Christmas Narratives in the Bible

Christmas is a wonderful time. It is the a time when we remember and reflect on the fact that God became man being born of a virgin just some ten miles from where I am writing this.

However, every Christmas I have to admit that what is often displayed as "fact" associated with Jesus' birth shows just how mixed up we all can be.

Just today in watching a particular broadcast of a major religious leader, I noted some of these "facts". Here was a display of the baby Jesus with his mother and father in a manger and who were around Him? Yes, of course, the three wise men.

But wait a minute isn't this the Biblical teaching? No, it is not.

The fact is, the story of the wise men visiting Jesus in Bethlehem took place some 15 months after He was born. St. Luke tells us that the shepherds found a baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:16) St. Matthew tells us that the wise men found a little child in a house (Matt. 2:11).

The wise men did not visit the manger and they did not visit a baby that was just born. However, this is what the vast majority of Christians believe.

Talking about this very subject, Fr. John Warburton, of the Shrine of St. Joseph in California talked about this very issue. Fr. Warburton gives the common view held by many and how even he had to change his mind based on the plain teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

"For most of my life, I comfortably presumed that Jesus was born on December 25, right at the juncture between B.C. and A.D The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23) in the 'fifteenth year of Tiberius' (Luke 3:1). The sixth century Roman monk Dionysius Exiguus, trusted St. Luke's report. He subtracted 29 from the fifteenth year of Tiberius in order to establish Jesus' birth as the center point of human history. This is the calendar we use today.
     Each year in the Church's Liturgy and in traditions using crib sets at home, I became accustomed to imagining the birth of Jesus in a stable just past midnight on Christmas Eve, the visit of the angels and shepherds later that night, and then, after twelve days the visit of the three kings. Imagine my consternation when I began to study the Gospels more carefully and became aware of some vexing problems and seeming contradictions. For instance, St. Luke writes that the holy Family returned to Nazareth after the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:39). Whereas St. Matthew informs us that the Holy Family fled in haste from Bethlehem to Egypt just after the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:13-15). St. Luke tells is that the shepherds found a baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:16). St. Matthew tells us that the magi found a child in a house ((Matthew 2:11)." (Guardian of the Redeemer, 2000th Anniversary of the Nativity, Oblates of St. Joseph - Santa Cruz, CA: 2000)

Yes, the Bible is clear. Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the shepherds came to visit him in a manger after He was just born. Then, some 15 months later, the wise men came to see, not a baby, but the child Jesus living in a house in Bethlehem.

For more information on this subject, please see - http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=1996&month=12

But wait, these are just little innocent mistakes. Minor confusions. Not a big deal.

No. It is a big deal because we are dealing with the facts and we should get them right. I mean don't we want to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God?

The point is, if we (I include here those religious leaders I saw broadcasting their mistaken message today to the whole world) can't even get these simple little things right, what about more complex issues?

What is interesting is the fact that if a person will do a tiny bit of research, they will note that there are two different Greek words referenced in Matthew and Luke which describe two different phases of life for a child, in this case talking about our Lord Jesus.

As the article in the above link shows and if one will examine any more advanced translation or a Bible concordance, one can find that the words describe two phases of life: one for a baby in arms and one for a toddler, who walks and talks. See the article for a more in depth discussion on these issues. This is really a science meets faith article written by a research astronomer which features a book written by my late father, Dr. Ernest L. Martin, on the Star of Bethlehem. - See http://www.amazon.com/The-Star-That-Astonished-World/dp/0945657889/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396032451&sr=8-1&keywords=The+star+that+astonished+the+world.

This, in fact, relates to the whole argument of who is being discussed in those texts found in the book of Proverbs which many use to advocate for corporal punishment of children, with no definition of what phase of life of that of a "child" is under discussion.

I have a whole chapter in my book "Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me: Christians and the Spanking Controversy." See - http://www.amazon.com/Thy-Rod-Staff-They-Comfort/dp/0978533909/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324834969&sr=1-2 - which talks about the importance of this issue.

Because of the misunderstanding related to this issue, we have well intentioned but seriously misinformed individuals advocating the corporal punishment of children starting at 6 months of age or less using the Bible as the authority for the same.

Just as it is important to remember that there is accurate information in the Gospels to help us better understand the circumstances and facts associated with Jesus' birth and how the nuance of language can help us have a more accurate understanding, so it is that we can also have a greater understanding of the texts in Proverbs which describe children and the various phases of life that starts at birth going up to adult hood..

If we do this, I think we are going to have a greater chance to know the truth and the facts and not be confused.

