Tag Archives: Romans 7:11

Exploration, Part 5

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Paul continued to describe the freedom for which Christ has set us free1 (Galatians 5:16 ESV).

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

But I say (Λέγω δέ) by the Spirit (πνεύματι᾿) walk (περιπατεῖτε) is nearer the actual word order. There is a choice here, too: περιπατεῖτε might be understood as an imperative form of περιπατέω, or as a statement of fact in the indicative mood, “But I say, by the Spirit you walk.” The ESV translators chose the imperative—walk by the Spirit—and so have I up to this moment.

Though the general trend of my life since I turned Paul’s definition of love into rules for me to obey has been to abandon the laws of Paul for faith in Jesus Christ, I haven’t trusted Him with this. Why not? I wonder, now that For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.2 Now that I’m hearing this as his work rather than mine.

Is there any other reason to believe that Paul wrote foolish Galatians, saying, “But I say, by the Spirit you walk”? To Romans he wrote (Romans 8:3-9 ESV):

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk (περιπατοῦσιν, another form of περιπατέω) not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live (ὄντες, a present participle of εἰμί) according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are (ὄντες, a present participle of εἰμί) in the flesh (ἐν σαρκὶ) cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh (οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκὶ) but in the Spirit (ἐν πνεύματι), if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong (ἔστιν, another form of εἰμί) to him3 [Table].

Paul didn’t even hint that the foolish Galatians did not belong to Christ. He called them my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!4 And he added, I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed (ἀποροῦμαι, a form of ἀπορέω) about you.5 And here to the Romans it’s quite clear he was describing truths to believe rather than works to achieve, the better promises of the new covenant.

It occurred to me that I could put this to rest, perhaps, if Paul and the Holy Spirit had another word choice that was exclusively in the indicative mood. But περιπατεῖτε is the only 2nd person plural form of περιπατέω in the present tense and the active voice listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon online. I’ll reexamine all my choices and assumptions so far.

Galatians 5:1
My first assumption is that the foolish Galatians, you, are included in For our freedom Christ has us set free6 as opposed to being excluded from that freedom. This assumption is confirmed later: For you to freedom were called, brothers.7 This eliminates the possibility that Paul was describing an elitist Pauline party to which foolish Galatians could belong by following the rules of Saint Paul as opposed to the rules of some other unnamed saint heading up some other elitist party. Such elitist parties were associated with the jealousy and strife of the flesh (1 Corinthians 3:1-8 ESV):

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready [Table], for you are still of the flesh (σαρκικοί, a form of σαρκικός). For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh (σαρκικοί, a form of σαρκικός) and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth [Table]. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

There is one other 2nd person plural form of στήκω listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon in the present tense and active voice: στήκητε in the subjunctive mood. None of the 2nd person plural forms listed is exclusively in the indicative or imperative mood. Perhaps the ESV translation of στήκετε (stand firm rather than “you must stand firm”) was intended to be vague enough to let the reader choose between the indicative and imperative moods. My ear, attuned by my background, hears it as a command. My own you stand firm may still sound imperative to some, so I’ll consider the implications.

“The imperative mood is a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action.”8 Understanding στήκετε in the imperative mood casts the freedom for which Christ has set us free9 as aspirational: If I aspire to the freedom for which Christ has set us free, then I must “perform a certain action,” stand firm.

There was a time when I thought Christ’s death on the cross was mostly aspirational. Since Christ died for my sins I should do A, B, C, etc. and refrain from doing X, Y, Z, etc. The forgiveness of sins was a possible exception, but as Jesus asked rhetorically, which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?10 The general trend of my growing faith since that time has been that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is more instrumental than aspirational.

Paul described the Lord’s death as one of the better promises of the new covenant in Christ (Romans 6:1-6 ESV).

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [Table] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that (ἵνα), just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk (περιπατήσωμεν, another form of περιπατέω)11 in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self (ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος; aka our old man) was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing (καταργηθῇ, a form of καταργέω), so that we would no longer be enslaved (δουλεύειν, the present infinitive of δουλεύω) to sin.

“The indicative mood is a statement of fact or an actual occurrence from the writer’s or speaker’s perspective.”12 Understanding στήκετε in the indicative mood casts the freedom for which Christ has set us free13 as instrumental: the freedom for which Christ has set us free is the means by which I stand firm through faith. For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm.14

The verb ἐνέχεσθε is a 2nd person plural form of ἐνέχω in the present tense and imperative mood: do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.15 So again, if I aspire to the freedom for which Christ has set us free, then I must “perform a certain action,” do not submit again. Once I understand Christ’s freedom as instrumental, however, I hear the middle/passive verb ἐνέχεσθε as another outcome of that freedom: and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.16 The yoke of slavery is the flesh (the body of sin…brought to nothing) along with its consequent faith and those actions that follow from faith in the flesh (Galatians 3:1-3 ESV):

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified [Table]. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.17 By translating μόνον μὴ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν εἰς ἀφορμὴν τῇ σαρκί (only not the freedom unto an opportunity for the flesh [EXP4]) as Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh casts Christ’s freedom as aspirational: if I aspire to the freedom for which Christ has set us free, then I must “perform a certain action”: do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. There were no Greek verbs in the imperative mood in the phrase “only not the freedom unto an opportunity for the flesh.” There were no verbs at all.

The verb δουλεύετε, was the only 2nd person plural form of δουλεύω in the present tense listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon: δουλεύσετε in the future tense is in the indicative mood exclusively and δουλεύσατε in the aorist tense is exclusively imperative. If the translation serve was intended to be understood as an imperative, it casts Christ’s freedom as aspirational. So, here again, if I aspire to the freedom for which Christ has set us free, then I must “perform a certain action,” through love serve one another.

