Is Wisdom a created heavenly Being, separate from God?
In Yahwist theology, you have to remember that YHVH has no gender – YHVH is neither male nor female. You therefore cannot separate out maleness and femaleness from God; to do so is to suggest that the God of Israel is not One, but is instead divisible. So is Wisdom a...
SY Passage 20: ‘The Kingdom of God is within you’
The twentieth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based on Lk 17.20-21, and Th 113.1-4. Thomas 3.3 also has one verse in common, but that passage will be covered under the commentary for the next passage, SY 21. 20. 1People enquired of Yeshua and said, ‘When will the...
SY passage 19: The Humble will be exalted
The nineteenth passage of the Sefer Yeshua is based on Mt 23:12 and Lk 14:11, 18.14b. Its likely origin is therefore the Q-Gospel. 19. 1Yeshua said, ‘Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, 2and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’ Overview This pericope ends the...
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...