Shakespeare and the King James Bible

 

From the Detroit Free Press 1920:

The Harvard Faculty has done the cause of American culture solid service by demanding that all students who concentrate in English or in ancient or modern languages shall have a good working acquaintance with the English Bible and with twelve plays of Shakespeare when they appear for their final examination. Without this knowledge there is to be no graduation.

The announcement setting forth the requirements laid down is significant and fully interpretative of the action of the faculty. It says that the Bible and the plays of Shakespeare are works of literature without which an adequate appreciation of English letters is impossible, and it adds:

"The King James version of the Bible is one of the great monuments of English prose, but any standard version, ancient or modern, may be used. The plays of Shakespeare as foremost among the masterpieces of the English tongue are indispensable to all students of literature. Moreover, the language of Shakespeare, like that of the Bible, has become part and parcel of our familiar speech."

Considered purely from the educational standpoint, the fragmentary knowledge of the text of the English Bible possessed by tens of millions of Americans is a deplorable, almost appalling, thing. And the widespread lack of knowledge regarding even the relatively best known of the plays of William Shakespeare is absolutely pitiable. Altogether the prevalent and, we fear, growing ignorance of the contents of the Bible and the works of the bard of Stratford is responsible for a large amount of superficiality and flatness of outlook among present-day Americans, and it is refreshing to find the oldest institution of higher learning in this country taking so firm and thoroughgoing a stand in behalf of these fundamental masterpieces of the language. 

This Kindle book, The Dark History of Christmas, is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and it is only $1.99 and The Strange History of Easter and the Christian Cross is on Amazon for only $1.99 

Ben Shapiro and Bill Maher on Morality and the Bible

 

WOW. Ben Shapiro made the audience ERUPT after stating a simple fact.  https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1966706767074677241/video/1

BILL MAHER: “The Bible is full of nonsense and wickedness.”

SHAPIRO: “But you and I agree a lot on morality, right? Because we were born in a society built by the Bible. You can think you formed your own morality, but you were born morally on third base.”

Christian societies are better societies. This is why atheist Richard Dawkins calls himself a "cultural Christian."

Buy: The Mysterious Book of Genesis - Lilith, Enoch & Other Strange Studies: An Anthology on Amazon and The Companion Guide to Death, is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and it is only $1.99

John Pye Smith on Hebrews 1:8 - "God is thy Throne"

 

Buy The Doctrine of the Two Natures in Christ EXPOSED! for only 99 cents on Amazon by clicking here. Click here for a local listing.

"This (Hebrews 1:8) is a quotation from Psalm 45:6. And it is well known that the words of the original will equally well bear to be translated, God is thy throne;' that is, the support of thy throne. See Grotius, Clarke, and Peirce in loc. Mr. Lindsey contends that this must be the proper translation, because it is most analogous to the language of Scripture. 2 Sam. 7:13, 16. 1 Chron. 17:12, 14. Psalm 89:4. Archbishop Newcome translates, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever;' but he remarks, that in the Psalm the same words are addressed to Solomon." - Calm. Inq. p. 230. ""But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and 'ever' or, 'God is thy throne,' i. e. the supporter of thy throne. Psalm 45:6, 7.-q. d. The power and authority of former prophets, such as Moses, Elijah, and others, however great and awful for a time, was but transitory and evanescent; but thy kingdom is immoveable, thy dominion is everlasting." -Ib. p. 208. ~The Scripture Testimony to the Messiah: An Inquiry with a View to a Satisfactory Determination of the Doctrine Taught in the Holy Scriptures Concerning the Person of Christ, Volume 1 By John Pye Smith 1829, p. 343

2 Samuel 7:13, 16 reads: He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever...And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

1 Chron 17: 12, 14 reads: He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever...but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for ever. 

Psalms 89:4 reads: Thy seed will I establish for ever, And build up thy throne to all generations. 

See also: B.F. Westcott on Hebrews 1:8 "God is Thy Throne"

The New World Translation and Hebrews 1:8

God Is Thy Throne (Hebrews 1:8)

This book, "The Impersonality of the Holy Spirit by John Marsom" is available on Amazon for only 99 cents. See a local listing for it here; Buy The Absurdity of the Trinity on Amazon for only 99 cents by clicking here - see a local listing for this here

Introducing the Unitarian Standard Version New Testament

 

This work is an update of the American Standard Version of 1901. Corrections were made to reflect the findings discovered in the newer editions of the Critical Greek Texts. This is a Unitarian version of the ASV. Most other Bibles reflect a Trinitarian theology, which is a belief that was alien to the early church. Read more at https://usvbible.blogspot.com

Read the foreword.

References Used

Matthew 1 and 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, astrologers(a) from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to pay homage(b) to him." 

Matthew 3

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ye ready the way of Jehovah(a), Make his paths straight(b).'"

