The Divine Lamp

That The Truth Of Reason Is Not In Opposition To The Truth Of  The Christian Faith.

Now though the aforesaid truth of the Christian faith surpasses the ability of human reason, nevertheless those things which are naturally instilled in human reason cannot be opposed to this truth.  For it is clear that those things which are implanted in reason by nature, are most true, so much so that it is impossible to think them to be false.  Nor is it lawful to deem false that which is held by faith, since it is so evidently confirmed by God.  Seeing then that the false alone is opposed to the true, as evidently appears if we examine their definitions, it is impossible for the aforesaid truth of faith to be contrary to those principles which reason knows naturally.

The same thing which the disciple’s mind receives from its teacher is contained in the knowledge of the teacher, unless he teach insincerely, which it is wicked to say of God.  Now the knowledge of naturally known principles is instilled into us by God, since God Himself is the author of our nature.  Therefore the divine Wisdom also contains these principles.  Consequently whatever is contrary to these principles, is contrary to the divine Wisdom; wherefore it cannot e from God.  Therefore those things which are received by faith from divine revelation cannot be contrary to our natural knowledge.

Moreover, our intellect is stayed by contrary arguments, so that it cannot advance to the knowledge of truth.  Wherefore if conflicting knowledges were instilled into us by God, our intellect would thereby be hindered from knowing the truth.  And this cannot be ascribed to God.

Furthermore, things that are natural are unchangeable so long s nature remains.  Now contrary opinions cannot be together in the same subject.  Therefore God does not instill into man any opinion or belief contrary to natural knowledge.

Hence the Apostle says: The word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in they mouth.  This is the word of faith which we preach (Romans 10:8).  Yet because it surpasses reason some look upon it as though it were contrary thereto; which is impossible.

This is confirmed also by the authority of Augustine who says: That which truth shall make known can nowise be in opposition to the holy books whether of the Old or of the New Testament (Gen. ad lit. ii).

From this we may evidently conclude that whatever arguments are alleged against the teachings of faith, they do not rightly proceed from the first self-evident principles instilled by nature.  Wherefore they lack the force of demonstration, and are either probable or sophistical arguments, and consequently it is possible to solve them.

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Some guy left this in a combox at Cosmos~Liturgy~Sex a few weeks ago.  I intended on posting it back then but forgot.

I’m guessing he’s not a student of etymology. Perhaps he finds the idea of etymology null and void because it should be spelled etumologia-at least if one accepts his slavery to word origins.

Sad it is ;-( that the multitudes believe a heretical
tradition regarding The One many, who say they are
believers, seek to follow. He Who is “The Messiah,
The Son of The Living GOD”.

Seems there is undeniable proof that the traditional name
of ‘jesus’ was not The Messiah’s GOD given birth Name
in any language! And proof exists in not just one, but all
New Testament Greek manuscripts from which catholic
and christian translators created their version of the
“bibles”!

Yes, undeniable proof!

First, the Greek word “Iesous” was used by those who
translated the Greek Septuagint, which was the Hebrew
to Greek translation of the Old Testimonies.

In the Greek Septuagint, which was translated prior to
the birth of The Messiah, the Greek word “Iesous” was
used to represent “Jeshua, son of Nun, so named by
Moses”. (Numbers 13:16)

And so it was established that the Greek name “Iesous”
represented the Hebrew name YeHoWsHuwa’(which
should have been translated as Jeshua, rather than
‘joshua’ in the English language Old Testaments).