Merry Christmas

Samuel Martin - Jerusalem - 12.25.2011

A guest post on Dulce's Blog

I've contributed a guest post to Dulce de Leche, one of my favorite blogs.

http://www.dulcefamily.blogspot.com/2011/12/was-jesus-married-some-thoughts-by.html

I have been so blessed by her writings. Check them out. I know you'll enjoy them.

Merry Christmas

Samuel Martin

Books that I cannot live without

Bible Study Aids – Books that I cannot live without

I got a comment from a friend recently in Canada expressing an interest in getting some solid resources for Bible study. My father, Dr. Ernest L. Martin, provided a nice outline many years ago (Foundation for Biblical Research Exposition October 1976), which I still find to be very relevant so I want.to share it with you.

Your Research Library

“The two most important books that everyone ought to have in his library are:

The Englishman's Greek Concordance and the Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance.

Both are published by Samuel Bagster and Sons in London, England. But I understand they can be obtained through Zondervan Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan, whom, I understand, bought out Samuel Bagster. [Please note that new editions of these are available and they have added the Strong's numbering system which makes them all the more effective.]

These books give a concordant treatment to all of the words of the New and Old Testament. By studying the words in their context, we can find God's meaning of them much better. I highly recommend these two books.

It is not enough just to buy these concordances. You really must read the introductions carefully to understand how they have been developed in the first place and to appreciate how to use them properly. 

The best Greek-English Lexicon is that of Arndt and Gingrich.  This is published by the University of Chicago Press.  The best Hebrew Lexicon is that of Brown-Driver-Briggs, published by Oxford University Press.

The best general Encyclopaedia, though it is somewhat old now, is that of M'Clintock and Strong. This set has 31,000 articles and while it is over 100 years old, it is an important part of my own library. [Carol: This is my recommendation for your son.]

The best one-volume Encyclopaedia (and this is one you must have at all cost) is the New Bible Dictionary published by the Inter-varsity Fellowship in London, England. This could be obtained from any religious bookstore.

There are two other essential Encyclopaedias you ought to have. One is the Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, two volumes, and the Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, two volumes. Both of these were edited by James Hastings.

Another excellent little volume which is indispensable to me, is one which has over 500,000 scriptural references and parallel passages in it. It is called The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and is also published by Samuel Bagster and Sons.

The best King James Bible is the Newberry Edition. This has copious internal and marginal notes which help make the Hebrew and Greek far clearer.” (Ernest  L. Martin, FBR Expositor October 1976)

My favorite Bible version for modern study is the ESV. See www.esvstudybible.org. 

Please keep in mind that all modern English versions of the Bible position the order of the books wrongly. Please see www.originalbible.com.  

Concordant Word Study from the Hebrew Bible Using “The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament.”

This data is taken from the invaluable and timeless work produced under the leadership of Mr. George Wigram titled: “The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament.” It is mentioned in the previous list.

I have even referred to this information in my own book "Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me: Christians and the Spanking Controversy." Many peope who rely on the King James Version of the Bible will find this information eye opening. 

There is, of course, nothing wrong with studying from the King James Version of the Bible as long as we know its limitations. 

The following is taken from page 1220. The word in the various texts below that appears in italics is the English word that is translated from the Hebrew original “sh’ol.” (שאול) This shows the power of studying using this concordant method to see what is really underneath our English texts. Note that most of these resources use the King James Version as a standard template for their reference as they were produced more than 160 years ago.

Word study on the Hebrew word “sh’ol” (שאול)

Genesis 37:35 I will go down into the grave.

Genesis 42:38 my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Genesis 44:29 my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Genesis 44:31 gray hairs of thy servant…to the grave.

Numbers 16:30 they go down quick into the pit;

Numbers 16:33 went down alive into the pit,

Deuteronomy 32:22 shall burn unto the lowest hell,

I Samuel 2:6 he bringeth down to the grave,

II Samuel 22:6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about;

I Kings 2:6 his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

I Kings 2:9 hoar head bring thou down to the grave

Job 7:9 he that goeth down to the grave

Job 11:8 deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

Job 14:13 wouldest hide me in the grave,

Job 17:13 the grave is mine house:

Job 17:16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit,

Job 21:13 in a moment go down to the grave.

Job 24:19 (so doth) the grave those which have

Job 26:9 Hell (is) naked before him,

Psalm 6:5 in the grave who shall give thee

Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell

Psalm 16:10 thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;

Psalm 18:5 The sorrows of hell compassed me

Psalm 30:3 brought up my soul from the grave:

Psalm 31:17 let them be silent in the grave.

