Comments for Yeshua in Context

Comment on Pharisees by yeshuain

yeshuain — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:20:34 +0000

Yerubilee the Band:

I have not read Dan Gruber’s book, but Akiva’s time was very different from the much earlier time of Hillel and Shammai. I think your question confuses time periods and I am not sure how to answer it or what you are even asking. The distance between Hillel and Akiva was a full century and more. In between the Temple was destroyed and that event subtly changed many things. If Gruber makes some sort of bad guy or heretic out of Akiva, I think that would be a very bad historical interpretation.

Comment on Pharisees by Yerubilee the Band

Yerubilee the Band — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 12:20:42 +0000

Excellent points about the Pharisees. I’d be curious to know your opinion on Akiva, as I can’t recall if he affiliated with Beit Shammai or Beit Hillel or whatever. Clearly, Akiva introduced a radical style of reinterpreting the text, departing from the Pshat meaning of the Scriptures, at least according to Gruber’s “Rabbi Akiva’s Messiah.”

Comment on “My Son” as Midrash by John Bernall

John Bernall — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:18:38 +0000

Shalom!
Another connection to the Yeshua-Son-Yis’rael thing are the servant songs of Y’sha’yahu (42.1-4; 49.1-6; 50.4-9; 52.13-53.12; 61.1-4), where it is said of the Servant, who is the Prophesied Messiah: “Thou art My Servant, O Yis’rael, in whom I will be glorified.” Yis’rael, meaning: “He shall reign as God”. This also lends itself to an understanding of the Prophesied Messiah being called David, “the Beloved”, as reflected in Matthew 3.17, where the Greek literally reads, “This is my Son, the Beloved … etc.”

Comment on Mark 1:1, Greek-Hebrew-English by jeff marx

jeff marx — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:21:12 +0000

Blessings Derek!
What a great joy to read your work. Just wanted to put a plug in for the Blue Letter Bible which is on line. It provides English text as well as Greek or Hebrew original. What makes it wonderful is each ancient word is next to the english so one can click to get definition, synonyms and every use of the word in the Bible.
That is how I learned that the Ark of Noah and the ark of the covenant are not the same word (but that the ark of Noah and the ark of Moses are! Ruining that old tricky joke) Because of the depth of info there it may be overwhelming, but it really is a user friendly tool. Peace brother.

Comment on Cleopas, Why You Should Know Him by clifford Stevens

clifford Stevens — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:50:30 +0000

The real mystery is not Cleopos, but his wife Mary. Is she the sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus? But how can you have two Marys in the same family? I believe that the sister of the mother was not named Mary, but that a semicolon has to be put after the phrase “his mother’s sister, and that the name Mary indicates a different person from the “his mother’s sister”. It is also possible that the other person with Cleopos enroute to Emmaus was his son, Simon, who later became the second Christian of the Jerusalem Christians.

Father Clifford Stevens
Boys Town, Nebraska

Comment on The Yeshua In Context Handbook by yeshuain

yeshuain — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:22:00 +0000

Nice to meet you, Mike. Thanks for the kind words.

Comment on The Yeshua In Context Handbook by Mike Reeves

Mike Reeves — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:49:28 +0000

I live in London, England, of the family HaCohen who came here from central Europe in 1896 – raised as a gentile I met Jesus Yeshua 42 years ago and now for the last couple of years have been acknowledging and grappling with being a son of Yisra’el (my mother was born of Jewish parents).

I appreciate finding your website and I look forward to learning from you. So many questions and uncertainties – but such an exciting time in which to live and learn.

The lord bless you.

Comment on Early Divinity in John 5 by Pauline Donnelly

Pauline Donnelly — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:53:23 +0000

This is a really nice, scholarly website! It’s interesting to see the Jewish perspective. As a non-Jew, I would never have recognized the Jewishness of Jesus’s argument/explanation. And I didn’t understand His references to His Father’s “work”. It makes sense that He is talking about sustaining life and healing, which makes more sense of His imitation of the Father. Thank you so much!

Comment on Mark 1:1, Greek-Hebrew-English by yeshuain

yeshuain — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:52:44 +0000

ESV

Comment on Gematria in the New Testament? by yeshuain

yeshuain — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 03:45:53 +0000

No problem, Brian.

