Please point out where you see the word for prayer given to Jesus present in the original language. I admit, I have already completely studied the entire Bible on this subject. If I have missed something I would like that part to be drawn to my attention. Thanks.
Already did-no need to repeat myself.
The memra of God
• The use of the word memra helped people understand God as
transcendent and yet immanent (philosophical and metaphysical)
theories of divine presence at the same time.) The memra was the
site of God’s presence in the world and as a mediating figure. If the
Memra is just a name {utterance} that simply enables avoiding
asserting that God himself has created, appeared, supported, saved,
and thus reserves his absolute transcendence, then who, after all, did
the actual creating, appearing, supporting, saving? Either God
himself, in which case, one has hardly ‘protected’ him from contact
with the material world, or there is some other divine entity, in which
case, the Memra is not just a name. Daniel Boyarin - Harvard
Theological Review
What the Targum taught - That the Memra
was God
• Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the
earth
• And it repented the Lord through His memra that He made man on
the earth. Targum
• Exodus 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
• The memra of God is the torah giver. Targum.
• Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:
• And the memra of the Lord said to Moses: Targum.
What the targum taught – the memra is the
creator
• Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image
• And the memra of the Lord created man. Targum
• Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made;
• By the memra of the LORD were the heavens made; Targum
What the targum taught – we are saved by
the memra.
• Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for
righteousness.
• Abram believed in the name of the memra of the Lord. Targum
• Isaiah 45:17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting
salvation:
• Israel will be redeemed by the memra of God, an everlasting redemption.
Targum.
• Hosea 1:7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save
them by the LORD their God,
• I will have mercy of them with the memra of the Lord their God. Targum
What the targum taught – the memra was the
manifestation of the Lord. (theophany)
• Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the
garden
• They heard the voice of the memra of the Lord walking. Targum
• Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of
Mamre:
• The memra of the Lord appeared to him by the terebith tree. Targum
• Isaiah 30:30 And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard
• And God shall cause the glorious voice of His memra to be heard.
Targum
What the targum taught – the memra was the
covenant giver.
• Genesis 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee
and thy seed
• And I will establish My covenant between my memra and between
you. Targum
• Genesis 9:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I
make between me and you
• And the Lord said, “This is the sign that I set for covenant between
my memra and you. Targum
• Joshua 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD,
• Now swear unto me by the memra of God. Targum
What the targum taught - The memra was a
revealer of God.
• Isaiah 48:16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken
in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I:
and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
• Draw near unto my memra, hear this
• Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no
god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is
there any that can deliver out of my hand.
• When the memra of the Lord shall reveal Himself to redeem His
people…and there is no God beside Me. I in My memra kill and make
alive.
J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed.,
Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1981 by J. Vernon
McGee.
• “The Word” is one of the highest and most profound titles of the Lord
Jesus Christ. To determine the exact meaning is not easy. Obviously
the Lord Jesus Christ is not the Logos of Greek philosophy; rather He
is the memra of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Is he the God of the Jews only?
• Romans 3:29 Is he the God of
the Jews only? is he not also of
the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles
also:
The logos of God.
• Philo - Jewish philosopher from Alexandria
• Taught Dualism
• God is holy and matter is evil
• God did not create matter.
• Matter and God are co-eternal
• Philo used the Memra to explain Logos theology
Aristotle
• The logos is designed to distinguish the beneficial from the harmful,
and thus also the right and the wrong. For this, in distinction from
the other animals is the property of man; that he alone has the ability
to perceive good and bad and right and wrong and other qualities.
And it is communication of these things that makes a household and
a city state.
Logos
• John borrowed the use of the term word not only from the
vocabulary of the Old Testament but also from Greek philosophy, in
which the term was essentially impersonal, signifying the rational
principle of divine reason, mind or even wisdom. The McArthur Study
Bible, John McArthur, Word Bibles, 1997, page 1573
The Archaeological Study Bible, Zondervan,
2005, page 1721
• The word logos, however had a rich tradition in Greek thought. While
logos can be a very general term meaning simply “word, account,
explanation of a thing” the philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC) used
it in a sense of an ordering principle for the universe. Thus logos is
the divine logic that gives order to the universe. Heraclitus appears
to have associated it with fire and to have linked it with reason within
human beings.
The Archaeological Study Bible, Zondervan,
2005, page 1721
• The sense of logos was most fully developed by the Stoics, who
taught that the universe was permeated with the logos that gave
order and rationality to all things. In late Stoicism this logos could be
equated with the pneuma “Spirit” a kind of compound of fire and air,
permeated by reason. There was a logos within each individual
person (that is human reason) and a logos that pervaded the
universe. (that is the rationality that governs the world) By extension
the logos within human beings enabled them to move in harmony
with the logos of the universe.
So when John wrote his gospel, his description of the
Word of God would speak to both his Greek and his
Jewish audience.
• John 1:1-3 1In the beginning was the Word, (logos – Divine reason)
and the Word (Logos – Divine reason) was with God, and the Word
(Logos – Divine reason) was God. 2The same was in the beginning
with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not
any thing made that was made.
• John 1:14 And the Word (logos – Divine reason) was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth
So when John wrote his gospel, his description of the
Word of God would speak to both his Greek and his
Jewish audience.
• John 1:1-3 1In the beginning was the Word, (Memra – manifestation
of God) and the Word (Memra – manifestation of God) was with God,
and the Word (Memra – manifestation of God) was God. 2The same
was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made.
• John 1:14 And the Word (Memra – the manifestation of God) was
made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth
John 1:14 And the Word (Memra – the manifestation of God) was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth
• 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory.
• Genesis 15:1-2 1After these things the word of the LORD came unto
Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy
exceeding great reward. 2And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou
give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this
Eliezer of Damascus?
www.clivechristianfellowship.org
J.
Please point out where you see the word for prayer given to Jesus present in the original language. I admit, I have already completely studied the entire Bible on this subject. If I have missed something I would like that part to be drawn to my attention. Thanks.
I ask you to consider the following: (These 14 points by Kenneth E. Thomas)
Christ is the "one in charge" of everything that affects my spiritual life (1 Corinthians 15:27), but I can't talk to him?
Christ is the Head of the body of which I am a member, but I can't talk to Him?
Christ is the Vine in which I am a branch (John 15:1-8), from Whom I derive all of my spiritual sustenance, but I can't talk to Him?
Christ is the King of the kingdom of which I am a citizen, but I can't talk to the King?
Christ is the Captain of my salvation (Hebrews 2:10), but I can't talk to my Captain?
Christ is my Brother (Hebrews 2:11), but I can't talk to my Brother?
Christ is my High Priest (Hebrews 3:1) He offered Himself for my sins, He is touched with all of the feelings of my infirmities (Hebrews 4:15), and is over the house of God of which I am a part (Hebrews 10:21), but I can't talk to my High Priest? (1 Timothy 2:5).
Christ is my Physician (Luke 5:31), but I can't talk to my Physician?
Christ is the Bishop of my soul(1 Peter 2:25), but I can't talk to my Bishop?
Christ is the Bridegroom of the church (His bride)(2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-33, but the bride can't talk to the bridegroom?
Christ is my "Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6), but I can't talk to my Counselor?
Christ is my Friend (John 15:14-15), but I can't talk to my Friend?
Christ is the "Great Shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews 13:20), of which I am one, but I can't talk to my Shepherd?
Christ is the "Minister of the sanctuary" (Hebrews 8:2), of which I am a part, but I cannot talk to my Minister(servant)? Why, it is amazing to even contemplate! It is much more logical as well as abundantly Scriptural to "TELL IT TO JESUS."
J.