"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
Last week I started a series in which I was commenting on an article written by a girl who regrets remaining a virgin until her wedding night. In my previous post I made some distinctions between abstinence and chastity which I think were lacking in her formation. In today’s post I would like to continue my discussion of Samantha’s article and look at the teaching she received concerning sex and marriage…
As I mentioned a while ago, I’ve started teaching myself New Testament Greek. This endeavor has already started bearing some rather fruity tidbits. In the first few lessons I learnt the Greek alphabet and, even with this basic information, certain things which had previously mystified me, started to make sense. Today I would like to share with you one of my first “aaahhhh…” moments 🙂
For those Catholics reading this, it’s time for a pop quiz! Often in churches, you will see the letters “IHS” (it’s even used on the Reformation Wall in Geneva). You see these letters on books, altars, baptismal fonts, communion hosts etc, but what does it mean?
Read moreI thought I would do a follow-up to yesterday’s post about friendship…
Since the earliest times, as pilgrims traveled towards some holy site, they would travel together in groups. They would band together for support, encouragement and safety as they journeyed towards their pilgrimage destination. Likewise, in our pilgrimage towards Heaven, good friends along the way can offer us all kinds of support.
Given my personality type, I benefit greatly from time by myself, but in recent years I’ve come to understand how much I need friends. Good, virtuous friends support and encourage, but also tell us the cold, hard truth about ourselves when we really need it.
A while ago I was praying The Office of Readings and read about the beautiful friendship between St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzen. These were two of the three “Cappadocian Fathers” who were Early Church Fathers in Fourth Century Turkey. On Wednesday, in the Eastern calendar, it will be their feast day, the “Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs“, I thought I’d share an extract from one of Gregory’s sermons where he describes his relationship with Basil.
“Q” is the name given by theologians and historians to the hypothetical document which would account for the common material found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but which are not found in Mark:
Although I think the existence of the Q source is a distinct possibility, I’ll admit that I’ve grown very weary with all the modern scholarship which takes its existence as Gospel (so to speak) and who seem to enjoy developing more and more elaborate theories concerning its existence.
Given this, I simply have to share the following quotation which Joseph Heschmeyer put up a quotation on Facebook yesterday:
“I must admit, though, that the affirmation of Q’s existence comes close to exhausting my ability to believe in hypothetical entities. I find myself increasingly skeptical as more refined and detailed theories about Q’s extent, wording, community, geographical setting, stages of tradition and redaction, and coherent theology are proposed. I cannot help thinking that biblical scholarship would be greatly advanced if every morning all exegetes would repeat as a mantra:
“Q is a hypothetical document whose exact extension, wording, originating community, strata, and stages of redaction cannot be known.” This daily devotion might save us flights of fancy that are destined, in my view, to end in skepticism.”
– J.P. Meier, “A Marginal Jew: Mentor, Message, and Miracles”
One of the first things which struck me about the Qur’an the first time I read it was how it can suddenly and jarringly jump to a completely different scene, and even change who is speaking. For example, the following verse is clearly Allah speaking…
That is Paradise, which We will grant to whoever is devout among Our servants – Quran 19.63
…and then suddenly and without warning we now shift to the angels speaking as a group…
We only descend by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs whatever is before us, and whatever is behind us, and everything in between. And your Lord is never forgetful… – Quran 19.64
Those who attempt to say that the Qur’an teaches the corruption of the earlier scriptures, often appeal to Qur’an 5:48, but this argument turns on the translation of the word “muhaimin”. I therefore surveyed all the Qur’anic English translations I could find…
And to you We have revealed the Book containing the truth, confirming the earlier revelations, and preserving them (from change and corruption)
– Ahmad Ali
We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, confirming what was before it of the Book and as a guardian over it.
– Ali Qarai
And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) We have sent down the true Book upon you, confirming the Books preceding it, and a protector and witness over them
– Amhad Khan
And We have sent down to thee the Book with the truth, confirming the Book that was before it, and assuring it
– Arberry
And We revealed to you the Book in [the] truth, confirming what (was) before his hands of the Book and a guardian over it
– Corpus
And We have sent down the Book unto thee with truth; and confirming that which hath preceded it of the Book, and a guardian thereof
– Daryabadi
And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad SAW) the Book (this Quran) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Mohayminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures).
– Hilali & Khan
Then We revealed the Book to you (O Muhammad!) with Truth, confirming whatever of the Book was revealed before, and protecting and guarding over it.
– Maududi
We have revealed the Book to you (Muhammad) in all Truth. It confirms the (original) Bible and has the authority to preserve or abrogate what the Bible contains.
– Muhammad Sarwar
And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it
– Muhammad Shakir
And unto thee have We revealed the Scripture with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it.
– Pickthall
And to you We have revealed the Book with the truth confirming the Book that was revealed before it, and a guardian over it.
– Qaribullah
And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it.
– Sahih International
And We revealed to you the Book, with truth, confirming the Scripture that preceded it, and superseding it
– Talal Itani
We have sent down the Book to you with the truth, fulfilling [the predictions] revealed in the previous scriptures and determining what is true therein
– Wahihuddin Khan
To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety
– Yusuf Ali
As you can see, the most consistent translation of the word relates to the Qur’an’s protection of the earlier Scriptures: “…preserving them… a guardian over it… a protected and witness over them… assuring it… a guardian over it… a guardian thereof… trustworthy in highness and a witness… protecting and guarding over it… a guardian over it… a watcher over it… a guardian over it… guarding it in safety“
This clear consensus makes the polemical nature of the remaining four all the more obvious, offering a “translation” which goes far beyond the the Arabic text:
The bias of Sahih International’s translation is particularly blatant, translating it as “criterion”, pretending that the Arabic text says “furqan” rather “muhaimin”. Even among this group, Talal Itani seems to suggest that the earlier scriptures are uncorrupted, but just subordinate to the Qur’an.
It’s instructive to look at how earlier Qur’anic commenators explained the word:
Before I left San Diego, I went through all the Johannine epistles (1, 2, 3 John). Here are the questions we devised:
72. Who wrote this letter?
The Early Church identified it as John the Apostle, son of Zebedee. This would explain the preservation of the letter as well as the numerous parallels with John’s Gospel and the Book of Revelation. In recent years some have suggested that it is a disciple known as “John the elder”, a character from the Early Church about whom we know relatively little.
73. When was this letter written?
It was probably written after the publication of John’s Gospel, sometime in the 90s.
74. To whom was it written?
Probably to the Christians around Ephesus where John is said to have settled.
75. Why was this letter written?
Primarily to respond to a heretical, schismatic group. These could have possibly been Docetists, Gnostics, Cerinthians or possibly even converts from Judaism. The issue seemed to surround the nature and identity of Christ. John spends most of the letter talking about the authentic fellowship with God.
76. What are some of the words which John uses a lot in his writings?
Life, death, light, dark, beginning, abide, …
77. To whom is this letter addressed?
It is addressed to “the elect lady and her children”. Although this could have possibly been an actual person, it is more likely that John is speaking of a neighbouring Church is sisterly, feminine terms.
78. What is the main content of this letter?
John is writing to a sister church. He encourages them and warns them of the antichrist
79. Who is the antichrist?
According to John, anyone who “will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh”.
80. To whom is this letter addressed?
It is addressed to “the beloved Gaius”. He is most likely in the leadership of the one of the local congregations.
81. What is the main content of the letter?
A man named “Diotrephes” is exalting himself, refusing to accept John’s authority, refusing welcome to those John sends and excommunicating anyone who does so.
1-16 | 17-27 | 27-42 | 43-52 | 53-57 | 58-67 | 68-71 | 72-81