Comment on Gematria in the New Testament? by Brian Chilton

Brian Chilton — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:54:12 +0000

This is really cool. Do you mind if I post this on my website? Obviously, I will give you the credit for the information.

Blessings in Yeshua

Comment on Mark 1:1, Greek-Hebrew-English by Jared S.

Jared S. — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:16:02 +0000

Derek,

In your opinion, what is the best English bible translation available today? I own the DHE and consider the ESV my first choice in study and reading. However, I would appreciate your opinion.

Also, on a separate note do you ever read N.T. Wright? I find his work fascinating. I’ve been a reformed thinker for a while and find it somewhat small in view what the whole story of God is portraying. More curious than anything.

Thank you!
Jared

Comment on List: Teachings of Yeshua by Yanna

Yanna — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 22:43:52 +0000

Thank You. I want to learn all I can about “Yeshua.” Shalom, Yanna

Comment on REVIEW: The Jewish Gospels by Daniel Boyarin by Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 14:28:59 +0000

While it may be *possible* that your review is weak because you didn’t find any fault with it, I don’t think so. You did a great job of convincing me to read Boyarin’s work. It sounds intriguing, and you’ve given me just enough information that I find myself demanding more – the mark of a good review. Thanks for sharing!

Comment on PODCAST: Divinity1 by BRU KEE

BRU KEE — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 03:42:37 +0000

The very idea that Jesus “has been given authority” subjects the Son of Man to the Father, who is the one who bestows the authority on Jesus prior to his offering himself as the ransom sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. The statements of Jesus are consistent in that he is not God, nor God/Man. Of course this means Jesus is not the Father or some mysterious Trinity, as he states but shares qualities and powers as a regal son would to his monarch father. And the father is not threatened or diminished.

Comment on Early Divinity in John 5 by Daniel

Daniel — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:36:15 +0000

I understand Yeshua’s answer as to why he is healing on Shabat is Jewish, it’s quite obvious actually. I think it is even based on Leviticus 12:2 “be holy for I am holy.” It is the concept of imitating God. As the sages say Just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, is Merciful, so be merciful (i’m quoting from memory here so excuse the errors).
What I don’t understand is how you link this to Yeshua’s divinity, or how you see it as yeshua defending his divinity. What I mean is that the concept of imitation is not limited to ‘divine status holders’, all Israel is called to imitate God.
Maybe I just don’t see the conect between the first part of the text and the second one (where he speaks of authority,etc).

Comment on Early Divinity in John 5 by yeshuain

yeshuain — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:18:18 +0000

Judah:

Thank you. Yes, Herbert is a good friend and he accepts scriptural authority but always asks the logical and historical questions as well. He has an inquisitive mind.

Derek

Comment on Early Divinity in John 5 by Judah Gabriel Himango

Judah Gabriel Himango — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:10:34 +0000

Excellent post, Derek! Deep insight. I will keep this one with me. Herbert asked, "Where is the necessity to worship the messiah / son ?" The disciples worshiped him. Paul said every person will bow in submission to Messiah. And Revelation says that all creation will bow before the throne of the Lamb and worship him, give glory to him forever. (Amein!) Jewish Christian apologist Dr. Michael Brown once said that Revelation is a bad place for those who deny Yeshua's divinity. I'd go further and say that the New Testament is a bad place for those that wish to say Jesus should not be worshiped.

Comment on Early Divinity in John 5 by yeshuain

yeshuain — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:46:59 +0000

1) After the resurrection the disciples saw the exalted state of Yeshua and worship was the natural response.

2) After the resurrection the kingdom message of Yeshua was all the more clear and he was revealed as the king, so that his life, death, resurrection, and enthronement became the gospel.

3) It was clear he meant the unique son.

Comment on Early Divinity in John 5 by herbert

herbert — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 04:59:02 +0000

I have a few questions too.

1) Yeshua was divine in the sense of having the same substance as God. Where is the necessity to worship the messiah / son ? what is the function of worshiping the messiah ? I can understand being thankful but worshipping is a different level altogether.

2) What about the shift in the gospel of Jesus to the gospel about Jesus seen in the NT books ? If that is true then did the deification of Jesus start sometime later ?

3) I also dont understand the reaction – ‘This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.’

The jews did consider themselves to be children of the Holy One right ? if so what was their problem in Yeshua calling himself the son ?