Hebraic Analysis of Luke 7:1-10

Hebraic Analysis of Luke 7:1-10 Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael Harvey Koplitz @2024. Copyright Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz, D.Min., Ph.D. All rights reserved. 2 Introduction When a person is baptized as an infant and grows up in the church, different paradigms become a part of their religious DNA. The church has a message to give about Jesus Christ and His importance. Very few people study the theology and doctrines of the church to determine for themselves the accuracy of the church. The Proto-Orthodox church, which survived the pressures of the Roman Empire, opposed any expression of Christianity that did not fit its dogma in its infancy. In addition, the Proto-Orthodox church would permanently destroy any writings that the rival Christians had developed. The Gnostic Christians of Northern Egypt viewed the life of Jesus of Nazareth completely differently than the Proto-Orthodox church did. They saw the message about the Kingdom of heaven as the vital purpose of Jesus. His birth, death, and resurrection are not mentioned in the Gnostic Gospels. However, did the ProtoOrthodox church destroy the Gnostic Gospels when they crushed said movement? The answer is yes and no. Yes, they destroyed what they got their hands on. No, because in 1948, copies of the Gnostic religious books were discovered in Alexandria, Egypt. Once these documents were translated, the world learned what the Gnostic Christians believed. It is fascinatingly different from what the Proto-Orthodox said about these followers of Christ. Why is this understanding critical? Much research points to a different situation in the early years than what the church espouses. A lot of this information is available to anyone today. However, the Seminaries and churches will not openly discuss these other writings about Jesus and His disciples. The scholars teaching in most seminaries 3 have learned their lessons from the church and closed-minded mentors who refuse to look at other possibilities. This is because the Western European world took Christianity and changed it from a Near Eastern religion to Western religion. There is a theory that Paul converted Mithras House Churches into Jesus' House Churches. This is clear from the connection between the Mithras' and Christianity's rituals. For example, baptism was the initiation ritual of Mithras. Communion did not originate with Jesus. This ritual was a part of Mithras, where the followers would share his flesh (bread) and drink his blood (wine). There are many more rituals that Christianity collected from Mithras. A good reference is "Christianity's Need for Mithras," which the author wrote. Did Paul create the churches in the letters he sent, which comprise the New Testament, and if so, they must have been Jewish groups who became Jewish Christians? They would have continued with their Hebraic rituals and saw Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah that the prophets of old had promised. They would have adopted many of Jesus' teachings and tried to live by them. The letters in the New Testament are written in Greek. However, most Jews in the Roman Empire did not speak Greek; instead, they spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. These congregations would not have understood a Greek letter from Paul. Therefore, the letters in the New Testament must have been written in Aramaic and then transliterated into Greek. The same can be said for the Gospels, all of them. The church, over the centuries, decided who wrote the Gospels and their intent. The only Gospel we can assign to a writer is Luke. The other three are up in the air about who 4 wrote them. While in Seminary, the author was taught that the entire New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek. However, that raised the question, "Did Jesus speak Greek?" The Seminary instructors said, "no, Jesus did not speak Greek." Then the New Testament, especially the Gospels, must have been written in Aramaic. After all, Jesus spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. We know this because He was a poor tekton (a stonemason or carpenter) from an impoverished city named Nazareth. Being born to a Jewish family in Galilee, he would have learned the traditions of His people and trade. He would have learned to speak Aramaic, the language of the area. He would have learned Hebrew because that was the language of the synagogue and the Temple in Jerusalem. Hebrew was the language of God, and Jewish males learned the language. Suppose you are ready to toss this manuscript into the nearest trash can or delete it off your electronic device at this point in the introduction. In that case, the writer has your attention. This is the reaction when the writer has spoken with persons who had been indoctrinated into the church's position since birth. The author did not come into the church environment until he was 35. Therefore, the church's paradigms, dogma, and doctrine were not a part of his DNA. Instead, he questioned a lot. He found various inconsistencies between the Bible and the doctrines of the church. Seminary was an experience to learn what the church had evolved into two-thousand years after the death of Jesus. 