DIFFICULT TEXTS: “...you will be with me in paradise.”

 “39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be  Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not  thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for  we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And  he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into thy kingdom. 43 And  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, shalt thou be with me in  paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the  earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was  rent in the midst.” Luke 23:39-45. [I have corrected the punctuation to show the proper understanding of this text. See the Emphatic Diaglott next. 

 The Emphatic Diaglott translates this verse as follows: “And said to him the  Jesus: Indeed, I say to thee to-day, with me thou shalt be in the Paradise.” The  reason the Diaglott put the comma after today instead of before today is the following  Scripture. “14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus  standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why do  you weep? whom do you seek? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith  unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and  I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith  unto him, Rabbi; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not;  for I AM NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER: but go to my brethren, and say  unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your  God.” John 20:14-17. 

 Jesus was seen by many for forty days after his crucifixion. “The former  treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,  2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had  given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he  shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of  them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:  4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should  not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he,  ye have heard of me.” Acts 1:1-4. 

Conclusion:   “14 For if we believe that Jesus died G599 and rose again, even so them also  which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14.  

“†ἀποθνήσκω apothnḗskō, ap-oth-nace'-ko; from and ; to die off from G575 and G2348 (literally or figuratively):—be dead, death, die, lie a-dying, be slain (X with), to die, f the natural death of man, to perish by means of something. The KJV translates Strong’s 599 in the following manner: die (98x), dead (29x), at the point of death (with G3195) (1x), perish (1x), lay a dying (1x) slain (with G5408) (1x), variations of ‘dead’ (1x).”– Strong’s Concordance Online

© Edward [Ed] Bender, 2021 --Used by permission

Bible Teacher

edbender02@att.net

DIFFICULT TEXTS: “In my Father’s house are many mansions [abodes]."

“1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions [abides] G3438 : if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3, KJV. “23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:23, KJV.

“G3438: μόνας see καταμόνας, μόνη, μόνης, ἡ (μένω) (from Herodotus down), a staying, abiding, dwelling, abode: John 14:2; μόνην ποιεῖν (L T Tr WH ποιεῖσθαι, as in Thucydides 1, 131; Josephus, Antiquities 8, 13, 7; 13, 2, 1), to make an (one's) abode, παρά τίνι metaphorically, of God and Christ by their power and spirit exerting a most blessed influence on the souls of believers, John 14:23; see ποιῶ, 1 c.” –Strong’s Concordance Onlinei>

Jehovah God abides with us through the Holy Spirit which gives us which allows Him to STAY, ABIDE and DWELL with us. “16 And I will pray the Father, and he it shall give you another Comforter, that he it may abide with you forever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him it not, neither knows him it but ye know him it; for he it dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

“16. and I will ask the Father, and another helper he will give to you, that he may abide with you into the age; 17. the spirit of the truth, which the world not is able to receive, because not it beholds it, nor knows it; you but know it, because with you it abides, and in you it will be. 18. Not I will leave you orphans; I am coming to you.” John 14:16-18, Diaglott. “25. These things I have spoken to you, with you abiding; 26. but the helper, the spirit the holy, which will send the Father in the name of me, that you will teach all things, and will remind you all things which I told you. 27. Peace I leave to you, peace the mine I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Not let be troubled of you the heart nor let it be afraid.” John 14:25-27, Diaglott. “26. When but may come the helper, whom I will send to you from the Father, (the spirit of the truth, which from the Father shall come out,) that will testify concerning me. 27. Also you and shall testify, because from a beginning with me you are.” John 15:26, 17, Diaglott. “7. But I the truth say to you; it is better for you, that I should go away. If for not I should go away, the helper not will come to you; if but I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7, Diaglott.

It is obvious that the Holy Spirit today offers us with the knowledge that it will stay, abide and dwell with us. Therefore, it could be said: “And lo, I with you am all the days, till the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18, Diaglott. Today we STAY, ABIDE and DWELL in the Lord through the Holy Spirit God’s Power!

© Edward [Ed] Bender, 2021 --Used by permission

Bible Teacher

edbender02@att.net

Life is in the Blood

I first talked about Horseshoe Crabs a while back. You can find it in this article. The blood of horseshoe crabs is extracted and used in vaccines. Horseshoe crabs live in the sea, where there is a lot of bacteria. The Horseshoe crab has NO immune system and no way to fight off infection. However, they have a chemical that so far as we know is totally unique to them. This chemical called Coagulogen binds to and inactivates unwanted bacteria, viruses and fungi. It forms a gooey barrier around the bad stuff.

So we extract the blood from the Horseshoe crabs to use in vaccines, if no gooey barrier forms in the vial, we know the vaccine is untainted and there is no bacteria, or active virus or fungus inside.

We know blood is very important in scripture. One instance that automatically comes to mind is the plagues setting the stage for the escape from Egpyt, Exodus 12:7,12-13 NAS:

Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

We see in Leviticus 17:11 NAS

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’

Blood was needed under the law to cover the sins of the people and make things right between them and God again; to show the people the seriousness of sin and that the cost of sin was high to bring reconciliation to God. We find in Hebrews 9:22 NAS

And almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Right now we have a very serious problem in the world with the Coronavirus. The best path forward seems to be herd immunity to break up the quick transmission of this deadly plague. The problem is, with so much vaccine needed, the amount of Horseshoe crabs being harvested is not sustainable. 30% of Horseshoe crabs die after having blood extracted, and the rest are much slower and don’t breed and spawn like normal horseshoe crabs. The numbers of horseshoe crabs have been decreasing since 1990 and with so many more now being harvested to handle vaccine needs for the coronavirus, it is worried they might end up on the endangered list, and we will lose the ability to use their blood to cover our needs in the future.

If all Christians still needed animal sacrifices to make us right with God, would we have caused shortages in the animals of today? Would animal rights groups have even allowed it? Thankfully God loved us enough to provide us a new way. Hebrews 13:11-12 NAS tells us

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood.

1 Peter 1:18,19 also tells us:

...knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

© Vivian P. Kirkpatrick, 2021