Psalm 49:14 sheep they are laid in the grave;

Psalm 49:14 their beauty shall consume in the grave

Psalm 49:15 my soul from the power of the grave:

Psalm 55:15 let them go down quick into hell:

Psalm 86:13 delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Psalm 116:3 the pains of hell gat hold of me:

Psalm 139:8 if I make my bed in hell,

Psalm 141:7 bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth,

Proverbs 1:12 swallow them up alive as the grave;

Proverbs 5:5 her steps take hold on hell.

Proverbs 7:27 Her house (is) the way to hell,

Proverbs 9:18 her guests are in the depths of hell.

Proverbs 15:11 Hell and destruction (are) before the

Proverbs 15:24 depart from hell beneath.

Proverbs 23:14 deliver his soul from hell.

Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full;

Proverbs 30:16 The grave; and the barren womb;

Ecclesiastes 9:10 no work, nor device, … in the grave,

Song of Songs 8:6 jealousy (is) cruel as the grave:

Isaiah 5:14 hell hath enlarged herself,

Isaiah 14:9 Hell (marg. or, the grave) from beneath is moved for thee

Isaiah 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave,

Isaiah 14:15 thou shalt be brought down to hell,

Isaiah 28:15 with hell are we at agreement;

Isaiah 28:18 your agreement with hell shall not stand;

Isaiah 38:10 I shall go to the gates of the grave:

Isaiah 38:18 the grave cannot praise thee.

Isaiah 57:9 didst debase (thyself even) unto hell.

Ezekiel 31:15 he went down to the grave

Ezekiel 31:16 I cast him down to hell

Ezekiel 31:17 They also went down into hell

Ezekiel 32:21 speak to him out of the midst of hell

Ezekiel 32:27 gone down to hell with their weapons

Hosea 13:14 ransom them from the power of the grave;

Hosea 13:14 O grave, I will be thy destruction:

Amos 9:2 Though they dig into hell,

Jonah 2:2 out of the belly of hell (marg. or, the grave),

Habakkuk 2:5 enlargeth his desire as hell,

It must be pointed out that there is no other word in the Hebrew Bible translated as “hell.” Because of this, one has to ask: Why it was deemed necessary by the translators of the King James Version to translate this word “hell” in one place and the “grave” or “pit” in another? If you look at the texts, which feature the word “hell”, it is clear that in some cases the translators themselves put the word “grave” as a marginal reference. See Jonah 2:2 and Isaiah 14:9. The reason for this was that Jonah was obviously not in “hell” when he cried from the belly of the fish.

I hope that in this short example you can see the value of this type of concordant studying approach. To be sure, untold riches await the student who uses this method of Bible study.

Christian Scholars and Preachers Disagree on Spanking Children

http://ezinearticles.com/?Christian-Scholars-and-Preachers-Disagree-on-Spanking-Children&id=6290943

Link to a new article I've just posted on www.ezinearticles.com.

Hope you find it valuable.

Samuel Martin

Behind every Church Father is a Mother

Behind every Church Father is a Mother

In response to a comment left by Crystal on my blog, http://samuelmartin.blogspot.com/2011/11/if-king-james-version-was-good-enough.html, Crystal mentioned the following:

"My 4th child was born peacefully, painlessly, and calmly at home- blowing the pain-filled woman's curse out the window. "

First of all, do yourself a favor and visit Crystal's blog. http://piscessunleomoon.blogspot.com and see her really interesting experience with raising diaper less children (among other things).

Crystal's experimentation is in fact giving us all a glimpse into the past: a past which did not have diapers or any of the other so called modern 'conveniences' that, as Crystal has aptly demonstrated, help disconnect parents from the rhythm of life and the communications that even little infants can give. This is really amazing stuff and eye opening information that working daddies may miss, but attentive mommies know all too well. Thanks Crystal.

Her blog in fact was one of the most instructive things I have read in a while because I have been thinking about writing a major article on family life and her experience is so helpful because researchers often have so little to go on.

I mean when it comes to the Bible, often times, we just don't know what was going on in ancient times and this affects how we relate to the texts.

I know one scholar (Dr. Stephen Pfann of www.UHL.ac) who uses a grading system to help put things in perspective.

A. 100% sure were know about the issue
B. Somewhat certain
C. Less certain
D. Speculation or educated guesses

You'd be surprised how many times honest scholars will tell you that they simply do not know what was happening in the Biblical period (designating things grade 'D') because we just don't have enough evidence.