Then in most all the New Testament translations, from
the various Greek manuscripts, the word “Iesous” was
translated correctly as Je(o)shua(YeHoWsHuwa’) in both
Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 and then the same Greek word
“Iesous” was traditionally(for the past 500, or so, years)
translated as their “imag”ined ‘jesus’ in all other places
of the English language New Testaments ;-(

However, in the original kjv(aptly named as king james’
version for it was of the church OF england) those who
did the translating of the New Testament decided to
rename Je(o)shua and declared the Je(o)shua of the
Old Testament to be of the same name as their
“imag”ined ‘jesus’ in both Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 ;-(

At least the translators of the kjv were consistent, yet
the result of their consistency is confusion ;-(

And so it was that a heretical tradition was established
less than 500 years past ;-(

Now if one wishes to take liberty and change the name
of the Old Testament “Je(o)shua” to ‘jesus’, well that is
their choice, yet a sad choice indeed and Truth ;-(

And worse yet you could accept the traditional lie that
the Greek word “Iesous” represents both “Jeshua” and
the catholic and christian ‘jesus’. For those who seek
The Light of Truth that is confusing at best! Another
sad choice ;-(

I have been, and know that i will yet be accused of
having my portion with the “sacred name folk” or some
other similar religious group. And yet that is as far
from Truth as one could be, for i believe that, “that
which decayed and waxed old” did indeed and Truth
“vanish away” with the destruction of the earthly,
natural kingdom that was centered in old jerusalem.

The Kingdom of GOD is now Spiritual and the body of a
believer is the Temple for the indwelling Spirit, The Spirit
that leads believers on The Way to The Truth of The Life.

Sadly, many believe that a name is not important ;-( Now
when a man makes such a statement to me i simply reply,
“ok, if that’s what you believe Martha”, or if it be a woman,
“ok, if that’s what you believe Matthew”…….

Truth is important, for apart from Truth their is nothing
but “confusion and every evil work” and Truth IS that the
“imag”ined name of ‘jesus’ was not spoken for more than
1500 years after The Only True GOD raised The Messiah
from among the dead! Truth IS that The Messiah’s GOD
given birth Name was YeHoWsHuwa’(Jeshua in modern
day English)!

Prior to that time there was no ‘j’ sound in the English
language, which is verifiable in most any encyclopedia.
And there never has been a ‘j’ sound in either Hebrew
or Greek.

Seems the vain “imag”inations of the “catholic” and
“christian” systems of religion have caused “The Way
of Truth to be evil spoken of”, so why continue to use
their “imag”ined name for “The Son of Living GOD”?

Those who yet cling to the “imag”ined name of ‘jesus’,
after The Truth was presented unto them, have chosen
to follow the evil ways of catholicism and her firstborn
“chrisitan” daughter, “the church OF england” ;-(

I am sad for all yet held captive by the “strong delusion”
that is their “imag”ined ‘jesus’ ;-(

Yet there is hope!

For Miracles do happen!

Hope is there would be those who would experience
The Miracle that is receiving “a love of The Truth”!

Truth IS, Yeshua(Jeshua in modern day english) is
The Messiah, Immanuel, The Son of The Living GOD!

Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of
this wicked world and it’s systems of religion, for
“the WHOLE world is under the control of the evil
one”(1Jn5:19) indeed and Truth.

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1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 is the first section to the third and final part of the letter.  Like the previous two parts it has a concentric, parallel structure:

A1) Exhortations concerning right and holy conduct (4:1-12)
B) The resurrection of the faithful and Christ’s second coming (4:13-5:11)
A2) Exhortations concerning right order in the community (5:12-28)

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

1 Thessalonians 4:1-2  We beseech and exhort you in the Lord.  Here Paul appeals to his authority as an ambassador of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).  The emphasis and urgency of the exhortation should be seen against the backdrop of the Lord’s second coming.