"The Bible has now been pretty well rescued from the control of clerics and theologians and restored to the common people, where it belongs."~Edgar J. Goodspeed

Matthew 4

"Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah." (see Darby & Bullinger). "Thou shalt not tempt - To expose myself to any danger naturally destructive, with the vain presumption that God will protect and defend me from the ruinous consequences of my imprudent conduct, is to tempt God." Adam Clarke

Read more at https://usvbible.blogspot.com

Pagan Philosophy and the Trinity Doctrine by Otto Augustus Wall

Buy The Doctrine of the Two Natures in Christ EXPOSED! for only 99 cents on Amazon by clicking here. Click here for a local listing.

The Pagan Influence of the Trinity Doctrine by Otto Augustus Wall M.D., Ph.G., Ph.M. 1920

About the time of the beginning of our Era there was a period of great unrest among the thinkers of the world. Greek philosophy, Platonism, Neo-Platonism, Manichaeism, Montanism, Gnosticism, made great inroads on the older faiths, and Judaism underwent many changes. Then, when Christianity came, it too met with all the other competing ideas, and while at first it was fairly free from Pagan ideas, it soon adopted the policy of making converts by adapting itself to their views, so as not to make a change from one of the other faiths to Christianity too abrupt or difficult.

The Christian Church took over everything it possibly could and gave Christian explanations for the Pagan festivals, philosophy, etc.; in this way the simple faith of the early Christians became swamped with foreign ideas, but the church-fathers amalgamated all the ideas into one more or less congruous mass of doctrines, so that it has been fairly said, that "modern Christianity is based on pre-Christian Paganism and post-Christian metaphysics." Much of what modern Christians believe is not based on the Bible, but is derived from other sources.

For instance, at a very early stage of Christianity, they believed in One God; the belief was Unitarian; by about the beginning of the third century the belief that Jesus was a son of God, and was himself a God, prevailed quite generally, and then when a third person, the Holy Ghost, was accepted by the church, the belief was Trinitarian. These two divisions were fairly even in numbers; but the influence of Origen (a fanatical self-castrated zealot) established the theory of the Trinity more and more firmly, until by about 400 A.D. the belief in the Trinity was general.

The philosophical definition of the Trinity varied much; some holding that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost were but different names for the same God, but manifesting himself in different phases, and that the Trinity was of the same order as when Plato and the later philosophers said of man that he was a Trinity of Soul, Mind and Body. So God manifested himself as the Creator (Father), the Redeemer (Son), and the Giver of Life (Holy Ghost); but all three were but manifestations of different functions or phases of the same thing, of the same God. Others, and possibly the majority, believed that each of these three was a distinct individuality, and while they still spoke of One God, they really had in mind Three Gods.

Buy: And the Word was a god: A New Book on the Most Disputed Text in the New Testament - John 1:1  and The Dark History of the Trinity, is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and both are only 99 cents

This book, "The Impersonality of the Holy Spirit by John Marsom" is available on Amazon for only 99 cents. See a local listing for it here; Buy The Absurdity of the Trinity on Amazon for only 99 cents by clicking here - see a local listing for this here 

Isaiah 9:6 - A Misunderstood Passage of Scripture

Buy: And the Word was a god: A New Book on the Most Disputed Text in the New Testament - John 1:1  and The Dark History of the Trinity, is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and both are only 99 cents

Isaiah 9:6: A Misunderstood Passage of Scripture

In Isaiah ix, 6, Revised Version, we may find these words, - "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Father, Prince of Peace." These words are by most people supposed to contain an accurate picture of the coming Jesus. Following the popular tradition, the ordinary Christian of to-day will quote these words and in good faith maintain that they prove three things at least. They prove that the prophet has power to foretell future events; that Jesus was God; that he was identical with the everlasting Father, or Jehovah, of the Old Testament.

Let us look at the passage very closely and see whether it warrants these conclusions. Prof. Briggs, the eminent Presbyterian scholar, translates the verse for us thus: "And his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Divine Hero, Distributor of Spoils, Prince of Peace." If we turn to our Hebrew Bibles we shall find ample reason for rendering the verse as Dr. Briggs does. The other words going in pairs we would naturally expect that the first two should also. The Hebrew word Pele is used quite as often as an adverb as an adjective, and literally then the first two words should read "counseling marvelously." If we confine ourselves strictly to the Hebrew words, "Mighty God" is a fair rendering of El Gibbor. Immanuel means "God with us," Bethel means "House of God," and so on. But among the Hebrews there was great looseness in the use of the word God. The common word for God is Elohim and occurs in the Hebrew Bible 2,555 times, and in 245 passages it is used in a lower sense.

Idols are called gods (Gen. xxxv, 1-4). The Judges of Israel are called gods (Exodus xxii, 8, 28). The angels are called gods. (Compare Psalms viii, 5, old and new versions and margins, with Hebrews ii, 7).

