Common Knowledge of the Bible

Purim

Purim is the day to commemorate the event when Esther and Mordecai defeated Haman on the day that Haman chose to kill every Jew in Persia [Media-Persia] by casting the pur (the lot, Est 3:7; 9:1). In the Law of Moses, there are seven feasts in three times that God appointed through Moses. However, “Purim” is an Israelite feast which does not belong to these seven feasts in three times. Let us study the origin of “Purim.” 1. Historical background The Jews were taken captive to Babylon. However, Babylon was destroyed by Persia [Media-Persia] not long after, so the Jews were ruled by Persia. The Jews were a minority race, but they were trying to follow the will of God…

Greek Philosophy

The New Testament was recorded in Greek which was an international language in those days. “Philosophia” [φιλοσοφια], a Greek word for philosophy, has the meaning, “to love wisdom.” Hellas [Greece] was a country where philosophy developed from the ancient time and produced many philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and so on. The cities of Corinth, Ephesus and Arden were the famous cities of Hellas, where Apostle Paul used to preach. In the book of Acts, there is a scene that Apostle Paul disputed with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers while he was preaching. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems…

Rahab and Monster

. . . Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? Isaiah 51:9 Let us study about the monster and Rahab which God cut to pieces in the past and will cut to pieces in the last days, too. “Rahab,” which appears in Isaiah 51:9, is not Rahab (רחב) the prostitute who hid the two spies sent by Joshua to look over the land of Canaan. “Rahab” (רהב) is a Hebrew named sea monster of an ancient myth, and it is said…

Gehenna

1. The name of a place Gehenna, a Greek term for the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom (the Valley of Hinnom), is the name of a narrow valley in the southeast of ancient Jerusalem. This site was notorious for sacrificing little children by fire as an offering to a god during the period of the Divided Kingdom. At that time, the Israelites offered sacrifices to Molech (an idol in the shape of a bull), a foreign god. They heated up the iron idol by fire and sacrificed their little children on the two arms of the red-hot iron; It was such a detestable sacrifice. “ ‘The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the LORD . . . They have…

The Council of Nicaea and Arianism

In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea was convened mainly to settle the dispute over Arianism along with the Passover controversy. This dispute caused so much blood to be shed, which was a dark chapter in history. Arius’ insistence Arius held a prominent position as a presbyter in the Church of Alexandria in Egypt. He evoked public criticism by insisting on a peculiar doctrine as follows: Christ is the incarnate Logos (λóγoς in Greek, meaning “Word” or “Truth”). Christ is capable of change and suffering. Therefore, the Logos is mutable and not equal to God. According to Arius’ insistence, Jesus is not God but only a creature, so he is not eternal; and just as the Son is the first…

False Accusation

1. Chaldeans accused Daniel’s three friends Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, proclaimed that those who did not fall down and worship the image of gold would immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Despite that, Daniel’s three friends—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, did not worship the image of gold. At that time, some Chaldeans who were jealous of them accused them and asked the king to punish them. At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced [accused, KJV] the Jews.Da 3:8 ※Chaldea was the name of a region in the southland of Babylon. Since the Chaldeans reigned over Babylon, Babylon was called Chaldea. Since Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not worship the idol despite the conciliation of King Nebuchadnezzar, they incurred…

Israel

1. Jacob’s another name One night, God told Jacob in a dream to leave the house of Laban, his mother’s brother, and return to his homeland. So Jacob took all of his family and animals and left for his hometown. On his way back home, when he arrived at the ford of Jabbok, he sent his family and all his possessions to a safe place across the brook. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is…

The Light of the Gospel and Lightning

『Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”』 Mt 13:34-35 Jesus explained the secret of the kingdom of heaven in parables for His loving children. It is because some are allowed to know the mystery of God and others are not. Let us study the relationship between lightning and the gospel among the figurative words of the Bible. 『“For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son…

The Order of Aaron and the Order of Melchizedek

In the Bible there are two divisions [orders] of priesthood: the order of Aaron and the order of Melchizedek. 1. The order of Aaron The order of Aaron is a priestly division in which the priests conducted sacrifices according to the laws and regulations of the old covenant. Aaron was a Levite, so the order of Aaron is also called the Levitical priesthood [the order of Levites]. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of 12 sons including Levi, who was the third son of Jacob and his wife Leah. Jacob and his family moved to Egypt when his son Joseph became a ruler of Egypt, and they left Egypt after 430 years.…