3 forces in 3 levels

I am back from my 2-week visit to my hometown.
I reached my hand to an inductive Bible Study book I did some years ago. Reading Galatians over and over caused me to notice that Paul repeats the same thing 3 times often. We can see it in the New Living Translation. I seem to understand better reading New Living Bible if I am reading to get the concept as a whole. I use other translations when I study the scriptures, like word by word.

The armor or God in Paul's letter to the Ephesians is well-known and even kids memorize the verses. Well, I couldn't. For some reason I could never grasp this for all these years as kids were growing up. But the New Living translations helped me get the picture more clearly because in this translation it explains that we are against the evil that are in 3 levels. It suddenly clicked in my mind! I am glad.

We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against..

1) the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world
2) those mighty powers of darkness who rules this world
3) wicked spirits in the heavenly realms

I can see more clearly finally.


(10/21/2008)

Paul's nutritious friend

Sometimes I like odd verses in the Bible. 2 Timothy 4:20 says

"Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus."

I learned of this verse in a Bible study I was in, and not from reading the Bible. I never noticed it before. Paul was given a great power from God to heal the sick, and a lot of people came to him. He was a great healer. Then his friend had to be left behind because he was ill.

Here is what I thought.
I was impressed that Paul, who was given such a great power to heal people in public, wrote in his letter the fact that his friend was sick. To me, it clearly shows that Paul knew who he was: he was not the one who healed. God gave the power to Paul and Paul knew that. People around him might have thought that it was not good for Paul's friend to remain being sick because it would hinder his ministry... That's how humans think. The healer's friend had to be left behind because he was sick?? To me, it only reveals Paul's humble heart more. He knew the power came from God alone. Healing never exceeds Jesus himself!

When I went to the Blue Letter Bible, though, I started to think that maybe Trophimus was not sick because the original Greek word for 'sick' is not necessarily 'sick'. I am not a scholar, but I thought it was an interesting point. The outline of Biblical usage is:

1) to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless

2) to be weak in means, needy, poor

3) to be feeble, sick

And the interesting thing is the meaning of Paul's friend Trophimus. Trophimus means "nutritious". Wow. Interesting! I almost feel like this nutritious friend might have been just weak and needed to rest...maybe too much ministry with Paul??? Just my guess.

(from 09/10/2008)

Philemon and Onesimus

As my homework of a Bible study group, I was reading Paul's letter to Philemon. I have read it before, but I must confess that I did not pay much attention.
I am not a good reader so I thought I would have fun reading it if I looked up the meaning of the names, using a Greek dictionary, as I read. In doing so, I would more likely finish reading it until the end. 

It turned out to be fascinating. Philemon means 'forgiveness' and he had a slave named Onesimus. This slave fled from Philemon, he possibly stole something from Philemon according to what Paul said, and ended up in prison where Paul was. Onesimus means 'useful or profitable'.

This reminded me of the Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. This is one of my favorite books. In this book people's names show who they are. You don't have to see them. You can imagine what they are like. The names explain it.

The letter to Philemon is just like that! You can't tell by reading the translated version of the Bible. ( Not that I can read the original language.....:( )
Basically Paul is asking Philemon (=Forgiveness) to be ready to be kind, forgive and accept Onesimus (=Useful), who used to be non-useful to him, but now, a changed man.

Isn't that interesting!!

That was the joy of my day when I read it.
(from 07/2008)

私は実は本を読むとき、どちらかといえば”読む”ということを楽しむのではなく、結果を知りたいタイプです。あるときバイブルスタデイーでピレモンを読まなければならなかったとき、そのまま読むより調べて読めば面白く読めるって思い、そうしました。

ピレモンの奴隷のオネシモはあまり役に立たず、逃げ出して（？）最後にはパウロのいる牢獄にいれられ、そこでパウロと出会いました。
パウロが手紙を出したピレモンさんの名前の意味は”許す”という意味。そのピレモンのもとに働いていた奴隷の名前はオネシモで、”役に立つ”という意味。ピレモンの元に返すから、そのときに心良く受け入れてほしい、要するに、役立たずだった”役に立つ”を許してほしいと”許す”におねがいしているパウロの手紙って言うこと！
ジョンバンヤンの天路歴程　を思い出します。彼の本の登場人物はみな、名が体を現すのです。　パウロの手紙もこんなんだったのねって。うれしい一日でした。