I Say To You Today

What did Jesus mean when he said to the thief on the cross, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."  Did he mean that the thief would be in Paradise later that day?  Or is it possible that Jesus meant something else?  Here is the text in context.

Luke 23:39 ESV - One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

What does Luke 23:43 look like in Greek?

• Greek (Nestle-Aland) - και ειπεν αυτω· αμην σοι λεγω, σημερον μετ εμου εση εν τω παραδεισω. 
• Transliterated Greek (Nestle-Aland) - kai eipen auto; amen soi lego, semeron met emou ese en to paradeiso.  
  
• Greek (Textus Receptus) - και ειπεν αυτω ο Ιησους, Αμην λεγω σοι, σημερον μετ εμου εση εν τω παραδεισω.
• Transliterated Greek (Textus Receptus) - kai eipen auto o Iesous, Amen lego soi, semeron met emou ese en to paradeiso.
  

The word translated into English as today is semeron in Greek.  Is this word simply a statement about time, or was it ever used with a different intent?  How did Jesus use this word and how was it used in the Old Testament Septuagint?

Luke 19:8-10 NKJV - Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The same Greek word semeron is used in this text.  Although it is certainly a reasonable interpretation to understand today in Luke 19:9 to be a statement about time,  I would like to suggest that today can also be used emphatically rather than temporally.  Understood this way, the words could be paraphrased as "I assure you, salvation has come to this house..."  Let's look at the Old Testament to see if we can find any examples where today is used emphatically.

Gen 31:48 ESV - Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today (Sept: σημερον / semeron;  Heb: ‏  /  היוםhayom)..."

Deu 4:26 ESV - "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom), that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed.

Deu 8:19 ESV - "And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom) that you shall surely perish.

Deu 9:3 ESV - "Know therefore today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom) that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you.

Deu 11:26-28 ESV - "See, I am setting before you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom) a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom), 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom), to go after other gods that you have not known.

Deu 26:3 ESV - "And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, 'I declare today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom) to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.'

Deu 30:18 ESV - "I declare to you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom), that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom), that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,...

Josh 5:9 ESV - And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom) I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

1 Sam 12:5 ESV - And he said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom), that you have not found anything in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

1 Sam 15:27 ESV - As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day (Sept: semeron; Heb: hayom) and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

Did Saul lose his kingdom that very day?  Or, was Samuel using today emphatically.

There are many more examples.  The word today frequently seems to be used emphatically; often it is used in this way when the speaker is testifying as a witness.  Here is an example of this usage in the New Testament.

Act 20:26 ESV - "Therefore I testify to you this day (Greek: σημερον / semeron) that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,...

Given this cultural context, can we reasonably interpret Jesus' words as an emphatic assurance?  Drawing from some of the Old Testament language that uses the word today emphatically, can we paraphrase Jesus' words this way?

Truly, I call heaven and earth to witness and I testify to you this day that you will be with me in Paradise.

The "Church" of the Old Testament

When did the church begin?  Maybe a better question, is "What is church?"  What is the history of this word?

What can we find out with a little research?  Let's start by looking for the word in the Bible.  The BibleGateway site is useful as a source of many Bible translations.  I used BibleGateway to search for the word "church" in several different translations.  Here is what I found.

• New International Version -- 112 references, found in the NT only
• New American Standard Bible -- 112 references, found in the NT only
• Amplified Bible -- 131 references, found in the NT only
• New Living Translation -- 148 references, found in the NT only
• King James Version -- 111 references, found in the NT only
• English Standard Version -- 113 references, found in the NT only
• Contemporary English Version -- 131 references, found in the NT only
• New King James Version -- 120 references, found in the NT only
• Holman Christian Standard Version -- 114 references, found in the NT only
  

So far, there there is some variation, but the one consistency is that church is an exclusively New Testament word.  Now for the surprises....

• Young's Literal Translation -- No Results Found
  
• Darby Translation -- No Results Found
• William Tyndale's Translation -- No Results Found (Using Accordance Software)
  
• World English Bible -- No Results Found  (I used Unbound Bible for this one.)
  