5 There are more parts to the premise that the New Testament was originally written in Aramaic and will be explored. For the reader to grasp the subsequent phases of the proof, an open mind is critical. 6 Culture and Language Let us continue in the journey of examining the New Testament to determine its original language. Nothing in stone tells us that Aramaic is the Original Language of the New Testament. However, nothing says that Koine Greek was the original language of the New Testament either. Therefore, we have two theories about the original language of the New Testament. The author admits that the Seminary he attended drove home the belief that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, except for a few spots. The New Testament was initially written in Koine Greek. The writers' research has been searching for the original meaning of Scripture for many years. The methodology for this work is called "Ancient Bible Study Methods." The method was developed by Dr. Anne Davis of the Bible Learning University in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The author studied this method with Dr. Davis as his mentor. The search for the original meaning of the Scriptures requires that the culture and language be examined. So, the author's method is Dr. Davis' work, plus his Ph.D. studies combining the method, culture, and language. The language examination is easy for the Old Testament because it was written in Hebrew, and about one-half of Daniel is in Aramaic. It does not take long to realize that idioms and figures of speech in the Hebrew of the Old Testament revealed a lot about the people and situation of the day when the scrolls were written. The Targums were a valuable resource because they are the Aramaic translations the rabbis did for the people living outside of Judea. The rabbis added commentary to the Targums 7 because they knew that some idioms and figures of speech used in the Near East would not translate well into the different areas where the Jews lived. The culture of the Near East has been essentially the same in many aspects since the days of Jesus. Various practices of Jesus' day are still in use today. The culture of the Jews of the Near East is built into the language. Often, an Aramaic or Hebrew word has a deep meaning that is only fully understood by natives living in that culture. The Old Testament is filled with cultural items that do not need to be spelled out because the people knew their culture in the author's time. Suppose the New Testament in Koine Greek is a transliteration of the Aramaic. The culture, figures of speech, and idioms will be easily identified when examining the Peshitta (the Aramaic version of the New Testament). Indeed, many of the difficult words of Jesus are not tricky when examined in the culture's light of Jesus' day. An example is "faith to move a mountain," Jesus said these words to His disciples. The church determined that this meant complete faith in Jesus. From the western European Greek point of view, that makes sense. What else could it possibly mean? "Faith to move a mountain" is an Aramaic idiomatic expression. What Jesus said to His followers when he said this is that his disciples needed to be faithful so that they could change the "government's view through their words." The governing body for Judaism lived on the top of a mountain. Jerusalem, with its Temple, was built on the top of Mount Zion, a very tall mountain. This idiom survived because the Aramaic Gospels were transliterated into Koine Greek. Many other examples support this position. 8 Suppose the culture and language idioms of Jesus' day can be found in the Koine Greek because it was transliterated. In that case, it supports the theory of the Aramaic versions being the original language of the Gospels and possibly even more. 9 The Aramaic Version of the New Testament The Peshitta is the accepted Aramaic translation of the New Testament for various churches of the East. Peshitta means "simple, true, direct, and original." It is a collection of scrolls that were compiled in 150 CE. There were some revisions to the Peshitta in the fifth and sixth centuries. The Greek version of the New Testament is a transliteration of the Peshitta.1 For centuries, the Catholic church has used the Latin version of the Bible, the Vulgate, and still uses it. The Vulgate was developed around 350 CE