Beyond that, however, Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another casts Christ’s freedom as something potentially dangerous which I must defend myself against by my works: 1) stand firm, 2) do not submit again to a yoke of slavery, 3) do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but 4) through love serve one another. Here again, understanding δουλεύετε as a statement of fact in the indicative mood—but through love you serve one another18—casts Christ’s freedom as instrumental, the source of the love through which we serve one another.

Galatians 5:16
If But I say, walk by the Spirit was designating περιπατεῖτε as the imperative form of περιπατέω, it casts Christ’s freedom as aspirational. If I aspire to the freedom for which Christ has set us free, then I must “perform a certain action,” I must walk by the Spirit. And here again, understanding περιπατεῖτε as a statement of fact in the indicative mood—“But I say, by the Spirit you walk”—casts Christ’s freedom as instrumental to—the “cause-in-fact” of—walking by the Spirit.

Why did I balk at this? It was my understanding of the conjoined clause (Galatians 5:16b ESV):

and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The Greek was καὶ, “and,” ἐπιθυμίαν, “desire,” σαρκὸς, “of flesh,” οὐ μὴ, “never,” τελέσητε, “accomplish”: “But I say, by the Spirit you walk and desire of flesh never accomplish.” The phrase οὐ μὴ τελέσητε is called a subjunctive of emphatic negation. I was so taken with this, I turned Paul’s words into a conditional statement:

If I walk by the Spirit, I will never under any circumstance imaginable complete the desire of flesh.

Now I question whether that maneuver could be considered rightly handling the word of truth.19 The following table compares Galatians 5:16 to an actual conditional statement:

Galatians 5:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

Romans 7:20 (NET Parallel Greek) Table

Λέγω δέ, πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε

εἰ δὲ ὃ οὐ θέλω [ἐγὼ] τοῦτο ποιῶ, οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ ἀλλὰ ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία

Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

Romans 7:20 (ESV)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

The Greek conjunction εἰ, if, does not occur in Galatians 5:16. Paul and the Holy Spirit did not make this a conditional (if this, then that) statement. I did, hoping to find some barometer that would help me accomplish my work of walking by the Spirit: “You must walk by the Spirit” is the meaning of πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε when περιπατεῖτε is understood as an imperative. “Walking by the Spirit is a skill or knack that is trickier to learn by trial-and-error than sound no trumpet,20 so that your giving may be in secret,”21 I wrote elsewhere.

Looking back now it seems clear that calling walk by the Spirit a “knack” was a tacit admission that I had no clue how “to carry out or perform” it as an “action.”22 Calling it a “knack that is trickier to learn by trial-and-error” barely masked my frustration with that ignorance. But my biggest frustration was the nagging question: “Why, knowing what I know about walking by the Spirit, do I ever walk according to the flesh?”

I had forgotten Paul’s sagacity regarding my identity vis-à-vis sin: Now if I do what I do not want (ὃ οὐ θέλω), it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.23 Maybe I hadn’t forgotten it completely. I recalled that if sin that dwells within me was completing “the desire of flesh” that was synonymous with walking by the flesh. I was not recalling, however, how sin gained that advantage over me as I made walk by the Spirit a rule for me to obey: But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness.24

There is the answer to my nagging question, “Why, knowing what I know about walking by the Spirit, do I ever walk according to the flesh?” I attempted to have a righteousness of my own that comes from the law25—walk by the Spirit as “a certain action” I must “perform”—playing into sin’s power—the power of sin is the law26—to deceive—For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me.27 The solution is to hear περιπατεῖτε as a statement of fact in the indicative mood—But I say, by the Spirit you walk and the desire of flesh you never accomplish28—as a truth to believe rather than a work to achieve. As Paul concluded: But thanks be to God, who gives (διδόντι, a present participle of δίδωμι) us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.29

Paul continued (Galatians 5:17 ESV [Table])

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

The Greek was: ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ, “For the flesh,” ἐπιθυμεῖ, “desires”: “For the flesh desires.” The verb ἐπιθυμεῖ is a 3rd person singular form of ἐπιθυμέω in the present tense, active voice and indicative mood. It is a statement of fact and a clear reference to your old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον; aka the old man), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.30

Next came: κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, “against the Spirit’s [desires].” The genitive τοῦ πνεύματος helps unravel why the ESV translators transformed the verb ἐπιθυμεῖ into a noun with a verb of being (ESV: the desires…are) and ἡ…σὰρξ in the nominative case into a genitive prepositional phrase: of the flesh. “For the flesh desires against the Spirit’s [desires]” is awkward in English, though the point is well-taken.

In the next clause the verb ἐπιθυμεῖ is implied: τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα, “and the Spirit,” κατὰ τῆς σαρκός, “against the flesh’s [desires].” So, “For the flesh desires against the Spirit’s [desires] and the Spirit against the flesh’s [desires].”

And the next clause: ταῦτα γὰρ, for these (the Spirit and the flesh), ἀλλήλοις, each other, ἀντίκειται, “oppose,” ἵνα, “so that,” μὴ ἃ ἐὰν θέλητε ταῦτα, “not that if you may want these” (e.g., want what the flesh desires), ποιῆτε, “you may do.” So, for these each other “oppose so that not that if you may want these you may do.”

I completely misunderstood for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do in English as a standoff between the Spirit and the flesh. The Greek says that even if I want to do what the flesh desires I cannot do it: for it is God who works in you, both to will (τὸ θέλειν) and to work (καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν) for his good pleasure.31

In other words, the freedom (Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ) for which Christ has set us free32 is nothing less than the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον; aka the new man), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness33 led by the indwelling Holy Spirit: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (ἐλευθερία).34 The flesh is not even remotely comparable in power to the Spirit of God.