• Douay-Rheims -- 138 references, 29 in the OT/Apocrypha and 109 in the NT (From another site.)

Four of these translations don't use the word church at all and the Douay-Rheims uses it 29 times in the Old Testament and Apocrypha. What explains these surprising differences?  Unbound Bible's Advanced Parallel Search is especially helpful for looking at this problem.  We can search for church in the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and compare it with Young's Literal Translation (YLT), Darby Version (DV) and World English Bible (WEB).  A few examples will illustrate, starting with some texts from the New Testament.

Matthew 16:18

• NASB - upon this rock I will build My church
• DV - on this rock I will build my assembly 
• WEB - on this rock I will build my assembly
• YLT - upon this rock I will build my assembly
• Tyndale - apon this rocke I wyll bylde my congregacion
  

Galatians 1:22

• NASB - the churches of Judea which were in Christ
• DV - the assemblies of Judaea which are in Christ
• WEB - the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ
• YLT - the assemblies of Judea, that are in Christ
• Tyndale - ye cogregacios of Iewrye which were in Christ

(Why the distinction "in Christ?"  Were there assemblies in Judea that are not "in Christ" and that needed to be distinguished from the assemblies that Paul is talking about?  Probably yes.  Where there "Christian churches" in Judea that were not in Christ?  That is probably not what Paul meant.) 

1 Thessalonians 2:14

• NASB - the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea
• DV - the assemblies of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus
• WEB - the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus
• YLT - the assemblies of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus
• Tyndale - the congregacions of god which in Iewry are in Christ Iesu

(The same question can be asked of 1 Thessalonians 2:14 as Galations 1:22.  Why is "in Christ Jesus" used in the sentence?  Were there "assemblies of God" that were not "in Christ Jesus?")

Hebrews 12:23

• NASB - to the general assembly and church of the firstborn
• KJV - the general assembly and church of the firstborn
  
• NIV - to the church of the firstborn
• ESV - and to the assembly of the firstborn
• HCSV - to the assembly of the firstborn
• RSV - and to the assembly of the first-born 
• NRSV - and to the assembly of the firstborn
• Reina Valera (Spanish) - a la congregación de los primogénitos
• Nueva Versión Internacional (Spanish) - a la iglesia de los primogénitos
• Segradas Escrituras 1569 (Spanish) - y a la Congregación de la Iglesia de los Primogénitos
• DV - the universal gathering; and to the assembly of the firstborn
• WEB - to the general assembly and assembly of the firstborn
• YLT - to the company and assembly of the first-born
• Tyndale - and vnto the congregacion of ye fyrst borne
  

In some of the previous examples, we might dismiss the differences as a theological bias in an unconventional translation.  Hebrews 12:23 is an interesting text because many of the common translations have chosen not to use the word church.  (The RSV and NRSV are generally not considered fringe or marginal.)  Clearly, many translators felt that the word church, as they understood it, was not appropriate to the context of this example even though the Greek word (ekklesia) is the same as in the previous examples. 

The word church is used in different senses in English.  Wikipedia has a disambiguation page for church, with the following entries:

• Christian Church, the worldwide body of Christians
• Local church, the body made up of a congregation, its members and clergy
• State church, a religious body or creed officially endorsed by government
• Church service, a formalized period of communal worship
• Christian clergy, formal Christian religious leadership
• Roman Catholic Church, sometimes called "the Church"
• Church (building), a physical structure used for religious activities

The Wikipedia entry for the Greek word ekklesia is similarly ambiguous and includes these two meaings among several others.

• the Christian Church
• The Qahal, an organisational structure mentioned in the masoretic text of the Bible, which the Septuagint refers to as the Ekklesia.

The second Wikipedia entry, Qahal, is the clue that leads us to an explanation for why the Douay-Rheims Bible uses the word church in the Old Testament.  Here are a few example verses from the Old Testament.