by Jerome by order of the Pope. Erasmus (1466–1536) was the person who put together the Greek New Testament for the Catholic church. "The New Testament, brought to light in the original Greek tongue, was compiled and made available for humanity to study and learn. Although working under and deeply associated with the Roman Catholic Church, the learned scholar declared his disagreement with those who wanted to keep the Scriptures from the common people. He said, "If only the farmer would sing something from them at his plow, the weaver moves his shuttle to their tune, the traveler lighten the boredom of his journey with Scriptural stories!" Little did he know that the work he was about to produce would change the world forever. This Greek New Testament, in printed form, would become the standard of the New Testament, launching the translations of Martin Luther and William Tyndale into the world. Thus, fulfilling his dream that all men would read the 1 Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on Galatians through Hebrews: A Commentary Based on Aramaic, the Language of Jesus, and Ancient near Eastern Customs (Smyma, GA: Noohra Foundation, 2005). 10 Bible for themselves in their common language. His new "study Bible" had two main parts, the Greek text, and a revised Latin edition, which was more elegant and accurate than the traditional translation of Jerome's Latin Vulgate. Erasmus prefaced this monumental work of scholarship with an exhortation to Bible study. He proclaimed that the New Testament contains the "philosophy of Christ," simple and accessible teaching with the power to transform lives."2 The church recognized Erasmus' Greek New Testament in 1515 CE. The church in the Near East has been using the Peshitta as the original language of the New Testament since 150 CE. If the Greek New Testament was important to the church as an original language, then why did it adopt the Vulgate in 350 CE? The church should have adopted the Greek New Testament at the beginning. The Peshitta, translated into English, is used to examine Paul's letters. The rest of the methodology that the author developed for Ancient Bible Study Methods is the framework of this research. 2 “Erasmus Greek New Testament,” Insight of the King, accessed February 18, 2022, https://www.insightoftheking.com/erasmus-greek-new-testament.html. 11 The Messianic Tradition Change One problem for Peter and the Disciples was that they claimed Yeshua to be the Messiah that the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures spoke. However, Yeshua did not do what these traditions said. The main tradition was that the Messiah would destroy oppressive Romans and reinstate the Kingdom of Israel. Yeshua would then be declared the king and sit on David's throne in Jerusalem. That did not occur. None of the messianic traditions of the day worked. So, what was the new movement going to do? They turned to the prophets and discovered Isaiah 50-53. These chapters are referred to as the Suffering Servant chapters. The Yeshua movement decided that the Suffering Servant was Yeshua. The portrayal of Yeshua's life does fit the Suffering Servant chapters. However, rabbinical interpretation then and now sees the Suffering Servant as the nation of Israel. Indeed, these chapters do describe the history of Israel. Nations have wanted to destroy the Jewish people since the time of Abraham. The diaspora from the Babylonia Exile and the Assyrian invasions looked to squelch the Jewish people. The LORD promised that a remnant of the people would always survive. That is true throughout the 4,000-year history of the Jewish people. Various nations tried to destroy them, and the LORD intervened to ensure that a remnant of the people survived. Paul must have been convinced in his encounter with Yeshua on the Damascus road that Yeshua was the Suffering Servant. It is clear from Paul's writings that he believed this. For Paul, the Messiah was the Spiritual Messiah that the Kabbalah spoke. The 12 Kabbalah says that there will be two Messiahs. This theology is based on Zachariah 9:9. The first Messiah is Messiah ben Joseph. This Messiah was to restore the Kingdom of Heaven, a spiritual Kingdom. The second Messiah will be Messiah ben David. This Messiah was to restore the Kingdom of Israel. The Midrash from the Kabbalah did not state that the Messiah was two different souls. 