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him,35 Paul wrote. The Greek—εἰ δέ, “But if” or “And if,” τις, “anyone,” πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ, “Christ’s Spirit,” οὐκ ἔχει, “not have”—seems more hypothetical (Acts 19:1-7) than the ESV translation. The Greek continues: οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ; literally, “this not is of Him.”

In the NET οὗτος was translated this person. Both translations derive the verb belong from the pronoun αὐτοῦ in the genitive case but there is no form of the verb ἀνήκω in this clause. I take “But if anyone Christ’s Spirit not have, this not is of Him” more openly than belonging to an elitist party. He wants us to have his Spirit. He wants us to know Him and abide in Him. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, Peter wrote, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.36

The Greek words translated not wishing were μὴ βουλόμενος, a form of βούλομαι. According to the Koine Greek Lexicon this means: “The Lord refuses” or “He is not consenting,” τινας, “some,” ἀπολέσθαι, an infinitive form of the verb ἀπόλλυμι in the middle voice, “to be destroyed, ruined; to perish, die; to be lost.” And this was contrasted with: ἀλλὰ πάντας, “but all,” εἰς μετάνοιαν, “unto repentance,” χωρῆσαι, a form of χωρέω. And here there is a choice to be made.

The ESV translation should reach (coupled with not wishing for μὴ βουλόμενος) indicates the optative mood, a 3rd person singular form of χωρέω. “The optative is the mood of possibility, removed even further than the subjunctive mood from something conceived of as actual. Often it is used to convey a wish or hope for a certain action to occur.”37 I will point out, however, that πάντας (all) is plural and χωρῆσαι is the only aorist infinitive listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon. As an infinitive verb in the aorist tense and active voice χωρῆσαι means: “to make room, give way, withdraw; to be spacious; to go, go out, go away, reach (e.g., the report reached us); to be in motion, go forward, make progress; to have room for, hold, contain; to grasp (mentally), understand, accept; to turn out (in a certain way at the end); to move far and wide.” In other words, “but all unto repentance to reach.”

Accepting χωρῆσαι as an infinitive form of the verb χωρέω agrees with the Lord’s current judgment (John 12:31, 32 ESV):

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

How do we respond to such grace? I heard a Christmas sermon as I wrote this essay that reminded me of Mary. There was nothing she could, or even should, do to become pregnant with the Son of God—just as there is nothing we can do to form Christ in us—except believe. Her faith can be ours as well: Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.38

1 Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

2 Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

3 The Greek is οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ; literally, “This not is of him.”

4 Galatians 4:19 (ESV) Table

5 Galatians 4:20 (ESV)

6 Galatians 5:1a (EXP1) Table

7 Galatians 5:13a (EXP4)

9 Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

10 Matthew 9:5 (ESV) Table

11 The verb περιπατήσωμεν is a form of περιπατέω in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood following the conjunction ἵνα. This a purpose or result clause: “if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.” In other words, walking in newness of life “is a definite outcome that will happen as a result of” being buried with him by baptism into death, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.

13 Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

14 Galatians 5:1a (EXP1) Table

15 Galatians 5:1b (ESV) Table

16 Galatians 5:1b (EXP1) Table

17 Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

18 Galatians 5:13c (EXP4)

19 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

20 Matthew 6:2 (ESV)

21 Matthew 6:4 (ESV) Table

22 “The imperative mood is a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action.” From Verbal Moods: Imperative Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

23 Romans 7:20 (ESV) Table

24 Romans 7:8a (ESV)

25 Philippians 3:9b (ESV)

26 1 Corinthians 15:56b (ESV)

27 Romans 7:11a (ESV)

28 Galatians 5:16 (EXP5)

29 1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)

30 Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

31 Philippians 2:13 (ESV) Table

32 Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

33 Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

34 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) Table

35 Romans 8:9b (ESV) Table

36 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) Table

38 Luke 1:38a (ESV)

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 8

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The Lord gave Moses detailed instructions about the day of atonement:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Leviticus 16:2, 3 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:2, 3 (NET)

Leviticus 16:2, 3 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:2, 3 (English Elpenor)
and HaShem (יְהֹוָ֜ה) said unto Moses: ‘Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the ark-cover which is upon the ark; that he die not; for I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover. and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the special curtain in front of the atonement lid that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement lid. And the Lord (κύριος) said to Moyses: Speak to Aaron your brother, and let him not enter at any time into the sanctuary inside the veil facing the propitiatory that is on the ark of witness, and he will not die, for I will be seen in the cloud upon the propitiatory. And the Lord (Κύριος) said to Moses, Speak to Aaron thy brother, and let him not come in at all times into the holy place within the veil before the propitiatory, which is upon the ark of the testimony, and he shall not die; for I will appear in a cloud on the propitiatory.
Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. “In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary—with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a calf from the cattle for sin and a ram for a whole burnt offering. Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and [having] a ram for a whole-burnt-offering.

The writer of Hebrews explained (Hebrews 9:6b-10 NET):

…the priests enter continually into the outer tent as they perform their duties [Table]. But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the Holy Place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle was standing. This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. They served only for matters of food and drink and various ritual washings; they are external regulations1 imposed until the new order came.

The Lord described how Aaron should dress:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Leviticus 16:4 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:4 (NET)

Leviticus 16:4 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:4 (English Elpenor)
He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired; they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on. He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on. And he shall put on (ἐνδύσεται) the consecrated linen tunic, and linen drawers shall be on his flesh, and he shall gird himself with a linen girdle and wrap around a linen turban; they are holy vestments. And he shall bathe his entire body in water and then put them on (ἐνδύσεται αὐτά). And he shall put on the (ἐνδύσεται) consecrated linen tunic, and he shall have on his flesh the linen drawers, and shall gird himself with a linen girdle, and shall put on the linen cap, they are holy garments; and he shall bathe all his body in water, and shall put them on (ἐνδύσεται αὐτά).