Numbers 20:4

• NASB - Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness
• KJV - And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness
  
• Douay-Rheims - Why have you brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness
• Septuagint (Greek) - και ινα τι ανηγαγετε την συναγωγην κυριου εις την ερημον ταυτην 
• Septuagint (transliterated Greek) - kai ina ti anēgagete tēn sunagōgēn kuriou eis tēn erēmon tautēn
• Vulgate (Latin) - Cur eduxistis ecclesiam Domini in solitudinem 
• Masoretic Text (Hebrew) - ולמה הבאתם את־קהל יהוה אל־המדבר

Numbers 20:4 is an interesting example because the Hebrew word qahal (קהל) is translated in the Greek Septuagint as synagogue and in the Latin Vulgate as ecclesiam. 

Deuteronomy 23:8

• NASB - The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.
• KJV - The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation. 
• Douay-Rheims - They that are born of them, in the third generation shall enter into the church of the Lord. 
• Septuagint (Greek) - υιοι εαν γενηθωσιν αυτοις γενεα τριτη εισελευσονται εις εκκλησιαν κυριου
• Septuagint (transliterated Greek) - uioi ean genēthōsin autois genea tritē eiseleusontai eis ekklēsian kuriou
• Vulgate (Latin) - Qui nati fuerint ex eis, tertia generatione intrabunt in ecclesiam Domini. 
• Masoretic Text (Hebrew) - בנים אשר־יולדו להם דור שלישי יבא להם בקהל יהוה

In Deuteronomy 23:8, the Hebrew word qahal is translated as ekklēsian in the Septuagint and as ecclesiam in the Vulgate.  The Douay-Rheims is translated consistently with the Vulgate.


Proverbs 5:14

• NASB - I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation.
• KJV - I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
• Douay-Rheims - I have almost been in all evil, in the midst of the church and of the congregation. 
• Septuagint (Greek) - παρ' ολιγον εγενομην εν παντι κακω εν μεσω εκκλησιας και συναγωγης
• Septuagint (transliterated Greek) - par' oligon egenomēn en panti kakō en mesō ekklēsias kai sunagōgēs
• Vulgate (Latin) - Paene fui in omni malo, in medio ecclesiae et synagogae.
• Masoretic Text (Hebrew) - כמעט הייתי בכל־רע בתוך קהל ועדה
• Masoretic Text (transliterated Hebrew) - kimat hayiti b'kol-ra b'tokh qahal v'eda
  

Proverbs 5:14 is interesting because both the Septuagint and Vulgate translate qahal as ekklesia/ecclesae (church) and they also translate the Hebrew word edah as synagoge (synagogue) and the text is using both words in parallel as synonymns.

The word qahal is translated in the KJV with the following words (and counts): congregation 86, assembly 17, company 17, multitude 3.  The word edah is translated in the KJV with the following words (and counts): congregation 124, company 13, assembly 9, multitude 1, people 1, swarm 1.  The set of words that the KJV uses to translate qahal is a subset of the words used to translate edah; these words are used as synonyms in the KJV translations.

There are two other verses that further illustrate the connections between qahal/edah and ekklesia/synagoge.

Leviticus 8:3

• NASB - and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting
• Septuagint (Greek) - και πασαν την συναγωγην εκκλησιασον επι την θυραν της σκηνης του μαρτυριου
• Septuagint (transliterated Greek) - kai pasan tēn sunagōgēn ekklēsiason epi tēn thuran tēs skēnēs tou marturiou
• Masoretic Text (Hebrew) - ואת כל־העדה הקהל אל־פתח אהל מועד
• Masoretic Text (transliterated Hebrew) - v'et kol-ha'edah haqhel el-petah ohel mo'ed

In Leviticus 8:3, the word edah is used as in the previous text, but haqhel (הקהל) is a verb derived from the same root as qahal (קהל) and it means "to assemble".  The Greek text is similar; synagoge is followed by a verb ekklesiason that means "to hold an assembly". 