13 The Kabbalah There is a large amount of material in print about the Kabbalah. The Kabbalah referred to is Moses's Secret Work from Mount Sinai. Legends say Moses received three items on Mount Sinai when he met the LORD. The first is the written law. The written law is called the Torah. The second is the oral law. The oral law was put into a written form around 200 CE called the Mishnah. The third is the secret law called the Kabbalah. The secrets of the Kabbalah are based on the Torah and were written around 200 CE. The main books of the Kabbalah are the Zohar and the Book of Creation. Many of Yeshua's statements have Kabbalah undertones. Yeshua would have known the Kabbalah. Paul would have known the basics, at least, of the Kabbalah because of his religious education and training. There are Kabbalistic ideas in the Gospels and Paul's letters. Kabbalistic verses will be highlighted in the chapters of the letters. 14 Methodology The method employed is to use "Ancient Bible Study Methods" integrated with Jesus's day's customs and culture to examine the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, thus gathering a more in-depth understanding by learning the Scriptures in the way the people of Jesus's day did. I have titled the method of analyzing a passage of Scripture in a Hebraic manner the "Process of Discovery." The author developed this method, which combines various linguistic and cultural understanding areas. There are several sections to the process, and not all the parts apply to every passage of Scripture. The overall result of developing this process is to give the reader a framework for studying the Word in more depth. The "Process of Discovery" starts with a Scripture passage. An examination of the linguistic structure of the passage is next. The linguistic structure includes parallelism, chiastic structures, and repetition. Formatting the passage in its linguistic form allows the reader to visualize what the first-century CE listener was hearing. Their corresponding sections label the chiasms, for example, A, B, C, B', A.' Not all passages of the Scriptures have a poetic form. The next step is to "question the narrative." The narrative process of questioning the narrative assumes the reader knows nothing about the passage. Therefore, the questions go from simple to complex. The next task is to identify any linguistic patterns. Linguistic patterns include, but are not limited to, irony, simile, metaphor, symbolism, idioms, hyperbole, figurative language, personification, and allegory. 15 A review of any translation inconsistencies discovered between the English NAU version and Hebrew or Greek versions is done. Sometimes, a Hebrew or Greek word is translated in more than one way. Inconsistencies also can be created by the translation committee, which may have used traditional language instead of the actual translation. The decision of the translation committee is in the Preface or Introduction to the Bible. Perhaps some inconsistencies were intentionally added to convey some deeper meaning. An examination of every discrepancy is done. The passage is analyzed for any echoes of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Christian Scriptures. An echo occurs using a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures in the Christian Scriptures.3 Also, echoes are found when Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) passages are used in other Hebrew Bible books. Cross-references in the Scripture are references from one verse to another verse, which can help the reader understand the verse. The names of persons mentioned in the passage are listed. Many Hebrew names have meaning and may be associated with places or actions. Jewish parents used to name their children based on what they felt God had in store for their children. An example is Abraham, whose original name was Abram and was changed to mean eternal father (God changed Abram's name to Abraham, showing a function he was to perform). When the Hebrew Bible gives names, many occurrences mean something unique. The same importance can occur for the names of places. The time to travel between locations can supply insight into the event. 3 Mitzvot are the 613 commandments found in the Torah that please God. There are positive and negative commandments. The list was first development by Maimonides. The full list can be found at: ttp://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm. 16 Key phrases are identified in verses when they are essential to understanding that passage. There are no rules for selecting the keywords. Searching for other occurrences of the keywords in Scripture in concordance is necessary to understand the Word's usage; this must be done in either Hebrew or Greek, not in English. A classic Hebraic approach is to find the usage of a word in the Scripture by finding other verses that contain the Word. The usage of a word in its original language is discovered by searching the Scripture in the language of the Word. Verses that contain the Word are identified, and a pattern for the usage of the Word is discovered. Each verse is examined to see what the usage of the Word is, which may reveal a model for the Word's usage. The first usage of the Word in the Scripture, primarily if