Family life is one of these. There is just so little information about all of this because most of the information we do have is passed down to us mostly from the perspective of men if we get anything at all. It is really hard to find a mother's voice sometimes and this is where Crystal's example is so helpful for the researcher.

Her experience allows us anthropologically to see how things may have been in ancient times in daily life of caring for little infants in particular. The Bible has a paucity of information on this and other sources are also equally sparse.

This is especially important to my research because I am seeking a better understanding of how to relate to the biblical texts relating to child rearing.

I'll have much more to say about this later because this has not only the potential to be a major paper, it could end up in fact being a small book, but I am asking for more inputs from mothers who have experience in this area.

But before I forget, let me say something about that child birth curse.

I am currently studying for my higher Theology degrees here in Jerusalem and I am seriously considering in the future doing my Ph.D. on the subject of equality between men and women in the Bible. This inspiration for this, in fact, comes from Karen Campbell at www.thatmom.com. Thanks Karen. Her question to me really touched a nerve. (The answer to her question is currently almost 50,000 words and counting.)

In fact, I have already started working on a dissertation in this regard with the hope that I will be able to move forward with this suggested subject for a doctorate. All in good time. Rest assured though that I will bring this material out in the future at the right time, but it is not ready yet.

However, Crystal's comment on my blog does raise a point which is important and it concerns the common conception that there is some awful curse associated with child birth. It goes back to Genesis 3:16 & 3:17. Here is a small excerpt from my possible future dissertation.

Now, after they both arrived, here is where we can thank our dear male scholars for starting us off on the wrong path of gender inequality. It starts right here in the third chapter of Genesis. Look at it here from the perspective of multiple versions. Here we want to home in two sections of Genesis 3:16 and 3.17.

Version	Text from Genesis 3:16 (about woman - Eve)	Text from Genesis 3:17 (about man - Adam)
NIV	“pains in childbearing”	“through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”
NLT	“pain of your pregnancy,”	“All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.”
ESV	“pain in childbearing”	“in pain you shall eat of it”
NASB	“pain in childbirth”	“in toil you will eat of it”
God’s WORD Translation	“pain and your labor when you give birth to children”	“Through hard work you will eat”
KJV	“in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”	“in sorrow shalt thou eat”
NKJV	“in sorrow you shall bring forth children”	“in sorrow shall you eat of it”
ASV	“in pain thou shalt bring forth children”	“in toil shalt thou eat of it”
Bible in Basic English	“in sorrow will your children come to birth”	“in pain you will get your food”
Douay-Rheims Bible	“in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children	“with labour and toil shalt thou eat”
Darby Bible Translation	“with pain thou shalt bear children”	“with toil shalt thou eat of it”
English Revised Version	“in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”	“in sorrow shalt thou eat of it”
Webster’s Bible Translation	“in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”	“in sorrow shalt thou eat of it”
World English Bible	“In pain you will bring forth children	“In toil you will eat of it”
Young’s Literal Translation	“in sorrow dost thou bear children”	“in sorrow thou dost eat of it”

http://bible.cc/genesis/3-16.htm & http://bible.cc/genesis/3-17.htm

Now, in the above referenced table, you can see that the italicized words relative to the woman are: pain, pains or sorrow. However for the men, the words italicized are: painful toil, struggle, pain, toil, hard work, labour and sorrow.

Now, when we compare these two columns, we can note that the language that describes what happens to woman really looks harsher on the surface and these above referenced language differences highlight this issue. Here, on the surface, we see that woman is getting a seemingly greater punishment. This is how it has been framed by theologians down through the centuries until now. 

Modern versions correct this. For example, note my favorite, the ESV: (see http://www.esvbible.org)

    To the woman he said,
    “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
        in pain you shall bring forth children.
    Your desire shall be for your husband,
        and he shall rule over you.”
    And to Adam he said,
    “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
        and have eaten of the tree
    of which I commanded you,
        ‘You shall not eat of it,’
    cursed is the ground because of you;
        in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
    thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
        and you shall eat the plants of the field.
    By the sweat of your face
        you shall eat bread,
    till you return to the ground,
        for out of it you were taken;
    for you are dust,
        and to dust you shall return.”
(Genesis 3:16-19 ESV)

What we can see though when we look at these verses in light of an accurate Biblical understanding what is here being conveyed in the original Hebrew language, a different picture presents itself.

What we must understand is that the words italicized in the first column, which are designated towards woman and the words found in the second column which are associated with man are in fact in Hebrew the very same word!