Numbers 20:8

• NASB - Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes
•  Septuagint (Greek) - λαβε την ραβδον και εκκλησιασον την συναγωγην συ και ααρων ο αδελφος σου και λαλησατε προς την πετραν εναντι αυτων
• Septuagint (transliterated Greek) - labe tēn rabdon kai ekklēsiason tēn sunagōgēn su kai aarōn o adelphos sou kai lalēsate pros tēn petran enanti autōn
• Masoretic Text (Hebrew) - קח את־המטה והקהל את־העדה אתה ואהרן אחיך ודברתם אל־הסלע לעיניהם ונתן מימיו 
• Masoretic Text (transliterated Hebrew) - qah et-hammatteh v'haqhel et-ha'edah atta v'ah'ron ahıkha v'dibbartem el-hassela l'enehem v'natan memayv 

Numbers 20:8 is written in Hebrew and Greek using language similar to Leviticus 8:3; synagoge translates edah and a verb form of ekklesia translates a verb form of qahal.

So, when we see the word church (ekklesia) in the New Testament, how are we to interpret it?  Obviously ekklesia did not mean "the Christian church" when it was used in the Septuagint.  When we use the word church today, we generally do mean "the Christian church", or a congregation, or a denomination or a building.  When did church aquire these additional meanings and how are we to determine whether any of them apply in a New Testament context?

The words united and confederate may serve as a useful analogy.  A definition for united is "joined together politically, for a common purpose" and a definition for confederate is "joined by an agreement or treaty."  In the context of the United States prior to the Civil War, these two words might have been used synonymously.  Now, after the Civil War, it is more difficult to use united and confederate as synonyms because history has given them additional meanings.  However,  it would be misleading to project the later meanings back on these words when used in documents written before the Civil War.  The same principle applies to the words church and synagogue.  These words have meanings (and differences in meaning) today that are unavoidable, but we need to be careful that we don't project those meanings back on the New Testament texts without additional supporting evidence.

Yes, there was an ekklesia in the Old Testament--- a congregation or assembly.  Is the New Testament talking about the same ekklesia?

The Wikipedia article on the Tyndale Bible has an interesting discussion on the use of the word congregation rather than church to translate ekklesia.

The Apostolic Bible Polyglot -- A Greek Bible For the Rest of Us

The Apostolic Bible Polyglot is an interlinear Greek/English Septuagint and New Testament Bible.  I find it to be a useful tool for discovering how the vocabulary of the Greek New Testament was used in the older Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures.

We can easily find examples of translation discontinuities between the Old and New Testaments of most English Bibles that don't exist in the Greek Bible.  For example, our English word "church" is not found in most English Old Testaments.  However, the Greek word ekklesia (G1577) translated as "church" in the NT is also a common word in the Septuagint OT.  Is the ekklesia (church) of the NT the same as the ekklesia of the OT?  Or is it something new?  The answers to these questions is a topic beyond this one.  The point that I am making here is that the casual English reader is possibly never made aware that these questions even exist.  With the Apostolic Bible Polyglot (ABP) the English reader can easily investigate questions such as these.

The  ABP is laid out in two columns with unaccented Greek as the primary language.  The very-literal English translation is just below each line of Greek text.  An extended "AB-Strong" number is printed above each Greek word.  Greek Old Testament words that don't exist in the New Testament are given new numbers by "alphabetically inserting new numbers delineated by decimal points between the the existing Strong's New Testament Greek words."  A number with a decimal point means that it is an OT word that doesn't exist in the NT.

An English-Greek Index and a very complete, but concise, Lexical Concordance are printed at the back of hardcopy ABP editions. 

PDF downloads of the Apostolic Bible Polyglot, printed editions, and several other Bible resources are available at the publisher's website.

The Sabbath Commandment in the New Testament

Is the Sabbath Commandment in the New Testament?  The answer is yes, but not in the way we might expect in today's culture.  In the world of the first century, how did writers refer to other texts?  Theirs was a world without cut-and-paste and hyperlinks.  In fact, it was a world before chapter and verse--- they hadn't been invented yet.  In their time of hand-written manuscripts, the only way to refer to another text was to quote it.  Since they were working in a culture of intensive scripture memorization and weekly bible readings, they could expect that their audience would recognize the quoted passage and understand its context.

