Digging Deeper Into The True Meaning Of Fornication

Christianity tells us that Fornication is any sex outside of marriage...


Now I'm a very sexually oriented guy, always have been and God has done nothing to squelch my hormones since I started getting to know Him. Personally I believe that we are not under Law (Gentiles never have been) and as Paul puts it, "All things are allowed me, but not all things are beneficial". 1 Corinthians 10:23


Now, Christianity puts great guilt trips on people with the no fornication bit and since this blog and myself in general are all about researching digging deeper into what the Bible actually says in it's original languages, I decided to start digging deeper into the meaning of Fornication.


Why... well two fold... one because I'm a truth seeker... I like to know what the Bible really says, not what preachers say it says and two, well to be blunt, I'm searching for a girlfriend and yes I'd like to get laid without having to get married to do so... not that I'm against getting married, but the last thing I want to do is get married to the wrong lady just because  my body needed sex, ya know. Far too many Christians do that as is... have a short relationship and go get hitched and find out soon enough they aren't compatible in all the real areas of importance. You know Christians have a higher divorce rate then non-Christians??? Yea, it's true... research it for yourself.


Well, back on topic... so I started looking up the keywords of fornication and Jewish meaning on Google... it was the Jewish Old Covenant Law whereby we discern sin, right? So I'm looking and I find the Hebrew word Zanah is the one that is translated into the English word fornication - 33 times by the KJV (the NASB by comparison uses the word fornication only 4 times in the entire Bible... interesting, huh?)


So I look up the Hebrew word Zanah in a reliable Lexicon and find something pretty interesting... the word is a verb first off and it has to do with committing adultery (cheating on your spouse), having sex with prostitutes and having sex with prostitutes in pagan religious worship.  (Dig deeper for yourself... I linked to one Lexicon, I used 3 of them though to get the full meaning)


Hmmmm, sounds just a tad bit different then 2 single consenting adults having sex before they get married, doesn't it? In fact, sounds just a tad bit different (sarcastic) then all the stuff that churches teach us it means. What a surprise, huh?


Dig deeper folks... what you hear from the church is often not what the Bible says, but rather is traditions that are handed down from generation to generation... and unfortunately very very few people bother to dig deeper for themselves!


Till next time... peace!


Dave

Heaven and Hell are Spiritual Mindsets

‎"Heaven" and "Hell" are here now... in our daily spiritual walk. 

Those that have religion, who live by a set of moral principles, but lack mercy, compassion, love, etc... they are in "hell".

Those who walk by the Spirit within, who walk in peace, joy, mercy, compassion, love, etc... they are in Heaven.

The Kingdom of heaven / God is within us... and so is "hell". Which path we walk - by the Spirit or by religion - determines heaven or hell.

Notice... Jesus spoke of Gehenna / "hell" to religious Jews... never said anything about "hell" to Gentiles (non-religious people). In fact, Paul... the apostle to the Gentiles, does not mention 'hell", not even once!

Just a few thoughts... PEACE!

Just How Much Figurative Language Did Jesus Use?

Most Christians are taught to read the Bible in a very literal sense, unless there is a verse or text that sounds absurd in the literal sense. Most Christians therefore, I contend, have completely misunderstood the truths that the Bible actually teaches. It seems that God / Christ Jesus actually used alot more parables and figurative language then what most people realize. 

In fact, I would go so far as to say that perhaps God has used the "physical" as examples of deeper spiritual truths... not just in the Bible, but in everyday life and throughout history... albeit this is a topic for another day. :-) 

But for now, let's take a look at a few examples of why I say that Father God and Christ Jesus used alot more figurative language in the Bible texts then we realize. 

Consider a few verses... 

Mark 4:33-34 
And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did NOT speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 

Based on just this verse alone, it appears that everything Jesus said to the masses of people / religious leaders was in fact, done so through parables / figurative language... not just what our Bibles have subtitled as "the Parable of ______". 

But it goes even deeper... even with the disciples, much of what Jesus said evidently was in figurative language, which explains why they misunderstood Him so often...

John 16:25 - “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 

Regarding the Father in the Old Testament...
Hosea 12:10 - I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them.” 

Like Father, Like Son... 

All of these examples go a long way towards seeing just how God was / is able to shame the wisdom of those who thought they were wise intellectually (religious leaders/teachers/Rabbi's), as it talks about in various place throughout the Bible. (1 Corinthians 1:18-31 comes to mind) --- For if most everything was written in a literal sense, then God wouldn't have been able to shame those who were / are wise in their own eyes (human understanding), because all one had to do was read the texts of what was written. 