Yes, that is correct. In Hebrew, we find in these two verses the exact same Hebrew word (עצבון – gitz-tzah-vohn) is used! There is no difference in the intensity or stress, the force or level: No! Not at all. What woman was to suffer in child birth, man was to suffer by working the ground. Not more for one and less for the other. Equality by using the same term.

There is no greater degree or intensity of punishment on woman or women in this text of Scripture at all, but were one to rely on these many Bible versions, mostly created by men, one would decidedly not get this opinion.

This is really where many well intentioned people get off on the wrong foot concerning gender relations in Scripture. In this verse, the gender relations are equal! There is no greater punishment for the one over the other in the original language.

In closing, thanks again Crystal for your really important capacity building. I hope that others will give some of your ideas a go.

 

Should we preach? publish?, or proclaim the Gospel - Yes? No? Maybe?

Should we preach? publish?, or proclaim the Gospel - 

Yes? No? Maybe?

I just got my copy of Michael Pearl's book in the post sent from a new friend in North Carolina (thanks TJ - your book is on the way). In reviewing the book, I opened up the front cover and saw a little box which says:

"All Scripture quotations are from the King James Holy Bible"

So, I went to page 35 and found Mr. Pearl's references to 'prove' his arguments in favor of spanking children. The texts he quoted were very familiar to me and to many of us. They are commonly known as the 'rod' verses. They were:

Proverbs 19:18
Proverbs 13:24
Proverbs 22:15
Proverbs 23:13,14
Proverbs 29:15
Proversb 29:17

So there it was - Case Closed. The Bible advocates spanking children. End of story. Well, not quite so fast.

I got to thinking about this whole issue once again and thought about this book and its assertions.

Here is a well intentioned Christian brother living thousands of miles away from the region where the Bible was written, using a 400 year old Bible version attempting to bring information which in some cases is over 3,000 years old into our modern day.

When I look on the front cover of the book, I saw the following page and you can review it at the following link.

http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/bookdetail.php?book_id=851

The front cover of the book shows a family riding in a horse drawn cart with a father at the reins with a wife at his side carrying a babe in arms with four other children in the wagon.

When I thought about this book and its teachings, I thought this cover was really appropriate because the information that you find in this book represents a type of a theological perspective which reflects a time about 400 years ago when people moved around by horse and buggy.

The good news is, theologically speaking, we no longer move around with horses and buggys. Today, we have airplanes that take us around the world to libraries where we can study thousands of Bible manuscripts; where online resources are the fingertips that even the non-expert can reach into the treasure troves of Bible scholarship and study at the feet of modern day Gamliels.

The bad news though is that many dear people like Michael Pearl, God bless him, continue to drive around the same old tired arguments which are based on a Bible translation, which was a monument to great scholarship in 1611, but today, it represents one of the biggest obstacles to understanding God's messages to mankind, especially concerning what the Bible means in the book of Proverbs.

And here is where we come to the title of my blog post -Should we preach? publish?, or proclaim the Gospel - Yes? No? Maybe?

I remember once my father telling of an experience he had when he first got into researching the Bible and in fact it relates to this issue we are here discussing. It concerned the issue of preaching, publishing and proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world.

My father was a minister as well as a college professor. The church that he was a member of was lead by a very charismatic leader. The Bible of choice in that particular denomination was the King James Version of the Bible.

The Church had a wide ranging ministry with numerous methods of outreach. They had a 'preaching' ministry and a 'publishing' ministry. Yes, the Church used all different types of outreach methods to get the Gospel message out to the world including radio and televsion.

The head of the Church not only insisted, however, in the 'preaching' ministry, but he made a big deal about the need for the Church to also engage in a 'publishing' ministry. This meant a top quality, slick four color magazine, books, booklets, pamphlets, newsletters, etc.

Now, these methodologies were used to 'proclaim' the Gospel. Anything wrong with that? No, not at all.

However, when Dad began to just do a bit of study in the New Testament, he learned that the Greek word keerusso is translated in the King James Version by several different English words: preach, preached, proclaim, proclaimed, proclaiming, publish, and published.

So when we read in Mark 13:10 in the King James Version saying: "And the gospel must first be published among all nations" we can compare this to another section in the Gospel of Matthew which describes the same event and time period. It is found in Matthew 24:14 saying: "And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;"

So, Dad quickly found out that the words "published" and "preached" in these two verses are from the exact same word in the Greek language, which is the original one for the New Testament. Therefore, to say that one must have a "preaching" and or "publishing" ministry on the basis of these verses is really not justified in Scripture at all. Of course, that message is not one that Church leaders want to hear. This is because they often gain great power and influence through their "preaching" and "publishing" ministries.

