November 14, 2005

Bible, Language and Jesus...stuff

I come to write with two brand new thoughts in my head. However, the second though diminishes the first one greatly, as you will see.

I’m learning a little about the Greek language and I’m sure anyone who has actually studied it can attest to this. Greek is a very complex and descriptive language. There are many different tenses, especially when you are talking about verbs. It is an ideal language to describe anything in because you can be very very specific. The language I am studying now is not that way (although I’m still having a hard time learning it). English is another language that is very vague. Since I’ve been teaching English I’ve realized how vague it is. It is a very creative language but meanings can be construed in so many different ways. It makes even more sense that of all the languages God chose to have the New Testament written in, he chose Greek. No language is perfect and we have our problems with the Greek, but I cannot even imagine what it would have been like if it would have been written in English.

The second intriguing thought comes from the idea that Jesus never claimed to be God while he was on earth. We know that Jesus never came out and said this but we understand the implications that he made. (Some were just as strong or stronger than actually saying it.) But think about this reason; if he would have claimed to be God…what word would he have used?? In the time of day when Jesus lived “El” was the most common word for God and the most generic. But it still referred to the God of the Temple. He could have said “Adonai” or “Elohim”, but again he would have been referring to the God of the temple, and we understand that Jesus is not the God of the temple. He is God, but different than God the Father. No word existed that encompassed what Jesus was. So he showed us that word. (The Word became flesh…is now an interesting new thought too)
It would be like trying to explain to Abraham the Internet. You can’t use the definition “The Internet is a telecommunications network connecting millions of computers around the world.” While that is correct, it just wouldn’t help. You’d have to talk in language he could understand, and that is what Jesus did. I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the gate.

My mind continues to be blown with God.
(Some of these thoughts come from reading the book “The Gospel According to Moses”)

3 comments:

His Beloved said...

I had never thought about why Jesus never referred to Himself as God. I guess I just passed it off as, well, He just didn't do it! But really, why would Jesus want to use common and generic names to refer to Himself? He is anything but common or generic! That's a really neat thought.

Chris Massie said...

POPCORN!!

t4stywh34t said...

Very good thoughts.

The scary thing is, because Jesus never called himself God, many liberal theologians play the card that Jesus wasn't actually God because he never explicity said it.

But you are very right - He showed it.

- the other Meeks