used in the Torah, is essential for Hebrew words. The Christian Scriptures are used for Greek words to determine the Word usage in the Scripture. Sometimes, finding the equivalent Greek Word in the Septuagint can be beneficial as analyzing its Hebrew usage. The Rules of Hillel are used when applicable. Hillel was a Torah scholar who lived shortly before Jesus' day. Hillel developed several rules for Torah students to interpret the Scriptures, which refer to halachic Midrash. In several cases, these rules are helpful in the analysis of the Scripture. The cultural implications from the writing period are done after the linguistic analysis is completed. The culture is crucial because it is not explicitly referenced in the biblical narratives, as indicated earlier. From the linguistic analysis and the cultural understanding, it is possible to get a deeper meaning of the Scripture beyond the plain text's literal meaning. That is what the listeners of Jesus' time were doing. They put linguistics and culture together without even having to contemplate it. 17 The analysis will lead to findings explaining the passage's meaning in Jesus' day. Most of the time, the Hebraic analysis leads to the desire for more in-depth analysis to fully understand what Jesus was discussing or what was happening to Him. Whatever the result, a new, more in-depth understanding of the Scripture is obtained. The components of the Process of Discovery are: Language Process of Discovery Linguistics Section Linguistic Structure Discussion Questioning the Passage Verse Comparison of citations or proof text Translation Inconsistencies Biblical Personalities Biblical Locations Phrase Study 18 Linguistic Echoes Rules of Hillel Culture Section Discussion Questioning the passage Cultural Echoes Culture and Linguistics Section Discussion Thoughts Only the applicable sections are included in this document. 19 Luke 7:1-10 Language Peshitta New American Standard 1995 Luke 7:1 And when he had finished all these discourses in the audience of the people, Jesus entered into Capernaum. 2 And the servant of a centurion, who was dear to him, was very sick, and near to death. 3 And he heard of Jesus, and sent the Elders of the Jews to him, and requested of him that he would come and save the life of his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they entreated him earnestly, and said: He is worthy that thou shouldst do this for him; 5 for he loveth our nation, and hath also built us a house of assembly. 6 And Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent his friends to him, and said to him: My Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof: 7 therefore I deemed myself not worthy to approach thee myself; but speak the word only, and my young man will be healed. 8 For I also am a man subjected to authority; and I have soldiers under my command; and I say to this one, Go; and he goeth: and to another, Come; and he cometh: and to my servant, Do this; and he doeth [it.] 9 And when Jesus heard these things, he admired him; and he turned, and said to the throng that followed him: I say to you, I have not found faith like this even in Israel. 10 And they that were sent, returned to the house; and they found the servant that had been sick, now well. Luke 7:1 aWhen He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, b He went to Capernaum. 20 Luke 7:2 And a centurion’s slave, 1who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 When he heard about Jesus, a he sent some 1Jewish elders asking Him to come and 2save the life of his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “1Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just 1say the word, and my 2servant will be healed. 8 “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, anot even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. References to the New American Standard 1995 Luke 7:1 a Matt 7:28 b Luke 7:1-10: Matt 8:5-13 Luke 7:2 1 Lit to whom he was honorable Luke 7:3 1 Lit elders of the Jews 2 Lit bring safely through, rescue a Matt 8:5 Luke 7:6 1 Or Sir Luke 7:7 1 Lit say with a word 2 Or boy Luke 7:9 a Matt 8:10; Luke 7:50 21 Koine Greek Luke 7:1 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπλήρωσεν πάντα τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς τοῦ λαοῦ, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Καπερναούμ. Luke 7:2 Ἑκατοντάρχου δέ τινος δοῦλος κακῶς ἐ ́χων ἐ ́μελλεν τελευτᾶν, ὁ ̀ς ἠν͂ αὐτῷ ἐ ́ντιμος. 3 Ἀκούσας δὲ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτὸν πρεσβυτέρους τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἐρωτῶν αὐτόν, ὁ ́πως ἐλθὼν διασώσῃ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ. 