There is of course nothing wrong with preaching, publishing or proclaiming the Gospel. On the contrary. What is wrong, however, is misusing the Holy Scriptures to attempt to prove that a particular Church or religious leader must engage in preaching and publishing and that Church members should pay to see that these things take place. Preaching and publishing ministries are fine and excellent things in and of themselves, but one should not use these passages as justification for demanding that Church members pay the bills for these ministerial elements based upon a wrong understanding of Scripture.

But here we get to the crux of the matter.  If these well intentioned ministers of the Gospel will use the modern tools that we have available instead of continuing to drive our Christian brethren around in the theological equivalents of horses and buggys, we might be able to avoid some of these nonsensical teachings promoted by many well intentioned but misguided religious leaders. Look at the ESV, which makes this whole issue clear.

    And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. (Mark 13:10 ESV)

    And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations.
(Matthew 24:14 ESV)

So, the answer to my blog question is. Yes! We should proclaim the Gospel.

But, this all helps to contextualize something which I have dealt with in much greater detail in my book and that concerns the interpretation of those six verses that Michael Pearl uses to open and close his arguments on spanking children.

The question we have to ask Mr. Pearl and many other dear brethren in Christ is this: Should we spank? chasten? hit? switch? strike? our children in the way you tell us? Yes? No? Maybe?

Michael Pearl and many others say "Yes."

After reading my book, I think you'll agree that the answer to this question is a resounding:

No!

Note: Some of the material in this post is referenced in audio cassette tape which my father produced in the Foundation for Biblical Research in 1976 called: "A Brief Background of the Director."

“If the King James Version was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me” & Newsletter for November

“If the King James Version was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me

This post has been republished in a new book referenced below:

Amazon.com: Thy Rod and Thy Staff They Comfort Me - Book IV: Selected Essays on the Subject of Spanking Children in Support of Peaceful Parenting (9780978533984): Martin, Samuel: Books

This is one of the most powerful posts I have read all year - This is Theology of Motherhood at its best

This is one post that I strongly urge you to read. I am really deeply moved by such powerful expressions of truth.

http://www.tina.thejobes.com/2010/03/to-train-up-a-child-book-review/

Accurate information from the Bible and Academia can change minds on the issue of Spanking/Smacking Chiildren

http://northlightcounseling.com/wordpress/?p=364 - 

Here is a post from a friend of mine, Faith Gallup, from Chicago. In this post, she mentions attending a seminar (in 2007 in Chicago at which I spoke) sponsored by Dr. Madeline Gomez, the President of Psychealth, Ltd.

PsycHealth, Ltd. (www.psychealthltd.com) is a multi-disciplinary team of behavioral health professionals dedicated to excellence in service delivery and program development. We support the human and individual rights of all persons regardless of ethnicity, sex, religious or sexual orientation or native language. We are committed to non-violent family interaction and child rearing and believe that compassion and consideration are of utmost importance.We recognize that as we help each person, we help our families, our friends, and ourselves.

The presentation I gave I still have today in MS Powerpoint and it has a paper that accompanies it. Anyone who would like to have that paper and the Powerpoint for presentations to groups that you might be aware of is welcomed to contact me. info@biblechild.com. 

You can see from Faith's testimony that attending that seminar (where I was one of three speakers) gave her the information she needed to completely change her mind on this issue.

Thanks Faith for letting me link to this. Bless you and a huge thanks to Dr. Mady Gomez for her leadership on this issue.

Patriarchial Longevity in the Antediluvian Age

Dear friends,

The book of Genesis is one which has interested me ever since I first got interested in writing about Scripture. I believe that the book of Genesis contains Biblical truth. 

Dr. E. W. Bullinger, the compiler of the Companion Bible, referred to Genesis saying (I agree with his assessment precisely): “Genesis is the seed-plot of the whole Bible. It is essential to the true understanding of its every part. It is the foundation on which Divine Revelation rests; and on which is it built up. It is not only the foundation of all Truth, but it enters into, and forms part of all subsequent inspiration; … Genesis is quoted or referred to sixty times in the New Testament; and Divine authority is set like a seal on its historical facts.”[1]

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[1] E. W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible, Appendix II - See Matt. 19:4-6;24:37-28; Mark 7:4,10;10:3-8; Luke 11:43-51;17:26-29; Jn. 1:51;7:21;8:44-56

I am posting a new introduction a brand new small publication that I have been working on for over 15 years and it is my intention to publish the first edition of this new publication before year end. I will be updating you concerning the finalization of this new short publication (and how you can get a copy once it is published) very soon as the final version is almost complete. Here is a small excerpt from the introduction. Stay tuned for more information. Rest assured, this new publication will present a very thought provoking, Biblically conservative approach to this age old question.