vs 1 cont.  (we exhort you) that, as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, even as you are so doing, you abound in doing so more and more   “Walk” is a common metaphor for one’s moral life (see my notes on Psalm 1).  The life of the man of God is conceived of as a religious pilgrimage towards final union with Him.  The Thessalonians have already begun that journey and are here encouraged to keep at it with even greater commitment.  That journey began when the missionaries came to their city preaching the word, which they “received in great affliction, with the joy which comes from the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).  The word received used here and in 2:13 is paralambano, which is related to the word pradosis, tradition.  Tradition is the handing on or receiving of a teaching delivered either orally, in writing, or by example, and Jesus is at their source, for he Handed on (paradidonai) and revealed what he had received from the Father (see Matthew 11:25-27).  The words in verse 2 for you know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus is likewise a reminder of the teaching they have received from the missionaries through Jesus..    But it was not merely through the preaching that they received from the missionaries how they ought to walk; they also received it by the example set by the missionaries (note the reference to imitation in 1:6, and see 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12).  The word abound calls to mind what Paul said in 3:12.

1 Thessalonians 4:3  For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you refrain from fornication The salvific will of God demands a response under grace on our part.  We must embrace holiness.  Fornication includes all forms of illicit sexual activity, but what St Paul has explicitly in mind in verses 4-8 is not entirely clear from the Greek text, as an examination of various translations 1 Thessalonians 4:4-8 shows (see the NAB and the RSV texts, along with the footnote to the text in the NAB).

1 Thessalonians 4:4-7  Peter Ellis, in his book SEVEN PAULINE LETTERS comments on the RSV translation:  “In the Greek, the import of these words is much less clear.  The RSV translates it as here but gives another translation-”How to control his own body”-in a footnote; and the NAB gives a third possible translation: “each of you guarding his member in sanctity.”  The different translations flow from the ambiguity of the Greek, which uses the word “vessel,” a word that could mean “wife” as above, or “body” as in the RSV footnote, or “member” (a euphemism for sexual parts) as in the NAB.  The NAB translation “member” would imply personal unchastity.  The RSV translation “wife” would imply adultery.  No certain solution is possible, but the context, especially in verse 6, would seem to favor the translation “wife,” and the nature of the immorality as adultery.  Underlying such immorality, one may suspect a devil-may-care attitude toward sex in view of the fact that the end of the world was considered near.”  The attitude may seem strange to us, but it is an idea exhibited often down through the centuries (i.e., some Gnostics and the Cathari).

1 Thessalonians 4:8 Therefore he that rejects this rejects not man, but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.  Paul’s teaching on this matter is not his own and cannot be rejected without rejecting God and the Holy Spirit (and, obviously, Christ) see 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2:13.

1 Thessalonians 4:9  But concerning love of the brothers you have no need that one write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another  This recalls 1 Thessalonians 3:12.  Paul probably has in mind here the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:34.  The Gospel of God delivered by the missionaries remains at work among them (1 Thessalonians 2:13) and manifests itself in love.

1 Thessalonians 4:10 for indeed you do it towards all the brothers that are in all Macedonia.  But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more.  In 1 Thessalonians 1:7 Paul had noted that the Thessalonians had become a model for believers throughout Macedonia, here we see that it manifested itself in love.  Once again Paul uses the words exhort and abound  as he had in 4:1 (and see 3:12).  The necessity for sanctification and love in virtue of the Lord’s second coming cannot be over emphasized.   The Lord’s return and its implications will be the subject of the second section of part 3 (see 1 Thess 4:13-5:11 and note especially the moral imperatives of 5:5-8, along with the focus on faith, hope, and love).

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12  And that you aspire to be quiet, and tend to you own business, and to labor with your own hands as we instructed you.  That you may walk (i.e., act) in a becoming way towards outsiders, being dependent on no one.  The appeal to previous instruction is essentially an appeal to the traditions they had already received concerning the subjects of this verse.  In their behavior they are to avoid instigating troubles among themselves and outsiders.    Many scholars believe that what Paul  has in mind here  is the fact that some of the Thessalonians had given up working in order to  better prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord.   By doing this they were becoming a burden on others.  By not working to earn their daily bread they were becoming dependent upon the charity of their fellow Christians and friends and relatives who were not members of the Church.  They were also becoming busy bodies.  Paul will have to deal with these issues again in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16.  In 1 Thessalonians 2:9 Paul explicitly mentions how the missionaries had labored among them so as not to be a burden.  This example was not doubt intended as part of the instructions they had received.

