal following strange and unknown gods, then you come and stand before me in this house that has my name given to it and say, Tush, we are quite absolved, though we have done all these abominations….

And therefore, even as I have done to Shiloh, so will I do to this house, to which my name is given and in which you put your trust – yea, to the place that I have given to you and your fathers. And I will thrust you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, the whole seed of Ephraim.

(4) An example of God’s punishment is David’s son, who died for the adultery of David.

2 Samuel 12:10-14  [Nathan said to King David,] The sword shall never depart from your house because (says the Lord) you have despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will stir up evil against you, even from your own house, and will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, who will sleep with them before the sun. And you did it secretly, yet I will do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.

Then said David to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord!

And Nathan said to David, The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because in doing this deed you have given the enemies of the Lord cause to blaspheme, the child that is born of you shall surely die.

David confessed his sin and was forgiven, but the consequences for his sin were not remitted. For even forgiven sin is still punished in this life. David’s baby died for his father’s sin.

~~End~~

Notices:

Susanna: The next heading under “Adultery” in the Table of Principal Matters deals with the story of Susanna. It reads, “Susanna would rather die than commit adultery.” “Susanna” is one of the apocryphal books. It is only one chapter long. Because it gives a very full picture of the sinful follies, lusts, and contrivances of man, and of all the sins that adultery draws along in its wake, I will devote the whole of the next post to Susanna’s story.

– The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings given here are from the 1537 Matthew Bible, with the obsolete English gently updated.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

– Two preceding topics in this series are:
Adam
Accusation

Principal Matters: Adam

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post – a short but foundational one about Adam – belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. The Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order. Under each topic were statements of doctrine and bible verses for further study.

This series proceeds topic by topic following the order of the Table. It also sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible, with minimal updating of the English so it is understandable for today.

Adam

(1) We are all sinners in Adam, from whom we have the inclination to do evil.

Romans 5:17, 18, 19 …by the sin of one, death reigned by the means of one … by the sin of one, condemnation came on all men … by one man’s disobedience, many became sinners.

(2) And by him we are subject to death.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 … by a man came death … through Adam all die.

(3) Adam was a figure of Christ to come, who is called the last Adam.

Romans 5:14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those also who did not sin with such transgression as did Adam, who is the similitude of him who is to come.

[See also 1 Corinthians 15:45 There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body; as it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam was made a life-giving spirit.]

The fall of man. Eve entices Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit, and all his descendants will die.

~~End~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abuses,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abuses. (Also, a few topics are linked at the end.)

– Preceding topics in this series include:
Acception (Partiality)
Accusation

Upcoming topics:
Adultery
Affliction
Angels

Principal Matters: Accusation

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A Leave a comment

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. This Table was a concordance set at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order with short statements of doctrine. It also cited bible verses for further study. This series proceeds topic by topic following the order of the Table and sets out the bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abomination,” look under Principal Matters Series/ Principal Matters A/Abomination.

Accusation

(1) One ought to accuse his brother to the church if he does not amend after he has had a brotherly admonition.

Matthew 18:15-17 If your brother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault between him and you alone. If he hears you, you have redeemed your brother. But if he does not hear you, then take along with you one or two others, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he does not hear them, tell it to the congregation. If he does not hear the congregation, take him as a heathen man and as a publican.

(2) No accusation ought to be received against the minister except under two or three witnesses.

1 Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive no accusation except with two or three witnesses.

(3) We are accused before God by the malice of Satan

Job 1:7-11 And the Lord said to Satan, From whence do you come? Satan answered the Lord and said, I have gone about the land and walked through it. Then said the Lord to Satan, Have you not considered my servant Job, how he is an innocent and virtuous man, such a one as fears God and eschews evil, and that there is none like him in the land? Satan answered and said to the Lord, Does Job fear God for naught? Have you not preserved him, his house, and all his substance on every side? Have you not blessed the works of his hands? Is not his possession increased in the land? But lay your hand upon him a little – touch once all that he has – and (I hold) he will curse you to your face.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying, Now in heaven is made salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For he is cast down who accused our brethren before God day and night.

(4) We are also accused by our own sinfulness.

Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness shall reprove you, and your turning away shall condemn you, so that you may know and understand how evil and hurtful a thing it is that you have forsaken the Lord your God and not feared him, says the Lord God of hosts.

(5) Also by our own conscience.

Romans 2:14-15 For if the Gentiles who have no law do by nature the things contained in the law, then they, having no law, are a law unto themselves. They show the deeds of the law written in their hearts, while their conscience bears witness to them, and also their thoughts, accusing one another or defending…

(6) Also by the Scripture.

John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father. There is one who accuses you: even Moses, in whom you trust.

(7) Let us, therefore, accuse ourselves.