Patriarchal Longevity in the Antediluvian Age by Samuel Martin

One of the most interesting aspects to the early history of human kind concerns the Biblical data showing that certain individuals are identified has having lived lives reaching up to almost 1,000 years of age. We today look at these Biblical texts and wonder if they are true or if they just represent ancient myths that primitive mankind believed in.

In this new publication, we are going to explore this question with a view to illuminating difficult passages of the Holy Scripture concerning this question. We believe that the LORD has given us all the information that we need within the Scriptures themselves to answer all the questions that we have on most subjects. 

Understanding how the Patriarchs in the Antediluvian Age lived to be so old is no exception. We pray that you find this publication valuable in your Bible study.

Book giveaways on samuelmartin.blogspot.com to continue

Thanks to everyone who has entered this drawing. It is not too late to enter still. See details below.

Rest assured, I will be having more drawings for great books that I love on my blog.

Stay tuned.

"Corporal Punishment in the Bible - A Redemptive Movement Hermeneutic for Troubling Texts" to be given away on SamuelMartin.blogspot.com - 

Give away ends November 1 2011

Dear friends,

I am delighted to continue endorsing strongly Professor William Webb's book. I can't recommend it enough.

Here is where you can get your copy - http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/toc/code=2761 

So, I am pleased to announce that I am giving a copy of this book away. This is the first book I've ever given away on my blog and I am pleased that it is this book.

To win this book, all you have to do send me an email (your email address will be kept confidential not to be shared with anyone) with your first and last name to [info@biblechild.com] answering the following three questions:

1.  I have read your book "Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me: Christians and the Spanking Controversy - YES or NO

2. I have read Professor Webb's book - YES or NO

3. Pick one of the following: 

A. If I don't win the Webb book, I am planning to buy it.

B. I have already bought the Webb book and plan to give away the book if I win it.

C. I have not yet purchased the book by Prof. Webb.

So that is all there is to it. Except for one other thing.

The first name drawn will win the Webb book. Then, I will be drawing another name. The first name that I draw thereafter who answers the question "I have read your book "Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me: Christians and the Spanking Controversy" with a "NO", will win a free autographed copy of my book.

I look forward to hear from you very soon. This drawing ends 23:59AM Jerusalem time on November 1.

And the waters assuaged (cooled down).” (Genesis 8:1)

“And the waters assuaged (cooled down).” (Genesis 8:1) 

by 

Samuel Martin (www.facebook.com/byblechyld)

Note: I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about some research I did about fifteen years ago. I hope you find it interesting and I am definitely looking for feedback (or feed forward) on this subject.

The book of Genesis is one of my favourite books in the whole Bible. When I first began to do serious research into the Bible, Genesis was the place I started and the things that I have learned about Genesis, particularly in the early sections, really amazed me (and continue to do so today). I hope someday in the near future to be able to bring out more of my own research on the early sections of Genesis even beyond the subject of the Mark of Cain (which was first published in 1996 in association with the ministry of my late father)  that I have already published (contact me for details of how you can get a copy if you are interested - info@biblechild.com). (Note: I am working now on publishing some new research on showing how it was the ancient Patriarchs lived in some cases to be almost one thousands years old. Stay tuned.)

One of the most interesting subjects in the Bible is that of the Flood of Noah. This event is really a mystery to many people about the details of how it happened. No doubt, people are really interested in this issue. If you do any research at all, you will find hundreds of opinions on the Flood and how it happened and these opinions will cover a whole range of different opinions. Numerous books, articles and websites are devoted to this important issue.

The title of this section is “And the waters assuaged.” (Genesis 8:1) So let’s talk about this seemingly unimportant passage because it is in this passage that much interesting information is contained. Honestly, when we study Genesis or other sections of the Bible where we have very little information, we have to take what we do have seriously and look very carefully and closely at the information provided and do our best to understand what it meant to the writer who wrote it, who in this case was Moses. We want to know the meaning that Moses wished to convey if we can.