Just something to ponder..., especially if you're worried about a literal physical "hell". :-)

Peace,
Dave Lewerenz
http://www.facebook.com/LoveJesusNotReligion

A Deeper Look at Matthew 24:2

Matthew 24:2 (Young's Literal Translation)

 and Jesus said to them, `Do ye not see all these? verily I say to you, There may not be left here a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.'

Matthew 24:2 (King James Version)

 2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Seems pretty simple, right.. but maybe not. 

I was using my interlinear Bible today, dissecting the meanings of the original Greek words found in this verse / passage, when I came across the Greek word: katalyō (Source: http://www.searchgodsword.org/isb/view.cgi?number=2647)

Katalyō is the word translated as "down" in the two verses above. When we think of down in this verse we think of the temple stones being physically destroyed or thrown down, BUT... my source says the word katalyō actually means:

to dissolve, disunite

1. (what has been joined together), to destroy, demolish
2. metaph. to overthrow i.e. render vain, deprive of success, bring to naught

Yes the first meaning does seem to fall in line with the traditional view of the Temple stones literally being destroyed or thrown down, but what if Jesus was speaking metaphorical... as we know, Jesus used metaphors and figurative language quite often. 

Render vain

Deprive of success

Bring to naught

The Temple back then was the Jews connection to God, not just a building... Just speculation on my part, but what if the real meaning of this verse is speaking not so much about the temple being destroyed, but rather that it's perceived power and significance was destroyed... as that would fall in line with several other verses that speak about the "battle" in the first century against the "powers and principalities (principals /thoughts)", the power of the "devil" (flesh) being destroyed, etc...

Biblical Hyperbole and Figures of Speech ~ By Gary Amirault

There are many things that can cause a person to misinterpret what is written in various translations of the Bible. Many Christians do not realize that some of the most popular Bible translations do not accurately convey the true meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek scriptures. I believe one of the leading causes of stumbling is not being aware that the original language of the Bible (Hebrew) is a highly exaggerative language, sometimes even to the point of what would appear to be lying from a Western point of view. Most Bible translations and Bible teachers do not point this out clearly enough.

Bible translations that try to maintain a literal word-for-word approach are usually the most guilty for not transmitting the true meaning behind the original languages. That is because one cannot get the true meaning behind the hundreds of figures of speech in the Bible which cannot be transferred into English using a word-for-word approach and still convey the true meaning.

For example, “It is raining cats and dogs” is a figure of speech that would probably make no sense in another language if translated literally word for word. Even though the very words do not imply so, Americans know from past usage that this term means, “it is raining heavily.”

Hyperbole, one of over 200 different types of figures of speech found in the Bible, is exaggeration for effect. If these figures of speech are taken literally, one will misinterpret what the scriptures say. Word-for-word literal translations are FULL of phrases and sentences which have NOT been faithfully translated. Even though they may have translated each WORD faithfully and correctly, they have not conveyed the true meaning behind the phrase or sentence.

For example, this verse is a hyperbole, an exaggeration for effect:

“You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” (Matt. 23:24, NIV)

It is not too difficult to determine that this is a hyperbole, an exaggeration. Because the English language is full of Bible terms and phraseology, this Hebrew idiom has become part of the English language. Therefore most English speaking people know the real meaning of that phrase: “You pay close attention to little things but neglect the important things.”

However, here is a hyperbole that the average Bible reader may miss and formulate doctrine from which may end up being harmful to themselves and others.

“Everything is possible for him who believes.” (Mark 9:23b, NIV)

The Bible is full of exaggerations like the one above which are NOT to be taken literally.

Careful attention, comparing scripture with scripture, knowing the Bible and its author thoroughly, making certain not to necessary apply things to ourselves which weren’t meant for us individually and some basics about the original languages are needed to prevent us from misinterpreting various scripture verses like this one. In this case, obviously, if something is against the will of God or if one asks with the wrong motive, no matter how much one believes for something, it won’t happen. (See James 4:2,3; John 5:19; John 15:5; 2 Cor.13:8, etc.) However, someone under a hyper-faith teaching ministry like the Word/faith movement, for example, may take this verse literally. Misinterpreting and misapplying this verse could cause one to do some serious damage to themselves and others due to demanding from God what He never really said He would do because they didn’t bother to find out or were never taught in their church that the Bible is FULL OF HYPERBOLE WHICH SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN LITERALLY!

A few other examples of the many hundreds of hyperboles in the Bible are:

“If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out…” Matt. 5:29 (I met a Christian who actually tried to pluck out his right eye because he had a lust problem. This is an example the kind of problem a Bible translation can cause if one is not informed of the various figures of speech found in the Bible.)

“If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother…” Luke 14:26 (The true meaning is one must put God first.)