Proverbs 18:17 The righteous accuses himself first of all. If his neighbour comes, he will find out the truth about him.

 

This painting of the prophet Jeremiah is by Michelangelo. Jeremiah is known as the “weeping prophet” for the grief he expressed in his oft rebukes of his apostate people, Israel.

~~End~~

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– Previous topics in this series:
Abomination
Acception, or Partiality

Principal Matters from the Matthew Bible: Acception (Partiality)

Posted on by Posted in Principal Matters A

Researched and prepared by Ruth Magnusson Davis
Theme: Partiality to any person or nation is not of God.
Short RMD appendix: What is the new covenant with Israel?

 

This post belongs to the series “Principal Matters from the 1537 Matthew Bible.” The purpose of the series is:

(1) To get to know the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible.
(2) To learn through bible studies from the Reformation.

“As the bees diligently do gather together sweet flowers, to make by natural craft the sweet honey, so have I done with the principal topics contained in the bible.”

So began John Rogers’ introduction to the Table of Principal Matters in the 1537 Matthew Bible. The Table was a concordance at the front of the book. It set out bible topics in alphabetical order with short statements of doctrine. Bible verses were cited for further study. This Principal Matters Series proceeds in order, giving the most interesting topics. It also sets out the cited bible verses in full, taken from the Matthew Bible.

To find former topics, on the main blog page search under “Principal Matters Series” for the subcategory with the appropriate letter. For example, for “Abrogation,” look under Principal Matters Series/Principal Matters A/Abrogation. (Also, a few topics are linked at the end.)

Topic: Acception, or Partiality

“Acception,” or “Accepcyon” in the old spelling, is an obsolete word. It means partiality or favouritism[1]. It was used in the phrase “acception of persons.” This phrase means the same as the phrase “respect of persons,” which we know from the KJV and older bibles. Respect or acception of persons is partiality based on outward things, such as race, ethnicity, wealth, or social status.

Under this topic, Rogers reviews the bible verses which show that partiality is always wrong and is not of God.

Rogers took two verses at the end of this entry from the apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus. This book is also known as the “Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach,” or just “Sirach.” The apocryphal books of the Matthew Bible were sometimes very different from later versions – in length, content, and message – so in places I had to improvise the verse numbering.

I added a separate discussion at the end relevant to the question, what is the new covenant with Israel? This is to supplement Rogers’ points about partiality toward Israel or the Jews. He likely could not have anticipated how widespread such partiality would be in our century. But it is interesting to consider how this makes his study all the more relevant for today.

From the 1537 Matthew Bible: Acception

(1) Acception of persons is to have respect to the estate of the person or to his nation, which thing is not of God.

Deuteronomy 10:16-19 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts, and be no longer stiff-necked. For the Lord your God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible, who regards no man’s person nor takes gifts, but does right to the fatherless and widow, and loves the stranger, to give him food and raiment. Love, therefore, the stranger. For you were strangers yourselves in the land of Egypt.

2 Chronicles 19:7 Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and take heed and do it. For there is no unrighteousness in the Lord our God, nor regarding of persons, nor taking of rewards.

Romans 2:10-11, 28-29  He will reward every person according to his deeds; that is to say, praise, honour, and immortality to those who continue in doing good and seek eternal life;  but to those who are rebellious and reject the truth, and follow iniquity, will come indignation and wrath – tribulation and anguish upon the soul of every person who does evil: of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. To everyone who does good will come praise, honour, and peace: to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. For there is no partiality with God. …

For he is not a Jew who is a Jew outwardly. Neither is that thing circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is hid within, and the circumcision of the heart is the true circumcision, which is in the Spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

Ephesians 6:8 And remember, whatever good thing anyone does, that he will receive back again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Colossians 3:9-11 Do not lie to one another. Put off the old man with his works and put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him who made him – where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, bond or free: but Christ is all in all things.

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is not partial, but among all peoples, whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted with him.

(2) And the same thing [partiality] also ought not to be in man.

James 2:1-4 Brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, in respect of persons. If there comes into your company a man with a golden ring and in goodly apparel, and there comes in also a poor man in wretched clothing,  and you have a respect to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, Sit here in a good place, but say to the poor, Stand there, or, Sit here by my footstool, are you not partial among yourselves, and have judged after evil thoughts?

Jude 1:5 My intent is therefore to remind you, since you already know this, that the Lord (after he had delivered the people out of Egypt) destroyed those who afterward did not believe.

Ecclesiasticus 20:22 There are some who destroy their own soul with shame, and for the sake of an unwise person, he destroys it. And with acception of persons, he will undo himself.

Ecclesiasticus 42:1 Be partial to no person, which is to offend.