Peter wrote of the eight souls…delivered through water,2 from the flood (1 Peter 3:21, 22 NET):

And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you—not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ [Table], who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.

And Paul wrote (Ephesians 4:22-24 NET)

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on (ἐνδύσασθαι, another form of ἐνδύω) the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

The Lord commanded further concerning the day of atonement:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Leviticus 16:5-10 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:5-10 (NET)

Leviticus 16:5-10 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:5-10 (English Elpenor)
And [Aaron] shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering. He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two billy goats for sin and one ram for a whole burnt offering. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one lamb for a whole-burnt-offering.
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house. Then Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. And Aaron shall offer the bull calf for sin, which is his own, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. And Aaron shall bring the calf for his own sin-offering, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.
And he shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the tent of meeting. Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, And he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the door of the tent of witness, And he shall take the two goats, and place them before the Lord by the door of the tabernacle of witness.
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for HaShem (לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה), and the other lot for Azazel (לַֽעֲזָאזֵֽל). and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, ליהוה) and one lot for Azazel (ʿăzā’zēl, לעזאזל). And Aaron shall place lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord (τῷ κυρίῳ) and one lot for the one to be sent off (τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ). and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord (τῷ Κυρίῳ), and the other for the scape-goat (τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ).
And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin-offering. Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering, And Aaron shall present the goat which the lot fell on for the Lord and offer for sin, And Aaron shall bring forward the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and shall offer him for a sin-offering.
But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel (לַֽעֲזָאזֵ֔ל), shall be set alive before HaShem, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel (לַֽעֲזָאזֵ֖ל) into the wilderness. but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel (ʿăzā’zēl, לעזאזל) is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away into the desert to Azazel (ʿăzā’zēl, לעזאזל). and the goat which the lot fell on of the one to be sent off (τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου) he shall set it alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, to send it away into the place for sending away (τὴν ἀποπομπήν)—he shall let it go into the wilderness. and the goat upon which the lot of the scape-goat (τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου) came, he shall present alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon him, so as to send him away as a scape-goat (τὴν ἀποπομπήν), and he shall send him into the wilderness.

The writer of Hebrews continued (Hebrews 9:11, 12 NET):

But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation [Table], and he entered once for all into the Most Holy Place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.

I’m thinking more deeply about the theme of this thread:

Hebrews 10:1a (NET)

Colossians 2:17 (NET) Table
For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself… …these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!

Hebrews 10:1a (NET Parallel Greek)

Colossians 2:17 (NET Parallel Greek)
Σκιὰν γὰρ ἔχων ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμάτων ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ

The writer of Hebrews declared that the law possesses (ἔχων, a participle of ἔχω) a shadow (Σκιὰν, a form of σκιά ). Paul wrote that food or drink…the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days3 (i.e., those things described in the law) are (ἐστιν)…the shadow (σκιὰ). Two different phrases were translated reality itself (Hebrews) or reality (Colossians) in the NET. The author of Hebrews wrote τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμάτων (literally: “the image of the things”), while Paul wrote τὸ…σῶμα, (literally: “the body”).

I won’t quarrel with the NET translation except to say that it doesn’t imply that the shadow is unreal. A shadow is very real and prompts one to look up or turn around and look in another direction for what has cast it. I’m particularly exercised here to look for what cast the shadow of the scape-goat or the goat…to send…away for Azazel. The Scriptures listed in “6 Bible Verses about Scapegoat,” on Knowing Jesus online indicate to me that τὸ…σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ was understood literally as “the body of Christ.” There is another way to understand this phrase, especially in this particular context.

One may assume that the verb of being ἐστιν from the first clause is implied in the second: τὸ…σῶμα (ἐστιν) τοῦ Χριστοῦ, “the body [is] of Christ” or “[is] of the Christ.” Consider the following translation (Colossians 2:17 ESV):

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

This, coupled with the plural τῶν πραγμάτων in Hebrews, gives me both the license and the inclination to seek that particular aspect of Christ’s atonement4 that casts this particular shadow. What comes to mind as I consider the scape-goat,5 the one to be sent off,6 is Paul’s continuing explanation of one’s death to sin through faith in Christ (Romans 7:14-20 NET).

For we know that the law is spiritual—but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin [Table]. For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me [Table]. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me [Table].

This deserves a more in-depth look: For we know that the law is spiritual—but I (ἐγὼ) am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.7 In another essay I wrote:

It is difficult to hear Paul call himself unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. After all, what does that mean for someone like me? But Paul was describing himself as a man deceived[9] and seized by a fit of coveting, sin [old man], seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.[10] In the beginning this old man (sin personified) was perceived by Paul as I (ἐγὼ), I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.

The Benson Commentary8 reads:

But I am carnal — That is, man, considered in himself, as in a state of nature, and destitute of the regenerating grace of God, is carnal.

Meyer’s NT Commentary9 reads:

ἐγὼ δέ] but I, i.e. according to the ἰδίωσις pervading the entire section: the man, not yet regenerate by the Holy Spirit, in his relation to the Mosaic law given to him…

I think we were all mistaken. Consider the I Paul described:

For I don’t understand what I am doing.10

Here, I don’t understand was οὐ γινώσκω, the I being understood from the 1st person verb. And, what I am doing was ὃ…κατεργάζομαι. Again, the I is understood from the 1st person verb. Paul continued:

For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate.11

Literally: “For not what I want (οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω) this I do” (τοῦτο πράσσω). And, according to a note (22) in the NET, “but (ἀλλ᾿) what (ὃ) I hate (μισῶ), this (τοῦτο) I do (ποιῶ).” Here, too, I was understood from the 1st person verbs.