4 Οἱ δέ, παραγενόμενοι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν σπουδαίως, λέγοντες ὁ ́τι Ἀ ́ξιός ἐστιν ᾡ ͂ παρέξει τοῦτο· 5 ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸ ἐ ́θνος ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν ἡμῖν. 6 Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἐπορεύετο σὺν αὐτοῖς. Ἠ ́δη δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας, ἐ ́πεμψεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος φίλους, λέγων αὐτῷ, Κύριε, μὴ σκύλλου· οὐ γάρ εἰμι ἱκανὸς ἱ ́να ˹ ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην μου ˺ εἰσέλθῃς· 7 διὸ οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἠξίωσα πρὸς σὲ ἐλθεῖν· ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ λόγῳ, καὶ ἰαθήσεται ὁ παῖς μου. 8 Καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἀ ́νθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος, ἐ ́χων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας, καὶ λέγω τούτῳ, Πορεύθητι, καὶ πορεύεται· καὶ ἀ ́λλῳ, Ἐ ́ρχου, καὶ ἐ ́ρχεται· καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου, Ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ. 9 Ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμασεν αὐτόν, καὶ στραφεὶς τῷ ἀκολουθοῦντι αὐτῷ ὀ ́χλῳ εἰπεν, ͂ Λέγω ὑμῖν, ˹ οὐ ́τε ˺ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὑρον. ͂ 10 Καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες οἱ πεμφθέντες εἰς τὸν οἰκον ͂ εὑρον ͂ τὸν ἀσθενοῦντα δοῦλον ὑγιαίνοντα. 22 Language Process of Discovery Linguistics Section Linguistic Structure [Transition] Luke 7:1 aWhen He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, bHe went to Capernaum. A 2 And a centurion’s slave, 1who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 When he heard about Jesus, ahe sent some 1Jewish elders asking Him to come and 2save the life of his slave. B 4 When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” C 6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “1Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just 1say the word, and my 2servant will be healed. C’ 8 “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” B’ 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, anot even in Israel have I found such great faith.” A’ 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. 23 Discussion This narrative focuses on Yeshua not having to see the ill person, nor touch the person, nor even being in the same room in order to cure him. It always demonstrates that Yeshua is an ultimate authority. Questioning the Passage 1. Who was the centurion? (v. 5) “So who was this centurion? He’s described as a hekatontarchos, the Greek equivalent to the Latin centurio. He cannot have been part of the Roman army, however, since there were no Roman forces in Galilee at the time; instead, he probably belonged to the royal troops of Herod Antipas. Rulers appointed by Rome (as was the case with Antipas) were expected to maintain an army and to provide Rome with military support when necessary. Antipas’s troops engaged in an unauthorized and disastrous war with Aretas IV of Nabataea in 36 C.E., but little else is known about them. Jews were exempted from conscription, and Antipas probably used mainly non-Jewish soldiers as his father Herod I had done. (The Jewish historian Josephus gives a description of Herod’s army in Antiquities 17.198.) The use of Roman titles suggests that Antipas organized his troops in the Roman way.”4 The church has always said that the centurion had to be a Roman soldier. If so, then the church can say that Yeshua the Messiah came also for the Gentiles. The move from just Israel to all peoples does not occur in the Gospel for a few more chapters. If the Gospel of Matthew was written in Hebrew or Aramaic the word centurion would probably be replaced by the word meaning soldier. With the understanding that Roman soldiers were not in the Galilee during Yeshua’s time 4 "What Can We Know about the Roman Centurion? by Helen K. Bond." Roman Centurion? Accessed October 24, 2018. https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/related-articles/roman-centurion. 24 it does lean toward that the centurion being a soldier, probably an officer, in Herod’s army. There are other phrases in this passage that when examined in the Aramaic language and Semitic culture are interpreted differently then the church scholarship says. The culture and language of Yeshua’s day must be taken into consideration. Thus, the person approaching Yeshua might have been an officer of Herod’s army. Also, a Gentile approaching Yeshua would have caused more of a commotion then the Gospel says. The assessment from the quoted article about Roman soldiers in the Galilee indicates that Herod must have organized his army in a Roman manner. Understanding the problems with the translation from Aramaic to Greek, this conclusion just based on the word centurion is incomplete. More information is needed to support this claim. The understanding of the intent of this passage changes when the centurion becomes a fellow Hebrew who envisions Yeshua as a healer. 