A portion of the Sabbath commandment is quoted several times in the New Testament.   The quoted portion is highlighted in the Exodus 20:8-11 passage that follows.

Exodus 20:8 (KJV) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The phrase "heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" is quoted verbatim in Acts 4:24 and Acts 14:15.

Acts 4:24 (KJV) And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:...

Acts 14:15 (KJV) And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

The NT Greek is an exact quote from the Septuagint.  (One doesn't have to know Greek to see that they are the same.)

Exodus 20:11 (Septuaginta, ed. A. Rahlfs) ἐν γὰρ ἓξ ἡμέραις ἐποίησεν κύριος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ κατέπαυσεν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ διὰ τοῦτο εὐλόγησεν κύριος τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἑβδόμην καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν

Acts 4:24 (Nestle-Aland, 27th. ed.) οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπαν· δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς,

Acts 14:15 (Nestle-Aland, 27th. ed.) καὶ λέγοντες· ἄνδρες, τί ταῦτα ποιεῖτε; καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς ἐσμεν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωποι εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ θεὸν ζῶντα, ὃς ἐποίησεν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς·

There are other NT texts that paraphrase the same passage.

Rev 5:13 (KJV) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Rev 10:6 (KJV) And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Rev 14:7 (KJV) Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Rev 14:7 ((Nestle-Aland, 27th. ed.)) λέγων ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ·  φοβήθητε τὸν θεὸν καὶ δότε αὐτῷ δόξαν, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα τῆς κρίσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσκυνήσατε τῷ ποιήσαντι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν καὶ πηγὰς ὑδάτων. 

What do all of these texts have in common?  They are all references to the identity of God as the creator.

• Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth
• Acts 4:24 thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth 
• Acts 14:15 the living God, which made heaven, and earth
• Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven (creature: Greek κτίσμα, created thing)
• Revelation 10:6 him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven
• Revelation 14:7 worship him that made heaven, and earth

Many texts in the NT make reference to God as the creator; it is as the creator that God is distinguished from other gods and philosophies.

John 1:1 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Acts 3:15 (RSV/ESV) and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

Acts 17:24 (KJV) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth (οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς), dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;...

Rom 1:25 (KJV) ... Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Col 1:15 (KJV) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:...

Heb 1:1 (KJV) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;...

Heb 11:3 (ESV) By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

What is the connection between creation and the Sabbath?

Gen 2:1 (KJV) Thus the heavens and the earth (Sept.: ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ) were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested (Heb: ‏וַיִּשְׁבֹּת - shabat: to cease, to rest, desist from labor) on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested (Heb: ‏שָׁבַת - shabat: to cease, to rest, desist from labor) from all his work which God created and made.

Exod 31:16 (KJV) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth (Sept.: τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν), and on the seventh day he rested (Heb: ‏ - שָׁבַת shabat: to cease, to rest, desist from labor), and was refreshed.

Texts in Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to the Sabbath in a context that is clearly future and "end of time" in character.  See Is 65:17-66:24 (For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth) and Ezekiel 43-48.  Much of the symbolism and language in these chapters has parallels in Revelation.

Isa 66:1 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.... 18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues (Rev. 7:9; 11:9); and they shall come, and see my glory. 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21:1), which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 

Why will "all flesh come to worship" the LORD from "one sabbath to another"?  Revelation 4:11 provides a good answer.

Rev 4:11 (KJV) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The "Lost" Beatitudes

The Beatitudes are so closely identified with Jesus that we may overlook examples of this form that occur in the Old Testament. Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) With that perspective in mind, perhaps we can add these lesser know Beatitudes to the familiar texts in Matthew and Luke.

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Psalm 40:4 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust.

Psalm 41:1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him.

Psalm 65:4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts!

Psalm 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Psalm 84:5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,...

