God is a Uniplurality

The scripture is very clear. God is more than one person. God's oneness is not the one of unitarian monotheism, it is the one of unity and exclusivity only:

the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)

But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God...therefore God, your God... (Heb 1:8-9)

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:18)

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (Phil 2:6)

Clearly, two distinct persons are being called God, both Jesus Christ and the Father. This is why Jesus says:

I and the Father are one. (John 10:30)

For anyone to try to explain this away is nothing but a dishonest attempt to uphold a false theology of God's oneness despite the Biblical data to the contrary.

God is not a lonely solitary person. He is a community of being, three persons who are so fully interpenetrated that they share one "Name" and are one God:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19)

This is also His model for His children:

...that they may be one even as We are one John 17:11

"We" are one
"They" are one

This is uniplurality. God is a Uniplurality.

Learning Modern Greek as an aid to improving Koine Greek skills.

Modern Greek is enormously helpful as an aid in making Koine "active." It is very close to Koine, basically, a simplified version. While I do not believe the pronunciation of Koine was exactly the same as Modern, I believe it was actually pretty close. I also believe the rhythm of the two dialects is probably very similar. Additionally, there is a HUGE vocabulary overlap.

For all these reasons, learning Modern Greek is probably the best thing one can do to take their Koine to a much higher level.

If anyone is interested, there is an excellent free Modern Greek course, which goes all the way to the Advanced level, here:

http://www.kypros.org/LearnGreek/

Another interesting comparison is to take the Greek New Testament and compare it to one of the Modern Greek translations of the New Testament (e.g., Μετάφραση Σπύρου Φίλου Metaphrase Spurou Philou). That will allow you to compare the two dialects side-by-side using a common text.

If anyone has further questions, please feel free to email me at: egwpisteuw@gmail.com.

The Law of Moses and the Law of Messiah

The question of the relationship of the believer in Jesus Christ in the current dispensation to the Law of Moses is a controversial issue. However, the New Testament teaching is very clear on the subject. The believer in Jesus Christ is not under the Law of Moses in any way, he is under the Law of Messiah.

The Law of Moses, was only designed to be temporary, a tutor to lead us to Messiah (Gal 3:24). Thus, the Law of Moses has now been replaced by a much higher law, the Law of Messiah. The Law of Moses focuses on the physical, as the the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit was not yet in effect (John 7:39). The Law of Messiah focuses on the spiritual, we offer up spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet 2:5). The physical sacrifices of the Mosaic Law are no longer needed--and the rest of the Law of Moses is also no longer needed.

This is why the temple and it's sacrifical system and priesthood have been discontinued. We are under the Melchizedekian Priesthood of Messiah, the Levitical Priesthood of Moses is done away which means that the entire Law of Moses is also done away:

For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also Heb 7:12

The Law of Moses is over. We are under the Law of Messiah.

Jesus is Yahweh is Salvation

In the Hebrew, it is very simple. We are only saved by Jesus' (Yeshua's) name:

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

and His name is ישוע (Yeshua) which is a shortened form of יהושע (Yehosua) which means "Yahweh is Salvation" ...you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matt 1:21)

Jesus saves because He is Yahweh is Salvation.

Yahweh, the God who is a Singularity that is also a Plurality

When you approach the Hebrew Bible, sans Theological predisposition, it is crystal clear that the "God" presented to the reader is a God who is a Singularity that is also a Plurality.

At the very beginning of the Hebrew Bible, we find God presented as אלהים (Elohim). This is a word that is both singular and plural, like our English word sheep.

For Example:

Singular Usage: In the beginning God (אלהים Elohim) created the heavens and the earth. Gen 1:1

Plural Usage: I said, You are gods (אלהים Elohim), And all of you are sons of the Most High. Psalm 82:6

You then have this God declaring himself "One" in Deut 6:4 using a word for one, (אחד echad), that means "a unity comprised of multiple parts."

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one (אחד Echad)

And then, in Gen 1:26 and in Gen 11:7, this God refers to Himself in the plural:

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Gen 1:26

Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech Gen 11:7

Therefore, it certainly comes as no suprise when we go the the Brit HaChadashah, the New Testament and find the Name (singular) of this God is "the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (plural):

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Matt 28:19

Unless You Believe that Jesus Christ is The Great I AM, You ARE NOT Saved

The Apostle John clearly brings out the fact that Jesus was claiming to the be the Great I AM, Yahweh Elohim, of the Old Testament. Comparison of the following verses makes this crystal clear:

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM (ἐγὼ εἰμί) (John 8:58)

See now that I, I AM, (כי אני אני הוא) And there is no god besides Me (Deut 32:39a)

You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I AM (כי־אני הוא). Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. (Isaiah 43:10)

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM" (אהיה אשר אהיה); and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM (אהיה) has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14)

John 8:24 is the epicenter of John's argument. In this verse Jesus unequivocally states that unless you believe that Jesus is the Great I AM, Yahweh Elohim, of the Old Testament, you ARE NOT SAVED:

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM (ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι), you will die in your sins (John 8:24)

Belief in a Jesus who is not God WILL NOT save you!!! 

Are Christians under the Law of Moses?

The popularity of the "Jewish Roots" movement brings up an important question: Are Christians under the Law of Moses?

The answer is clearly NO. However, this does not mean that we are under no law. We are under the law of Christ:

to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ 1 Cor 9:21

Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:2

You see, this is the mistake that the Gentile Church makes, to say that we are no longer under the law. The correct statement is that we are no longer under the law OF MOSES. As Messiah, Jesus completed the law of Moses (Matt 5:17) and changed the priesthood from Levitical to Melchizidekian and where there is a change of priethood there must be a change of law (Heb 7:12).

Paul showed that one may voluntarily put himself back under the law of Moses in Acts 21. Nothing wrong with this as "the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good" Rom 7:12. However, the law of Moses is optional today--we are under the law of Christ.