“Behold, the world is gone after him.” John 12:19 (The whole world at that time did NOT follow after him, but very large crowds in Israel did.)

“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought to hell (Hades/sheol).” Matt. 11:23 (The city of Capernaum was never in heaven or hell/hades/sheol. But the city was exalted and made prominent because the very Son of God chose that city to do mighty miracles in, but then it went into the dust. The trade routes which made it prosperous changed bypassing the city. It became depopulated, brought to ruins and covered with dirt. It wasn’t until this century that archaeologists unearthed it.)

“The rock poured me out rivers of oil.” Job 19:6 (He had an abundance of good things.)

“The cities are great, and walled up to heaven.” Deut. 1:28 (They were very high.)

“Everyone could sling stones at a hair and not miss.” Judges 20:16 (They were very accurate.)

More from Gary Amirault available at Tentmaker.org 

The King James Bible is Inerrant? By Gary Amirault

At an early point in my walk with Jesus, I was strongly under the influence of men and women who believed in the “Inerrant Bible” doctrine. They believed the King James Bible was the only one Christians should use because it was inspired of God and without errors. They believed other translations were inspired of Satan, the “Alexandrian cult,” and the Roman Catholic Church. But eventually, I was freed from their influence and decided to do some extensive research into Bible translations myself. I discovered that the people who were perpetuating the King James “Inerrant Bible” myth were actually promoting perhaps the most corrupt, inaccurate and error-filled translation of all of them! Furthermore, it has had more revisions by far than any other translation. If it’s “Inerrant” to begin with, why all the modifications and revisions? The answer if obvious – the King James Bible is FAR from inerrant.

The very first year the “Authorized” Version (KJV) was printed, it went through several quick changes due to errors. A careful review KJV Bibles with the date 1611 on them revealed they were not all identical. One 1611 printing contained “and he went into the city” in Ruth 3:15 while another 1611 had “and she went into the city.” Another 1611 printing had “Judas” for “Jesus” in Mat. 26:36. It came to be known as the “Judas Bible.” Many other such errors occurred throughout the printing of the King James Version over the centuries. Below is a list of some of the more humorous blunders contained in KJV printings.

(1) 1611, Great "He" Bible, (Ruth 3:15, "and he went into the city.")
(2) 1611, Great "She" Bible, (Ruth 3:15), "and she went into the city.")
(3) 1611, "Judas" Bible, (Mat. 26:36, "Judas" for "Jesus.")
(4) 1631, "Wicked" Bible, (Ex. 20:14, omits the "not.")
(5) 1638, "Forgotten Sins" Bible, (Luke 7:47).
(6) 1641, "More Sea" Bible, (Rev. 21:1, "There was more sea.")
(7) 1653, "Unrighteous" or Field's Bible, (1 Cor. 6:9, "unrighteous shall inherit.")
(8) 1702, "Printers" Bible, (Ps. 119:161, "Printers have persecuted.")
(9) 1711, "Profit" Bible, (Isa. 57:12, "shall profit" instead of "shall not profit.")
(10) 1716, "Sin On" Bible, (John 5:14, "sin on more" for "sin no more.")
(11) 1717, "Vinegar" Bible, (Luke 20, "parable of the Vinegar" instead of "Vineyard."
(12) 1746, "Sting" Bible, (Mark 7:37, "sting of his tongue" not "string."
(13) 1792, "Denial" Bible, (Lk. 22:34, Philip denies Jesus instead of Peter.
(14) 1801, "Murderers" Bible, (Jude 1:16, "murderers" used instead of "murmurers."
(15) 1802, "Discharge" Bible, (1 Tim. 5:21, "I discharge" instead of "I charge."
(16) 1804, "Lions" Bible, (1 Kings 7:19, "out of thy lions" instead of "loins."
(17) 1805, "To-Remain" Bible, (Gal. 4:29, "to remain" inserted instead of a comma.
(18) 1806, "Standing Fishes" Bible, (Ezek. 47:10, "the fishes shall stand" instead of "fishers."
(19) 1807, "Ears to ear" Bible, (Mat. 13:43, "ears to ear" instead of "to hear."
(20) 1810, "Wife-Hater" Bible, (Lk. 14:26, "hate not . . . and his own wife" instead of "life.")
(21) 1823, "Camels" Bible, (Gen. 24:61, "Rebekah arose, and her camels" instead of "damsels."
(22) 1829, "Large Family" Bible, (Isa. 66:9, "not cease to bring to birth" instead of "not cause to bring forth."
(23) undated, "Fool" Bible, Psalm 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart there is a God" instead of "there is no God."

Finish reading this article at:
http://www.tentmaker.org/Biblematters/KJV.htm