Psalm 106:3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!

Psalm 119:1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!

Psalm 119:2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.

Psalm 128:1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

Psalm 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Proverbs 3:13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.

Lord, Lord: More than a Manner of Speech?

When Jesus used the expression "Lord Lord", was it something other than a manner of speech. There are denominations that deny the Jesus was anything other than an ordinary man. As I read in the Old Testament, I frequently find texts that are quoted or hinted at in the New Testament. Jesus frequently refers to himself---- for example "I am the Good Shepherd---- using concepts that are applied to God in the OT. It seems that Jesus seldom came out and said directly "I am the Messiah" or "I am God", but he said these things repeatedly through indirect language to those who were familiar with the OT. Could the phrase "Lord Lord" be one of these indirect hints about his identity?

There is the possibility that it is just an emphatic manner of speaking such as in these examples:

Luke 10:41---- But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things....

Luke 22:31---- Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat....

Following are the NT instances where Jesus uses the phrase "Lord Lord". In all of these instances, Jesus is not speaking emphatically in the same way as he said "Martha, Martha" or "Simon, Simon"; the "Lord, Lord" is spoken in the middle of a sentence. Luke 6:46 is perhaps the example that is least likely to be just a manner of emphasis---- the "why do you call me 'Lord, Lord'" suggests that the "Lord, Lord", as a repetition, is a name or a title.

Matthew 7:21-23---- "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Matthew 25:10-12---- And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Luke 6:46---- Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?

If we start from a traditional Christian/Trinitarian perspective, we, of course, assume that the title "Lord" is a reference to God. The word did not necessarily carry this kind of meaning---- we could as easily say the same thing with the word "master". Is the repetition "Lord, Lord" merely an emphatic way of saying "master, master". Is it, for example, no different, apart from emphasis, than the use of "master" in the following texts?

Matthew 13:27---- And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?'

Matthew 25:20---- And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' (In the KJV, it is "Lord, thou deliveresdt....")

Unfortunately, most English versions obscure the fact that the same Greek word---- κύριε (kyrie) ---- is used in all of these instances, for both "Lord" and "Master". The word "kyrie" (Strong's #2962) is a very common one in the NT. Here are some more examples---- translating "kyrie" as "sir"---- where the word is used in a context that is obviously not referring to God.

Matthew 21:28-30---- "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go.

Matthew 27:62,63---- The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.'

Luke 13:6-8---- And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.

Luke 14:21,22---- So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'

Luke 12:21---- So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

John 20:15---- Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

It is clear from these examples, that the word "kyrie", as a single word, can not be convincingly argued as anything other than a title of respect. Is there something special, however, about the repetition in "Lord, Lord"----- "kyrie, kyrie"?

There are a number of examples in the Septuagint where the repeatious phrase "kyrie kyrie" is used. Here are some examples. In each example the Greek text will be followed by the English and then, for the phrase highlighted in bold, the Hebrew.

Deuteronomy 3:24---- κύριε κύριε σὺ ἤρξω δεῖξαι τῷ σῷ θεράποντι τὴν ἰσχύν σου καὶ τὴν δύναμίν σου καὶ τὴν χεῖρα τὴν κραταιὰν καὶ τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ὑψηλόν τίς γάρ ἐστιν θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἢ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὅστις ποιήσει καθὰ σὺ ἐποίησας καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἰσχύν σου ----- O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your might; what god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours! ----- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה

Deuteronomy 9:26---- καὶ εὐξάμην πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπα κύριε κύριε βασιλεῦ τῶν θεῶν μὴ ἐξολεθρεύσῃς τὸν λαόν σου καὶ τὴν μερίδα σου ἣν ἐλυτρώσω ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι σου τῇ μεγάλῃ οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς αἰγύπτου ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι σου τῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου τῇ κραταιᾷ καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ ---- I prayed to the LORD and said, "Lord GOD, do not destroy the people who are your very own possession, whom you redeemed in your greatness, whom you brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ---- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה

1 Kings 8:53---- ὅτι σὺ διέστειλας αὐτοὺς σαυτῷ εἰς κληρονομίαν ἐκ πάντων τῶν λαῶν τῆς γῆς καθὼς ἐλάλησας ἐν χειρὶ δούλου σου μωυσῆ ἐν τῷ ἐξαγαγεῖν σε τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν ἐκ γῆς αἰγύπτου κύριε κύριε---- For you have separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, just as you promised through Moses, your servant, when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.---- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה

Psalm 109:21---- καὶ σύ κύριε κύριε ποίησον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔλεος ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ὅτι χρηστὸν τὸ ἔλεός σου---- But you, O LORD my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.---- יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי

Ezekiel 20:49---- καὶ εἶπα μηδαμῶς κύριε κύριε αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν πρός με οὐχὶ παραβολή ἐστιν λεγομένη αὕτη---- Then I said, "Ah Lord GOD! they are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of allegories?'"---- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה

Amos 7:5---- καὶ εἶπα κύριε κύριε κόπασον δή τίς ἀναστήσει τὸν ιακωβ ὅτι ὀλιγοστός ἐστιν ---- Then I said, "O Lord GOD, cease, I beg you! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!" ---- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה

There are also some instances of this phrase in the Apocrypha:

2 Maccabees 1:24---- ἦν δὲ ἡ προσευχὴ τὸν τρόπον ἔχουσα τοῦτον κύριε κύριε ὁ θεός ὁ πάντων κτίστης ὁ φοβερὸς καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ δίκαιος καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ μόνος βασιλεὺς καὶ χρηστός---- The prayer was to this effect: "O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, you are awe-inspiring and strong and just and merciful, you alone are king and are kind,

3 Maccabees 2:2---- κύριε κύριε βασιλεῦ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ δέσποτα πάσης κτίσεως ἅγιε ἐν ἁγίοις μόναρχε παντοκράτωρ πρόσχες ἡμῖν καταπονουμένοις ὑπὸ ἀνοσίου καὶ βεβήλου θράσει καὶ σθένει πεφρυαγμένου---- Lord, Lord, king of the heavens, and sovereign of all creation, holy among the holy ones, the only ruler, almighty, give attention to us who are suffering grievously from an impious and profane man, puffed up in his audacity and power.

Where did this repetition come from? In the Hebrew examples, above, the words are not repeated. One of the words is "אֲדֹנָי"--- pronounced "adonai" and meaning "my lord" or "my master"---- and the other word is the tetragrammaton, the "Hebrew name of God" written without all the vowels as "יְהוִה"---- thought to have been pronounced "Yahweh" and sometimes written as "Jehovah", "YHWH" or "YHVH". Since the name was never spoken, the true pronunciation is not known. In in the Hebrew tradition, whenever the name of God is read aloud from the bible, the word "adonai" (Lord) is spoken in its place. We follow a similar practice in English translations, generally substituting LORD---- all capitals---- in the place of the tetragrammaton. What happens when both "adonai" and the tetragrammaton occur as adjacent words---- "אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" or "יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי"----in the same verse? In the first instance, to avoid the repetition it is generally translated in English as "Lord GOD"; notice, that to show which is the name of God, the word "Lord" is not capitalized and the word "GOD" is capitalized. In the second instance, the NRSV translates it as "LORD my Lord". The Septuagint follows a similar approach in many instances, translating these words, for example, as "κύριέ μου κύριε" (literally "lord my lord"). In a few instances, however, the Septuagint translates these pairs of words as "kyrie kyrie" or "Lord Lord".

When Jesus uses the phrase "Lord, Lord" ---- "kyrie, kyrie"----- is he hinting at something more than just an emphatic "master, master"? His general tendency to hint at his identity with Old Testament allusions and the contexts in which he uses these phrases, suggesting something other than emphasis, are possible evidence that "Lord, Lord" may be a another subtle way that Jesus used to communicate to his listeners that he is "אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" ---- "Adonai YHVH"---- "Lord YHVH".