43rd session. 2-7-24. FUNDAMENTALS OF READING THE BIBLE

NOTES ON THE 2-7-24 CLASS
LAST EDITED 6-15-24 0415 HST
>> I discussed the availability of audio versions of the Bible.
>> I discussed the CSN radio network.
>> We discussed the term “trinity” versus the doctrine of the Trinity.
>> I gave more examples, in addition to the ones given at the previous class, to prove the point that the gospels of Matthew and Luke are not entirely reliable.
>> Most of the rest of the class was about Matthew 5:38-48 and the equivalent passage at Luke 6:27-37, with focus on detailed comparison of the two versions. I once again expressed my opinion that Matthew 5:39a is one of the most malevolent concepts ever expressed, attributed here to Jesus and inserted into one of his best commentaries on The Way. I explained the “Q” document.
>> Special thanks to Doug and Kevin for their outstanding contributions.

CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 2-7-24 CLASS
LAST EDITED 6-16-24 2335 HST
>> From 11:47 to 13:21 I mentioned the CSN network. I neglected to state that it is a radio network.
>> From 22:36 to 31:02 we discussed the “Johannine Comma” (Latin: Comma Johanneum) at 1 John 5:7-8. The version that was never seen before the Middle Ages is rendered into English as
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. (NKJV)
The ancient and authentic manuscripts are rendered into English as
7 There are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. (NRSVUE)
Based on what we saw in class, I was mistaken in saying that the corrupted version was invented by the Roman church in response to Erasmus; apparently it first appeared at least as early as 1215. At 25:13 to 25:43 I mention that a footnote is often seen at 1 John 5:7-8. The reason for the footnotes here is NOT what I guessed (that an entire verse is missing) because the Comma Johanneum is an addition both to the end of verse 7 and to the start of verse 8. The reason for the footnotes is to explain either that some content in the verses as presented is not found in any manuscripts before the Middle Ages, or to explain that some very late manuscripts have content not shown in the verses as presented.
>> At 38:23 to 38:36, I said that I think Matthew 5:39a is “probably the single most destructive concept that I have ever heard.” I expressed the same concept at 1:23:20 to 1:23:31 and probably at other times in this class and also at the 1-17-24 class. I somehow forgot that the single most destructive concept that I have ever heard is the anti-God, anti-Jesus, anti-human, anti-life, anti-love, anti-sanity, anti-ACIM dogma invented by ACIM so-called “teachers” and so-called “students” that not only must we never intentionally resist any evil, but also we must never intentionally do any good, express any love, recognize any difference between good and evil, recognize any qualitative difference between any behaviors, thoughts, feelings, conditions, or events, or have any preference for any one condition or event over any other condition or event.
>> At 45:15 to 45:22 and 46:35 to 46:39, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogy_of_Jesus, Luke records 42 generations from David to Joseph, therefore 43 generations from David to Jesus.
>> At 47:20 to 47:26 I said “right down to the last king.” In fact Jeconiah was the second to last king of Judah. The last king (Zedekiah) was his uncle, and therefore was not part of the genealogy of Jesus. See 2 Kings 24:15-20.
>> At 1:15:26 to 1:15:28, “erroneous” should have been “inerrant.”
>> At 1:31:31 to 1:31:36, “I’m pretty sure we’re going to find the Golden Rule” was meant to be “I’m pretty sure we’re going to find the Golden Rule in Mark and/or John.” In fact the Golden Rule is not found either in Mark or in John.
>> At 2:07:15 to 2:07:21 I said “A Course in Miracles gives a new definition to a whole bunch of Christian words.” Actually the number of Christian words to which ACIM gives new definitions may be in single digits.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 2-7-24 CLASS
>> With regards to 37:04 to 37:18, 37:57 to 38:06, 1:54:50 to 1:55:04, and possibly other cases, various renderings from Matthew 5:39a are:
NABRE: one who is evil
NASB: an evil person
NASB1995: an evil person
NCB: someone who is wicked
NCV: an evil person
NET: the evildoer
NIV: an evil person
NKJV: an evil person
NRSVUE: an evildoer.
>> At 48:30 to 49:44, Thomas Paine died in 1809. The full title of the book I mentioned is The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. It was published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Reason, last edited 29 January 2024 at 18:32 UTC.)
>> With regards to Paine’s pamphlets which were causative factors in the American Revolution, two quotes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine#American_Revolution are: “Paine has a claim to the title The Father of the American Revolution, which rests on his pamphlets, especially Common Sense, which crystallized sentiment for independence in 1776.” “In late 1776, Paine published The American Crisis pamphlet series to inspire the Americans in their battles against the British army.”
>> At 51:34 to 51:49, 1:08:34 to 1:08:52, and shown but not spoken at 1:16:00 to 1:16:20, the references for “not hear” are Deuteronomy 30:17, “But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear,” and Matthew 13:13, “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (NKJV).