2. Why did the centurion tell Yeshua that he was not worthy to have Him come to his home? (v. 8) The opportunity to have anyone visit a home was accepted because it is a blessing to show hospitality. Why would the centurion not want Yeshua to come to his home? A possible idea is that since the centurion was an officer in Herod’s army the people of the town did not approve of him. Herod Antipas was a cruel leader much like his father. Herod’s family was not Jewish, and the people believed that none of them should be ruling in Judah and the Galilee. Therefore, anyone associated with them would have been rejected by the people. The centurion might not have wanted to create an ugly scene with Yeshua coming to his home. 25 Perhaps the centurion was ashamed that he had joined Herod’s army. These men would enforce Herod’s will and that meant hurting their own people. He may not have felt worthy of the honor of having a holy man enter his home. 3. Why does the centurion have to tell Yeshua that he is a commander of men? (v. 9) The centurion expressed his authority which came from his superiors. He was a man who could have ordered any healer to come to his house. Instead of ordering Yeshua to come to his house he asked Yeshua to come to his home. 4. Why was Yeshua marveled by the centurion? (v. 10) It takes faith in the healing powers of Yeshua and the compassion of Yeshua for the centurion to recognize the power of the great healer, but that he also believed that Yeshua would do what he asked. Yeshua could have said no. If so, the centurion had the authority to seize Yeshua and force Him to come to the centurion’s home to perform the healing. Biblical Locations 1. Capernaum “In existence from the 2nd c. B.C. to the 7th c. A.D., Capernaum was built along the edge of the Sea of Galilee and had up to 1500 residents. Today the ruins are owned by two churches: the Franciscans control the western portion with the synagogue and the Greek Orthodox’s property is marked by the white church with red domes.”5 5 "Capernaum (BiblePlaces.com)." BiblePlaces.com. Accessed October 24, 2018. https://www.bibleplaces.com/capernaum/. 26 Culture Section Discussion At times officers who ruled over people helped them with their faith. They help build sanctuaries and synagogues for their subjects. History tells us about Cyrus who was Persian King who levied heavy taxes and extracted gifts from his own people to help rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Herod, who was an Idumean who upgraded the Temple in Jerusalem. History tells us of Turkish men who worshiped in Christian churches when there was no mosque near them to attend.6 Questioning the passage 1. When the centurion said “lord” was he saying that Yeshua was God? (v. 8) This is a situation where the original Aramaic was translated into Greek without considering the culture. In the Greek versions of Matthew’s Gospel, the word κύριος is used. Paul’s letters have the same problem. In Paul’s letters he used his Semitic culture but used the Greek language. The Aramaic word for “lord” is mara. This term is used whenever addressing a superior. In Yeshua’s day it was everyday language. Mara was also used to address a ruler, and outstanding teacher, holy man, healer, and a worker of miracles. Therefore, when several scholars have said that Paul believed Yeshua to be God because he called him “lord” they have not taken into account the usage of “lord” in the Aramaic language in Yeshua’s day. The centurion was acknowledging Yeshua as a great 6 1. Rocco A. Errico and George M. Lamsa, Aramaic Light on the Gospels of Mark and Luke: A Commentary on the Teachings of Jesus from the Aramaic and Unchanged near Eastern Customs (Smyrna, GA: Noohra Foundation, 2001). 27 healer. There is extra-biblical evidence about the usage of mara and its usage in the first century CE (“Jesus the Jew” by Vermes Geza).7 Culture and Linguistics Section Discussion The interpretation of this passage changes dramatically when the original language of Yeshua’s day is used instead of a foreign language (Koine Greek). The Roman centurion becomes an officer of Herod’s army, a Hebrew. He comes to ask for healing from Yeshua for his son or daughter. Yeshua takes a moment to talk about believing in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, is this passage a healing passage, which is what the church has been saying for 1900+ years or is it a passage about the Kingdom of Heaven? The officer did not need to have Yeshua come to his home to perform his healing miracle. He believed that if Yeshua said it that it would happen. As an officer he oversaw many soldiers. He could tell them when to laugh and when to cry. He also had authority over Yeshua which came to him by way of the government authorities. However, the officer yields to a higher authority. He recognizes the LORD’s authority which was given to Yeshua as the Messiah. The Messiah came to move the Kingdom of Heaven forward. It would be proper to consider that the kingdom of Heaven began with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, patriarchs. The Hebrews were to spread the Kingdom, so that it covered the entire world. But that never happened. The people got caught up in the sins of their neighbors. So, the LORD sent His Messiah to change the peoples’ way and to enlighten them about the Kingdom of Heaven. Why did the author include this narrative? 