~~End of topic “Acception” in the 1537 Matthew Bible ~~

 

From Ruth Magnusson Davis:

What is the new covenant with Israel?

The topic “acception” goes to the heart of the question, what is the new covenant with Israel? Or, what place does Israel have under the new covenant? The short answer is that the new covenant with Israel is the same as the new covenant with the Gentiles. For now and for the future, no race, tongue, or nation has any favoured place because God is not partial. All the bible verses cited in the Table of Principal Matters in the Matthew Bible attest to this. Therefore, the old covenant having served its purpose, it is put aside, and the new covenant has now gone forth to all peoples alike. For there is no partiality with God.

But still, many think they are taking the Bible literally and properly when they hold that God will exalt the nation of Israel and give the Jewish people a special place and earthly kingdom in the future. However, if the statements of the apostles and the prophets are made to agree with each other, the only hope we can stand on is the single promise of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus to all, both Jew and Gentile, without any partiality. This promise is of a place in the heavenly kingdom and the new Jerusalem, not any earthly kingdom. The hope of an earthly kingdom is the hope of Judaism, not Christianity. It is sobering to reflect that an earthly kingdom was the hope of the Jews and Pharisees who crucified Christ. But Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would surely fight so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)

Two objections may be raised:

(1) The promises to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament were often expressed to be “forever.”

However, in the 1537 Matthew Bible, John Rogers addressed this issue several times in his notes on the books of Moses. He pointed out that in Hebrew, the word translated “forever” only means a long season; that is, a time without an appointed end. It does not mean a time without any end. The word “forever” (or just “ever”) usually translates the Hebrew o-lawm. In a note on Exodus 15:18, Rogers explained that the concept of a time without any end was indicated through repetition in the Hebrew, translated in English as “ever and always” or “ever and ever.” The repetition apparently indicated a genuine “forever.”

(2) The Jews had a preferred place and special promises under the Old Testament, which promises have yet to be realized.

Paul explained that all things happened to the Jews only for an example, for us to learn from (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). The whole thrust of much of his teaching was to show that the old covenant with Israel has been abrogated for its unprofitableness and the Jews will have no special place now. They are sinners just as we are, and in need of the same salvation under the same covenant. He wrote about the limited, former preferment of the Jews as follows:

Romans 3:1-4, 9-10, 22-23 What preferment, then, has the Jew? Or what advantage from circumcision?  Surely very much. The word of God was committed first to them. What, then, if some of them did not believe? Does their unbelief make the promise of God without effect? God forbid. Let God be true and all men liars, as it is written: That you may be justified in your words, and should overcome when you are judged…. For we have already established that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, as it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one…. Without doubt, the righteousness which is good before God comes by the faith of Jesus Christ, to all and upon all who believe. There is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

There is no difference! This Paul laboured to show and teach. The word of God was first given to the Jews, but now, under the new covenant, all nations are given it, and all have received the promise of the circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit. There is no yet-to-be-revealed partiality, as it were, for ethnic or national Israel.

Much more could be said, but in conclusion, the answer to the question, what is the new covenant with Israel? is not to be found in answers that show favour to Israel or to the Jews. That would be ethnocentric; that is, it would be acception or partiality. Indeed, Martin Luther charged the Jews with ethnocentric partiality – for which, ironically, he has been accused of antisemitism. But as William Tyndale once wrote, Antichrist turneth the roots of the tree upward. (See my paper defending Luther from charges of antisemitism.)

The true Israel of God is all who truly believe on the Son (Ro. 2:29, Gal. 6:16, etc.) The true believers – regardless of race, colour, or creed, or of nation, tongue, or history, or of estate, position, or office – are all the people of God. And they are his only people, and in fact always have been. The story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt served only for our instruction, and as a type and shadow of the exodus of the people of faith from bondage to Satan in his Egypt, which is this present world. Likewise, the whole institution of the Levitical priesthood served to illustrate, under many different aspects, the salvation that Christ won for his people as the Passover Lamb of God, his role as our great High Priest, and also the priesthood of all believers.

God is not partial.

For a related discussion, see “Seven Foundational Points” in About the Table of Principal Matters.

~~end~~

This oil on canvas painting of the Exodus was by Francis Danby in 1825.

Notices:

– New Testament Scriptures are from the October Testament, the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible. The Old Testament Scriptures and Apocryphal writings are taken directly from the Matthew Bible, with obsolete English gently updated.
– Information about the New Matthew Bible Project is here.
– Sample scriptures from the New Matthew Bible are here.

– A previous topic in the Principal Matters series that also touches on the new covenant is Abrogation

________________

Endnote
[1] See the Oxford English Dictionary online under Accepcyon/Acception, entry 2. Only subscribers have access to this dictionary so I havenot linked to it.

KP what is the new covenant with Israel?