We in the modern world have been influenced wrongly by epic films and artistic depictions about biblical subjects concerning many issues including the Flood

Now, what difference does it make? The point is, films (and by extension photographs, television and paintings) influence dramatically people’s opinions about all kinds of things and the Bible is no exception. Look at the Hollywood films about the Flood. They seemingly follow the Biblical narrative and you see people climbing up to the tops of mountains to escape the Flood; you see the ark floating on huge oceans of water and torrential downpours; you see rain for forty days and forty nights; you see the water covering the tops of the mountains and so on. However, are these really accurate descriptions? According to Hollywood, yes; but according to the Bible, no!

However, there is one verse which I am focusing on in this short paper which seems to indicate this idea pretty clearly. It is the following which are the last few words of the passage in question: “And the waters assuaged.” (Genesis 8:1)

When you read this passage, you get the feeling that the waters that were submerging the whole mountains were somehow miraculously removed from the earth by a divine agency. This is what you feel on the surface when you read the last section of Genesis 7 and the first verse of Genesis 8. It seems so clear that this is what it means. But is it?

When we look at the Hebrew word for “assuaged” which is ישכו - yascu, this word needs some defining. Yes, it can mean “assuaged” or “receded,” however in this context many ancient commentators point out something else.

Rabbi Raphael Hirschinson in his excellent commentary on Genesis says the following: “וישכו  –  vayascu (root שכך) The use of this expression indicates that the action of the water of the flood was not merely mechanically destructive but also chemically dissolving. According to one remark in Sanhedrin 108b (quoting here from the Babylonian Talmud – one of the ancient authoritative works on Jewish law and Bible interpretation – see http://www.come-and-hear.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_108.html), they were רותחין, seething. שכך is the reverse of boiling and bubbling up of a torrent.” (pg. 155). Continuing, Rabbi Hirschinson shows that to understand this verse it is essential to refer to a passage in the book of Esther chapter 7, verse 10, which says:

“Then the king’s wrath was pacified.”

The word for “pacified” in Esther 7:10 and the word for “assuaged” in Genesis 8:1 come from the same root. The point that arises out of these passages when we begin to dig deeper is that the Floodwaters themselves were boiling hot. Rabbi Hirschinson references a key passage in the Babylonian Talmud in this regard and it is good to show here what those ancient commentaries said about this verse. Note if here:

R. Hisda said: With hot passion they sinned (speaking about those in the pre-Flood period), and by hot water they were punished. [For] here it is written, And the water cooled; (Genesis 8:1) whilst elsewhere it is said, Then the king's wrath cooled down. (Esther 7:10) (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 108b)

You can see that this ancient commentator clearly understood that the waters of the Flood were hot water and he even translated the word as “cooled.” When we think about it, depending on our perspective, it could very easily mean that the waters indeed “cooled off” rather than “assuaged” or “run off” from a higher point to a lower point. What we find here is that those individuals who translated the word “assuaged” may have been influenced by their opinion of what took place in the Flood through means other than looking at the ancient sources (like religious art, paintings in churches, stained glass windows or icons) and comparing the information we find in the Biblical texts.

Hot water during the Flood? Yes. In fact, we have many ancient nations producing Flood type narratives and “a Finnish story of the Deluge (the Flood) is of hot water.” (Hastings: Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. IV, p. 548)

What has to be understood is the whole conception of what took place in the Flood needs to be reexamined. Even the word for “flood” (מבול  -  mabul) does not always specifically mean “flood.” Note that in passages in the New Testament where the Flood is referenced, the Greek word used is kataklusmos (kataklusmos), from which we get the English word cataclysm or cataclysmic. The point is, while all floods to one degree or another can be cataclysmic in effect, not all cataclysmic events are necessarily floods. It is important to note that the Hebrew word  (מבול  -  mabul) only appears in the Hebrew Bible 12 times, 11 of which are in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. (the remaining time is in Psalm 29:10) We even find in the first passage where this word in referenced that the Lord says: “I do bring a flood (מבול – mabul – “a cataclysmic event”) of waters …” (Genesis 6:17) It seems to indicate that to limit the description of this event to that of a “flood” is to miss the intent and power of this word. What took place in the early chapters of Genesis was a complete destruction of everything alive on earth and it looks like that while water was involved, that water was not only very hot, but that it also had corrosive qualities to it. [Much more to say on this later.]

What I hope to show through this short article is that there is much to learn in these early sections of Genesis. While the language is terse and brief, we have to remember that this is what the Lord has provided for us to know about the early earth. Let us take these passages, believe them and be willing to study them carefully asking the Lord to guide our path. There is still much teaching to be had from that good old Book.

Closing comment: As time permits, I hope to bring out more research on this interesting subject in the future as what I have given here is a summary of more research to be published later.