Paul made his desire, his will, quite explicit:

For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it.12

Literally according to a note (24) in the NET: “For to wish (τὸ γὰρ θέλειν) is present (παράκειται) in/with me (μοι), but not to do it” (τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὔ). Here, μοι, translated “in/with me,” is a form of ἐγώ in the dative case, hearkening back to that I Paul described as unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. It is readily distinguished from ἐμοί (another form of ἐγώ in the dative case) which precedes it:

For I know that nothing good lives in me (ἐμοί), that is, in my (μου) flesh.13

I’ll follow Paul’s word order more closely here. Though awkward in English it conveys his meaning quite clearly: For I know (Οἶδα γὰρ) that nothing (ὅτι οὐκ)…lives in me (οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί), that is (τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν), in my flesh (ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου), good (ἀγαθόν). And so, with these particular occurrences of dative forms of ἐγώ (ἐμοί and μου) he referred to his flesh only: that old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.14 But his qualification of these particular occurrences also serves to highlight those occurrences he did not qualify in a similar way.

And once more for good measure:

For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want!15

Here, For I do not do the good I want was οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω ποιῶ ἀγαθόν in Greek. And, but I do the very evil I do not want was ἀλλὰ ὃ οὐ θέλω κακὸν τοῦτο πράσσω. Here again, I was understood from the 1st person verbs.

The good (ἀγαθόν, a form of ἀγαθός) was not something Paul imagined for Himself, for he had already written (Romans 7:12 NET):

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good (ἀγαθή, another form of ἀγαθός).

The I Paul described had a new desire (Romans 3:10-18), a new will, to do the will of God revealed in the law. He was not “in a state of nature, and destitute of the regenerating grace of God.” He did not describe his plight as one “not yet regenerate by the Holy Spirit, in his relation to the Mosaic law given to him.” Rather, he described an I who was born from above, born of water and spirit, born of the flesh and born of the Spirit. I want to do the good, he wrote, but I cannot do it.16

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Leviticus 16:2; 16:3; 16:4; 16:5; 16:6; 16:7; 16:8; 16:9 and 16:10 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Leviticus 16:2; 16:3; 16:4; 16:5; 16:6; 16:7; 16:8; 16:9 and 16:10 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Hebrews 9:10 in the NET and KJV follow.

Leviticus 16:2 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:2 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:2 (NET)
and HaShem said unto Moses: ‘Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the ark-cover which is upon the ark; that he die not; for I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover. And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the special curtain in front of the atonement lid that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement lid.

Leviticus 16:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λάλησον πρὸς Ααρων τὸν ἀδελφόν σου καὶ μὴ εἰσπορευέσθω πᾶσαν ὥραν εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν γὰρ νεφέλῃ ὀφθήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· λάλησον πρὸς ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, καὶ μὴ εἰσπορευέσθω πᾶσαν ὥραν εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται· ἐν γὰρ νεφέλῃ ὀφθήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου

Leviticus 16:2 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:2 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to Moyses: Speak to Aaron your brother, and let him not enter at any time into the sanctuary inside the veil facing the propitiatory that is on the ark of witness, and he will not die, for I will be seen in the cloud upon the propitiatory. And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to Aaron thy brother, and let him not come in at all times into the holy place within the veil before the propitiatory, which is upon the ark of the testimony, and he shall not die; for I will appear in a cloud on the propitiatory.

Leviticus 16:3 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:3 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:3 (NET)
Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. “In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary—with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὕτως εἰσελεύσεται Ααρων εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ἐν μόσχῳ ἐκ βοῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ κριὸν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα οὕτως εἰσελεύσεται ᾿Ααρὼν εἰς τὸ ἅγιον· ἐν μόσχῳ ἐκ βοῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ κριὸν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα

Leviticus 16:3 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:3 (English Elpenor)
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a calf from the cattle for sin and a ram for a whole burnt offering. Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and [having] a ram for a whole-burnt-offering.

Leviticus 16:4 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:4 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:4 (NET)
He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired; they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on.

Leviticus 16:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ χιτῶνα λινοῦν ἡγιασμένον ἐνδύσεται καὶ περισκελὲς λινοῦν ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ζώνῃ λινῇ ζώσεται καὶ κίδαριν λινῆν περιθήσεται ἱμάτια ἅγιά ἐστιν καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πᾶν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνδύσεται αὐτά καὶ χιτῶνα λινοῦν ἡγιασμένον ἐνδύσεται, καὶ περισκελὲς λινοῦν ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ζώνῃ λινῇ ζώσεται καὶ κίδαριν λινῆν περιθήσεται, ἱμάτια ἅγιά ἐστι, καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πᾶν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδύσεται αὐτά

Leviticus 16:4 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:4 (English Elpenor)
And he shall put on the consecrated linen tunic, and linen drawers shall be on his flesh, and he shall gird himself with a linen girdle and wrap around a linen turban; they are holy vestments. And he shall bathe his entire body in water and then put them on. And he shall put on the consecrated linen tunic, and he shall have on his flesh the linen drawers, and shall gird himself with a linen girdle, and shall put on the linen cap, they are holy garments; and he shall bathe all his body in water, and shall put them on.

Leviticus 16:5 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:5 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:5 (NET)
And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρὰ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ λήμψεται δύο χιμάρους ἐξ αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ κριὸν ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ παρὰ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ λήψεται δύο χιμάρους ἐξ αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ κριὸν ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα

Leviticus 16:5 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:5 (English Elpenor)
And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two billy goats for sin and one ram for a whole burnt offering. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one lamb for a whole-burnt-offering.

Leviticus 16:6 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:6 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:6 (NET)
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. Then Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household.

Leviticus 16:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ προσάξει Ααρων τὸν μόσχον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ καὶ προσάξει ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν μόσχον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ

Leviticus 16:6 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:6 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall offer the bull calf for sin, which is his own, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. And Aaron shall bring the calf for his own sin-offering, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.