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This section closes out part 2 of the letter 2:17-3:13. Part 2 opened with the missionaries talking about their desire to return to the Thessalonians who were described as the “joy” and “hope” of the Evangelists (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20). Now we will see that this part closes with another announcement of their desire to return to Thessalonica. It would e good for the reader to recall the outline to section 2:

A1) The missionaries wish to see their converts “face to face” (2:17-20)
B) Timothy is sent to Thessalonica (3:1-8)
A2) The missionaries pray that they might see their converts “face to face” (3:9-13)

Read:
1 Thess 3:9-13

Notes:

1 Thessalonians 3:9 For what thanksgiving can we render unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we rejoice for your sakes before our God? The section opens with a rhetorical question which clearly recalls 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2:13. The question also starts with the Greek conjunctive gar, “for,” thus linking this section with what immediately precedes it (2:17-3:8). English translation cannot bring out adequately the meaning of the question, many people end up thinking that Paul is saying that he and his companions cannot even begin to give appropriate thanks to God for what he has done; but this is not the meaning. The emphasis is on the joy the missionaries feel after having received the report of Timothy (vss3-8) concerning the situation in Thessalonica.

Vs 9 cont. Joy. In 2:19 the missionaries had referred to their converts as their “hope and joy and crown of boasting in the presence of” Jesus “at his coming.” There the reference was eschatological (end time). Missionaries will be judged on how they have fulfilled their obligation to the Gospel and to those who believe in it (Luke 12:42-48). Paul and those with him had hoped that the Thessalonians mere maintaining their stand on the Gospel, thus showing the missionaries as good and faithful servants when Christ returned. Timothy’s news that they were indeed standing firm (vs 8) is cause for their present joy in hope of the coming return of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and Day we pray exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith. Paul began and ended part 1 of the letter (1:1-2:16) with a reference to thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; 2:13-16). His reference to thanksgiving in the previous verse, and his prayer in this section help to unify the letter, though the prayer he actually has in mind here is one of petition, the subject being that God may allow the missionaries to return to Thessalonica to continue what had been left undone. The reference to seeing the face of the converts calls to mind the opening section of part 2, namely 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 (see the outline above, and the outline of the whole letter HERE).

Vs 10 cont. may perfect that which is lacking in your faith. The missionaries had laid the foundational message of the Gospel down but had been unable to build upon it, their desire is to rectify that situation through another visit to the city. The third part of the letter (4:1-5:28) seeks to present some of what is still lacking in the faith of the converts.

1 Thessalonians 3:11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you. In the previous verse Paul had spoken about the missionaries abundant prayer’s that they be able to return to their converts; here he writes out such a prayer .

1 Thessalonians 3:12 and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards one another, and towards all men, even as we also do towards you The Lord (i.e., Jesus) is asked to bestow a superabundance of faith and love upon the community which was already in possession of these virtues (see 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 3:6). In this life the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love can never be possessed to such a degree that we can exhaust them, there is always room for an increase, hence, in a certain sense, our faith will always be lacking because it can always be improved, extended, strengthened.

Vs 12 cont. Towards one another and towards all men. Here St Paul is preparing for the final part of the letter (4:1-5:28), which will focus on moral conduct towards fellow Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:1-10), and towards outsiders (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

Vs 12 cont. Even as we also do towards you Here Paul not only reassures the community of his and his companions love for their converts, but also subtly holds himself and the others up as an example for imitation (see 1 Thessalonians 1:6).

1 Thessalonians 3:13 To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones Paul is still preparing for the final part of the letter, where holiness of life in preparation for the coming of Christ will be a major subject. Grammatically, this verse is linked to the previous one. To be blameless in holiness entails acting in love towards one another and all men.

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