Why Massorite Talmidis exalt the position of Adonai in our faith so greatly
Shalom my dearest sisters and brothers, Depending on when the New Moon is sighted in Israel, biblical New Year will either start this evening (Tuesday 9th Apr) or tomorrow evening (Wednesday 10th Apr). In preparation for celebrating the Sovereignty and Majesty of YHVH...
SY passage 18: How can salt’s saltiness be restored?
The eighteenth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based primarily on Lk 14:34-35, but it is very similar to Mt 5:13-14 and Mk 9:50a. The Lucan version is used in the Sefer Yeshua, while the Matthean version is used in the Scroll of the Preaching (which is my...
The Death of any Innocent in Wartime is a Tragedy
When any innocent person is killed in wartime, it is a tragedy. Regarding the aid-workers who were recently killed in Gaza, I am absolutely certain that there will be an inquiry in Israel as to what happened, and I hope that any person responsible will be brought to...
Is God a genocidal Tyrant?
How do we cope with passages in the Bible, where God commands the genocide of various peoples? The first point to make is that before the formation of scripture, the general guidance to Yahwists was, ‘Know YHVH’ (cf Jer 31:34, 1Chron 22:19, Hos 2:20, 6:3; in Yahwism,...
Is God to blame for Evil?
A Talmidi friend recently asked me, "How do we cope with the presence of evil in our world, and not fall into a state of mind whereby we blame God for allowing evil and heinous things to happen?" Let's approach this problem from the extreme position. Sometimes,...
SY Passage 17: The plank in one’s own eye – Religious Hypocrisy
The seventeenth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based on Mt 7:3-5 and Lk 6:41-42. The likely origin of the pericope is the Q-gospel. 17. 1There were some who were hypocrites, and judged others without examining their own actions first. 2And Yeshua said to them, ‘Why do...
SY Passage 16: The Parable of the Prideful and the Humble in the Temple
The sixteenth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based on Luke18:9-14, which is the sole source of this pericope. It could have come from the Q-gospel, but that would mean that the author of Matthew chose not to use it for some reason. The Jesus Seminar assigned it the...
Commentary on SY passage 15: A kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
The fifteenth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based on Mk 3:24-25, Mt 12.25, Lk 11:17. The differences between the saying in Mark, compared with the one in Matthew and Luke (which are more similar to each other), are sufficient to conclude that the version in Matthew...
SY Commentary passage 14: The old wine is good enough
The fourteenth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based on Mk 2:22, Mt 9:17, Lk 5:37-39, and Thomas 47:3-4. As with SY passage 13, the main source of this saying is from Mark (Matthew and Luke both borrow from Mark, and so they both place the saying where Mark places it)....
Experiencing the Living Name of God for yourself
I’m taking this opportunity to talk about some of my personal experiences, and hopefully, you will be encouraged to draw something meaningful from them for yourself. I recall someone I worked with in London in the early 2000’s. She was a young girl in her late teens,...