Leviticus 16:7 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:7 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:7 (NET)
And he shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the tent of meeting. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,

Leviticus 16:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λήμψεται τοὺς δύο χιμάρους καὶ στήσει αὐτοὺς ἔναντι κυρίου παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ λήψεται τοὺς δύο χιμάρους καὶ στήσει αὐτοὺς ἔναντι Κυρίου παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου

Leviticus 16:7 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:7 (English Elpenor)
And he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the door of the tent of witness, And he shall take the two goats, and place them before the Lord by the door of the tabernacle of witness.

Leviticus 16:8 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:8 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:8 (NET)
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for HaShem, and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.

Leviticus 16:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπιθήσει Ααρων ἐπὶ τοὺς δύο χιμάρους κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ καὶ ἐπιθήσει ᾿Ααρὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς δύο χιμάρους κλήρους, κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ

Leviticus 16:8 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:8 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall place lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for the one to be sent off. and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and the other for the scape-goat.

Leviticus 16:9 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:9 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:9 (NET)
And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin-offering. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering,

Leviticus 16:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ προσάξει Ααρων τὸν χίμαρον ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ προσοίσει περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ προσάξει ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν χίμαρον, ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ προσοίσει περὶ ἁμαρτίας

Leviticus 16:9 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:9 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall present the goat which the lot fell on for the Lord and offer for sin, And Aaron shall bring forward the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and shall offer him for a sin-offering.

Leviticus 16:10 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 16:10 (KJV)

Leviticus 16:10 (NET)
But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before HaShem, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away into the desert to Azazel.

Leviticus 16:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 16:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὸν χίμαρον ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου στήσει αὐτὸν ζῶντα ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ ἐξιλάσασθαι ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὥστε ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀποπομπήν ἀφήσει αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον καὶ τὸν χίμαρον, ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου, στήσει αὐτὸν ζῶντα ἔναντι Κυρίου, τοῦ ἐξιλάσασθαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὥστε ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀποπομπήν, καὶ ἀφήσει αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον

Leviticus 16:10 (NETS)

Leviticus 16:10 (English Elpenor)
and the goat which the lot fell on of the one to be sent off he shall set it alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, to send it away into the place for sending away—he shall let it go into the wilderness. and the goat upon which the lot of the scape-goat came, he shall present alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon him, so as to send him away as a scape-goat, and he shall send him into the wilderness.

Hebrews 9:10 (NET)

Hebrews 9:10 (KJV)
They served only for matters of food and drink and various ritual washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Hebrews 9:10 (NET Parallel Greek)

Hebrews 9:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Hebrews 9:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
μόνον ἐπὶ βρώμασιν καὶ πόμασιν καὶ διαφόροις βαπτισμοῖς, δικαιώματα σαρκὸς μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα μονον επι βρωμασιν και πομασιν και διαφοροις βαπτισμοις και δικαιωμασιν σαρκος μεχρι καιρου διορθωσεως επικειμενα μονον επι βρωμασιν και πομασιν και διαφοροις βαπτισμοις και δικαιωμασιν σαρκος μεχρι καιρου διορθωσεως επικειμενα

2 1 Peter 3:20b (NET) Table

3 Colossians 2:16b (NET) Table

4 I’m using the phrase “Christ’s atonement” very deliberately here in the context of a body or substance casting a shadow called the day of atonement. But I don’t intend to dispute anything contained in the transcript of John Piper’s interview, “Why Does ‘Atonement’ Disappear in the New Testament?,” on desiringGod online. I, too, am intrigued by this.

5 Leviticus 16:10 (English Elpenor)

6 Leviticus 16:10 (NETS)

7 Romans 7:14 (NET) Table

8 “Joseph Benson (1749-1821) was an English Methodist preacher and biblical scholar who is best known for his extensive work as a commentator on the Bible…Benson’s most significant work was his six-volume commentary on the entire Bible, which he began publishing in 1811. This comprehensive work represented the culmination of his many years of study and reflection on the Scriptures, and it remains a valuable resource for biblical scholars and lay readers alike.” From “Benson’s Commentary of the Old and New Testaments,” on StudyLight.org online.

9 “Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, a German Protestant with a gift for languages, published the first commentary in this collection in 1832 at the age of thirty-two…For over forty years Meyer balanced working on new additions to the commentary collection while also updating those already published with multiple, serious revisions. Before passing the baton to a few of his trusted peers to finish the NT, Meyer had completed sixteen volumes.” From Overview on LOGOS online.

10 Romans 7:15a (NET)

11 Romans 7:15b (NET)

12 Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

13 Romans 7:18a (NET) Table

14 Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

15 Romans 7:19 (NET) Table

16 Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

Who Am I? Part 4

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I spend a large portion of my Christmas holiday with three post-Christian women I’ll call Grandmother, Mother and Daughter because of their relationship to one another.  I call them post-Christian because they were all professing Christians at one time.  Grandmother still calls herself a Christian.  She means a non-Buddhist, non-Hindu, non-Jew, non-Muslim who believes in Jesus.  Her ex-husband was a Baptist Sunday school teacher who abused her, and Mother as a child.  Daughter is the most non-Christian, vocally pagan of the three with Mother falling somewhere between.  Their transformation began with a desire for a more feminine God.  I regret now not taking Mother’s question more seriously.  I didn’t understand at the time that this desire would lead through Mother Earth to a Mother Goddess and on to full-fledged paganism.

I pointed out that yehôvâh (יהוה) created male and female: God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) created humankind in his own image, in the image of God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) he created them, male and female he created them.[1]  I talked about the meaning of El Shaddai (ʼêl, אל; shadday, שדי) and a few other references to God as feminine.  But I emphasized that the general understanding of God as masculine was due primarily to the fact that we are all feminine in relation to the operation of his grace through Jesus Christ.