7 Errico, Rocco A., and George M. Lamsa. Aramaic Light on the Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Teachings of Jesus from the Aramaic and Unchanged Near Eastern Customs. Santa Fe, NM: Noohra Foundation, 2000. 28 In this narrative of higher authority over Yeshua yields that authority because he knows that Yeshua comes from God Almighty. Whether the soldier was Roman or part of the local government in Yeshua’s day that person would have authority over him citizens today. How humbling it must’ve been for that officer to come before Jesus and say I know I have authority over you but you really have authority over me. We need to remember that Yeshua has authority over us. Living in the physical world there are people that are going to have authority over us. Police officers, and if you are employed you may have a boss who has authority over you. No matter who those authorities are you must always yield to Jesus. Why was the narrative written the way it was? What’s interesting about the way this narrative is written that Yeshua never went into the home to cure the person who is ill. All he did was tell the officer if you have faith in me and my authority then then it shall be done for you. What an exciting demonstration of faith. This officer may or may not have been Jewish and may or may not have believed in the power of the Messiah. But in his time of distress he came to believe in Yeshua. In a way it’s sad that some people have to go into a time of tragedy or distress defined that God and Christ is there waiting for them. Hermeneutics (for us today) A possible original intent of the passage is Yeshua asking if there was anyone who believed in what He was saying? That is why it is important to study the passages of the Gospel and try to determine what the people in Yeshua’s believed about what He was saying and then asking the question, “do you believe what Yeshua said?” Each of us must yield to the power of the LORD. The LORD is working in the world. In Yeshua’s day it was through Him. In our time it is through the Shekinah (what 29 Christians call the Holy Spirit). Do you believe that the Kingdom of Heaven has been established on Earth? It also means that you believe that Abraham the Patriarch is important to the Kingdom of Heaven and started it. Yeshua came to remind us about the Kingdom of Heaven and the proper way to behave in the kingdom by understanding the true interpretation of the LORD’s ways for us. So, in this passage He asks the question about believing in His words. So many people say that they have faith in Yeshua but by their words and actions demonstrate that they do not believe in Yeshua’s word. For example, Yeshua said we must love each other. It is clear in today’s world that is not the case. Worse it is clear at times that Yeshua’s words of love each other does not happen in the church. Yeshua makes it clear that there will be disappointment for those who either took the Kingdom of Heaven for granted or did not believe in the Kingdom at all. To enter the kingdom of Heaven takes more than just uttering the words “I have faith in Yeshua” to get into Heaven. Yeshua’s healing was believed without Yeshua doing anything visible. To have faith in Yeshua today means to have faith that the acts of salvation, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus did occur and faith that through the Shekinah healing and direction can be obtained. Faith does not come with a sign or miracle. Faith is something you must internally digest and develop. Faith in the acts of salvation through Yeshua the Messiah will ensure that on judgment day one will not be disappointed or regretting that during their lifetime they should have listened to the LORD’s word. Faith in Yeshua always means believing in the words of Yeshua. That means to live like Yeshua one must follow Yeshua’s words of instruction found in the Gospels. Each person must examine themselves to see if they believe in Yeshua’s words. Again, 30 the LORD will determine one’s belief in Yeshua’s words by one’s words and actions. Make sure you are showing the LORD that you have faith and believe in Yeshua 31