If the revised version of Ps. viii, 5, is correct, the argument in Heb. ii, falls to the ground, Jesus is made lower than God, and the author of Hebrews has perverted Scripture. If the new version is not correct it means nothing to call Jesus god, for as we have seen angels are gods, and we shall have Jesus an angel, or Arianism; judges and warriors are gods, and we shall have Jesus a man, or Unitarianism.

El, the shorter and earlier form of Elohim, occurs 222 times in the Hebrew Bible, and 18 times it refers to judges, priests or warriors. If El must always be rendered god, Nebuchadnezzar is called "the god of Nations" (Ezekiel, xxxi, 11), tall mountains and cedars are called gods (Ps. xxxvi, 7, lxxx, 11). Angels are called "sons of god" (Ps. xxxix, 7).

Finally, the very words we have here occur in Ezekiel xxxii, 21, where it is said the "mighty gods" of the Egyptians shall be slain. The reference is plainly to the warriors "or the strong among the mighty," as the remainder of the chapter shows. Prof. Briggs's translation, "divine hero," is perhaps the best, though in Ezekiel xxxii, 21, the "uncircumcised" are referred to, and these were far from being "divine heroes" in the Jewish conception.

There is manifestly a great deal of difference between a "distributor of spoils," and an "everlasting Father." The vulgate translates, "Father of the future age," and this idea is the one commonly attached to the Hebrew words. But in Hebrew the word father often means a possessor or distributor. And there are two words in Hebrew spelled alike, one meaning "eternity," the other "booty." Prof. Briggs and a long line of famous Hebrew scholars think "distributor of spoils" the true rendering of the Hebrew. The words "prince of peace" sufficiently explain themselves.

Isaiah, then, seems to have in mind when writing these words a lineal successor of David who shall improve the policy of the kingdom and restore peace to the realm. As Robertson Smith said, "Isaiah's ideal is only the perfect performance of the ordinary duties of monarchy." And does not Prof. Briggs's translation give us just such a picture? Israel is to be led to victory by a man who counsels marvelously well. To his plans the victory is due. He will prove himself a hero, a valiant warrior, of "godlike prowess"; when the victory is won he will distribute the spoils to the people, and they will be glad in the rewards of their victory. Then peace will settle down upon them, their prince will lead them to war no more, "and the increase of his government and of peace there should be no end." With this conception of the passage, the thought moves gracefully and logically forward and is wholly and keeping with the thoughts and ideals of Isaiah‘s pages. by A.B. Curtis, in The Unitarian, October 1890

"Wonder-Counsellor, Divine Champion, Father Ever, Captain of Peace." Byington

"A wonder of a counsellor, a divine hero, a father for all time, a peaceful prince." Moffatt

"in purpose wonderful, in battle God-like...." New English Bible

"Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty Hero, Eternal Father...."Revised English Bible

This book, "The Impersonality of the Holy Spirit by John Marsom" is available on Amazon for only 99 cents. See a local listing for it here; Buy The Absurdity of the Trinity on Amazon for only 99 cents by clicking here - see a local listing for this here 

Buy The Doctrine of the Two Natures in Christ EXPOSED! for only 99 cents on Amazon by clicking here. Click here for a local listing.

How Jesus became a god. Two Yale Professors describe the historical process.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyFB37JK-m0

Buy this book on Amazon

"In the published form of his Cadbury lectures, Maurice Casey put forward his conviction that 'The Gospel attributed to St. John is the only New Testament document in which the deity and incarnation of Jesus are unequivocally proclaimed.' This statement is somewhat misleading. If the proclamation of the Gospel were really unequivocal, it would be hard to explain the extended Christological controversies in the early church. For example, the third clause of John 1:1 may be translated either 'the word was God' or 'the word was a god.' Justin Martyr apparently understood the passage the latter way."

This one section alone has garnered some comments online:

From Paul Williams at https://bloggingtheology.net/2016/11/25/25513/

"I am currently reading an academic work by two of America’s leading biblical scholars entitled: King and Messiah as Son of God, Divine, Human, and Angelic Messianic Figures in Biblical and Related Literature by Adela Yarbro Collins and John J. Collins – both professors of biblical criticism and interpretation at Yale University...Here is a snapshot..where the most likely translation of the third clause of John 1:1 is discussed...The much maligned JWs may well have been right after all!"

This has led, as it often does, to someone in the comments section blowing up at this. Evangelicals often act like Democrats who've lost an election when someone says something nice about the New World Translation Bible.

also...

From Michael H. Burer at https://voice.dts.edu/review/adela-yarbro-collins-king-and-messiah-as-son-of-god/
"Surprisingly the authors suggest that John 1:1c “may be translated either ‘the word was God’ or ‘the word was a god.’” Current scholarship is decidedly on the side of the traditional translation, giving little or no credence to the translation 'the word was a god.'"

Obviously this is not true if two of America’s leading biblical scholars say otherwise. Evangelicals like to think that they own Biblical scholarship, and thankfully for the rest of us, they don't.

See also: Two Yale Scholars on Philippians 2:6

This Kindle book is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and it is only 99 cents

See a local listing for this book here