I am accepted among them as the kindly, odd, somewhat benighted, old man who studies the Bible in his spare time, so ordinary conversation—what’ve you been up to?—offers many opportunities.  A recent conversation with Grandmother and Daughter turned naturally to Jesus’ dying thoughts on the cross.  I read Psalm 22 aloud.  Daughter was visibly, tearfully moved and vocally overwhelmed that David could write such exact knowledge so many centuries before Jesus was born.

I spoke of God having mercy on whoever he chooses to have mercy and hardening whoever he chooses to harden.  I said I had been considering how, and told them the story of two prophets, Nathan and John the Baptist.  When Pharisees and Sadduccees, religious leaders, came to be baptized for repentance (Matthew 3:11, 12; Mark 1:4-8; Luke 3:15-17) John said, You offspring of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?[2]  And he challenged them to put their works religion to the test: Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance…[3]

What I didn’t say but will record here for my own memory’s sake, whether these particular Pharisees and Sadduccees were directly responsible or not, John’s words were not secret and would have tended to harden the resolve of the religious elite to kill Jesus: the Lord (yehôvâh, ויהוה) desired to crush him (e.g., Jesus).  On the other hand yehôvâh desired David’s repentance and sent Nathan to that effect.

He was sent after King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed to cover it up.  Nathan told David a story (2 Samuel 12:1-6) about a rich man who had entertained a traveler with a meal.  The rich man hadn’t served up any of his own sheep or cattle, but the one ewe lamb he took from a poor man.  Then David became very angry at this man.[4]  You are that man![5] Nathan said to him.

“Did he kill him?” Daughter asked.  I was actually surprised that she had forgotten the story.

No, I answered, I have sinned against the Lord![6] David said and then he wrote the 51st Psalm.  I got to read Psalm 51 aloud to them.  When I finished Grandmother responded to a look on Daughter’s face at the line—Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.[7]

“I don’t believe that either,” Grandmother said.

This is a point to concede by the way.  If it offends or hurts your feelings, welcome to the human race.  Being guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me is equivalent to being born of the flesh of Adam (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58).  You do not want a relentless God who will pursue you with goodness and mercy all the days of your life to spend that time convincing you the hard way that you are a sinner instead (John 16:7-11).

Goodness and mercy, by the way is the NKJV translation of Psalm 23:6a.  In the NET it was translated goodness and faithfulness (chêsêd , וחסד).

chêsêd Hebrew KJV NET Tanakh Septuagint
Psalm 23:6a וחסד mercy faithfulness mercy ἔλεός[8]


Daughter informed me that my religion has a lot of guilt in it as she praised me for my adherence to it, and insisted that we, she and her pagan friends, desperately need a canon (i.e., of written scripture).

On Yule I learned that Mother had been taking drugs.  I wasn’t personally that aware of the winter solstice.  Daughter and Mother wished one another happy Yule in the car as I drove them to rehab.  It’s probably the only reason I knew anything at all.

I hadn’t known the night before that Mother had informed Daughter she was abusing drugs.  Daughter called me the next morning when Mother hesitated to actually commit herself to rehab.  In the car on the way Daughter was jubilant and excited that Mother was doing the right thing.  Yes, rehab is better than sitting home alone shooting dope, but I was much more somber and subdued.

At her home I had sat with her, held her and listened to her enough to convince myself that Mother had no interest in repentance.  Daughter was right.  My presence alone persuaded Mother to shower, dress and leave with us for the rehab facility.  But in the car I felt like I was delivering her up for more hardening.  In my admittedly limited experience I know no one who has returned to faith in Christ from the higher power mysticism of a twelve-step program.  I watched sadly the full realization of incarceration creep across her face as she was taken from us.  No matter what I say or how much I protest, Mother and Daughter believe I live a life of rules, while they are free.

I gave them My statutes, yehôvâh explained in the philosopher’s dream chapter of Ezekiel the prophet, and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live.[9] I call it the philosopher’s dream chapter because yehôvâh explained so much of his own understanding of Israel’s history there.  Then the twelve-year-old Jesus had this chapter at his disposal to renew and refresh his now human mind.

The Hebrew word translated My statutes was chûqqâh (חקותי).  It was translated προστάγματά in the Septuagint.  The Hebrew word translated My ordinances was mishpâṭ (משפטי), and δικαιώματά, a form of δικαίωμα, in the Septuagint.  This was translated the righteous requirements in: Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements (δικαιώματα, a form of δικαίωμα) of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?[10]

In the same chapter yehôvâh explained: I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.[11]  Here the Hebrew word translated statutes was chôq (חקים); chûqqâh is the feminine of chôq according to Strong’s Concordance.  It was still translated προστάγματα in the Septuagint.  And again, the word translated ordinances was mishpâṭ (ומשפטים) in Hebrew and δικαιώματα in the Septuagint.  I don’t think these are different statutes or different ordinances.

The commandment…was intended to bring life.[12]  The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.[13]  But if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.[14]  God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh.[15]  For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died.[16]  For we know that the law is spiritual – but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.  For I don’t understand what I am doing.  For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate.[17]

Also I gave them My Sabbaths, yehôvâh said in the philosopher’s dream chapter, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) who sanctifies them.[18]

In practice many professing faith in Jesus do not believe that yehôvâh/Jesus sanctifies[19] them.  We trust Him for justification only, primarily forgiveness.  We believe our sanctification is a measure of our own good works, obedience accomplished in our own strength for our own glory.  We do not believe that here and now a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God.  For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.[20]  I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.[21]  Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience[22] (ἀπειθείας, a form of ἀπείθεια; literally, disbelief)  Do we then nullify the law through faith?  Absolutely not!  Instead we uphold the law.[23]

I want to consider the movie The Host as a Holy Spirit metaphor for one who does not yet experience Him.  There are many spoilers here and as a metaphor the film is fatally flawed.  But in the hope of communicating some small portion of the Ineffable, here goes.

“The earth is at peace,” a resistance leader named Jebediah (William Hurt) narrates the beginning of the film.  “There is no hunger.  There is no violence.  The environment is healed.  Honesty, courtesy and kindness are practiced by all.  Our world has never been more perfect.  Only it is no longer our world.  We’ve been invaded by an alien race.  They occupy the bodies of almost all human beings on the planet.  The few humans who have survived are on the run.”

Then we are introduced to Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) fleeing her enemies: honesty, courtesy and kindness.  Following her earthly father’s example, she attempts suicide but lives, despite her best efforts, only to be possessed by Wanderer (also Saoirse Ronan).  Melanie’s old human survives to fight Wanderer for control of their body.

The Seeker (Diane Kruger) interviews Wanderer to glean Melanie’s memories for knowledge of other old humans in the resistance underground.  When she decides that Melanie’s old human is too strong for Wanderer, she plans to put Wanderer in a more compliant host, search Melanie’s memories herself and then let Melanie die the death she wanted.  But Wanderer has begun to love Melanie.  They flee The Seeker together.

Melanie tricks Wanderer into the desert and leads her to Uncle Jebediah and the underground resistance.  Uncle Jeb uses all of his authority as a leader to keep others in the resistance from killing the obviously possessed Melanie/Wanderer.  Even Melanie’s lover Jared (Max Irons) has no sympathy for her at first.  In a get-to-know-you walk-and-talk Uncle Jeb shortens Wanderer’s name to Wanda.

Melanie begins to love Wanda as she witnesses Wanda’s concern for the people Melanie loves, even some she hates or is indifferent toward.  The metaphor breaks down, of course.  The holy spirits, called souls in the film, are many and varied, and some or not as holy as Wanda.  The Seeker ironically becomes almost human in her fears that she personally is losing control to her host Lacey (also Diane Kruger) and that the holy spirits may ultimately lose their possession of the humans.  In the end The Host becomes Satan’s wet dream as The Seeker’s fears become flesh: holy spirits collaborate with the resistance to rid humans of the holy spirits.

 

Mother is on the verge of bankruptcy.  I helped her in a similar position nearly twenty years ago.  She called me before I left for Christmas.  I offered to help again.  She accepted.  As I drove the hundred miles or so to my own mother’s house the evening after Mother committed herself to rehab I understood why we hadn’t met to review her finances yet.  I recalled the things I’ve said and done with Grandmother, Mother and Daughter, fretted over some things I hadn’t said or done and heard Darth Vader echoing in my head, saying, “Now his failure is complete.”

As far as I know I am the believer of record in their lives.  I will give an account of this stewardship before Jesus.  As the enormity of my failure to live a life that commends others to Jesus inundated me in crushing waves, the image of my mother scrubbing the basement floor on her hands and knees popped into my mind.  Of all the things she had said or done, of all the things I might have complained that she hadn’t said or done, this simple image stuck with me.

I had overdosed on some hallucinogen.  I had thrown up all night long on her basement floor.  My mother cleaning up after me became a living metaphor of my life.  I had returned to drugs because a simple taste a few days earlier brought back the feeling I had lost since my early days of trusting Jesus again.  I made many more bad decisions along the way.  But my mother never gave up on me.

As I drove through the dark hills thinking perhaps I had been spared from helping Mother again financially, the admonition of my penny-pinching father came to mind:

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

The words weren’t his but Rudyard Kipling’s.[24]  A man like me would be a fool to attempt Kipling’s vision of manhood apart from the Holy Spirit.  But the image of my mother’s loving persistence and my father’s words of counsel gave me some hope that I was there, the right person at the right place and time.  And that image and those words carried me through that dark night until the continuous infusion of the Holy Spirit’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and control took over again the next morning.

[1] Genesis 1:27 (NET)

[2] Matthew 3:7 (NET)

[3] Matthew 3:8 (NET)

[4] 2 Samuel 12:5a (NET) Table

[5] 2 Samuel 12:7a (NET) Table

[6] 2 Samuel 12:13a (NET) Table

[7] Psalm 51:5 (NET) Table

[8] In the Septuagint both chêsêd (וחסד) and ṭôb (טוב) were translated by the one Greek word ἔλεός.

[9] Ezekiel 20:11 (NASB)

[10] Romans 2:26 (NET) Table

[11] Ezekiel 20:25 (NASB)

[12] Romans 7:10 (NET)

[13] Romans 7:12 (NET)

[14] Galatians 3:21b (NET)

[15] Romans 8:3a (NET)

[16] Romans 7:11 (NET)

[17] Romans 7:14, 15 (NET)

[18] Ezekiel 20:12 (NASB)

[19] When I struggled the most with this concept my Pastor was from the Christian and Missionary Alliance.  Today, as I scanned their webpage titled “Sanctification,” nothing jumps out at me as problematic except my own spiritual tic.  My flesh and my religious mind hear obedience in step 3 “to A Spirit-Filled Life”—“We maintain a continuous relationship with Jesus through obedience to His Word”—as a trigger word, calling me back to a DIY works religion.  But now I just translate obedience back into Greek, ὑπακοή, attentive hearkening, and the trigger obey disappears.  I remain (μείνατε, a form of μένω) in Jesus through faith instead (which is the actual word used in John 15:1-11 the Scriptural source of step 3).

[Addendum 1/26/2017] I’m not so sure Paul would agree that 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “clearly teaches that there are two kinds of Christians.”

[20] Hebrews 4:9, 10 (NET)

[21] Galatians 2:20 (NET)

[22] Hebrews 4:11 (NET)

[23] Romans 3:31 (NET)

[24] If, by Rudyard Kipling