Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon_4_6_2014
Good
afternoon, and welcome to this Sunday Sermon for Covenant of Hope Ministries. I
am Rev. Laura A. Neff. The ministry knows me as the Rainbow Minister. Find us
posted on Sundays and studies on Wednesday. Our locations are online only:
Our Main Video Feed: Covenant_of_Hope
We
have email (instant messenger if you need me) through Facebook every day. These
are now extremely variable. We’re still working this out between the two of us
as to what will happen, our Elder, Cal Jennings and I. I will inform you
further regarding changes. These changes were made due to health reasons. The
sermon length has shortened dramatically. We are unsure as to when there might
be video presentations.
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list has grown from last week. This is our current prayer list for this week.
- Please keep a friend, Debby, in your prayers for a swift
recovery after major cancer surgery.
- Continue your prayers for Phoebe Fair’s family as they
continue to grieve her loss.
- Please keep Elder Cal Jennings in your prayers as his health
doesn’t know where it wants to be.
- Please pray for my friend Teresa’s sister who is in stage four
cancer. Keep Teresa and her daughter in prayer for many other things that have
been weighing down on their hearts, minds, and spirits.
- Please keep others known by any of us up in prayer for
whatever they might need.
- Please keep my friend Heather in prayer for patience and safe
haven.
- Let us keep those who have suffered from the weather in
prayer, as they continue to weather the storms, the cold, and the dangers that
can be found within them.
- Please keep my whole family in prayer for the pain, suffering,
and chaos we are going through.
- Pray that the adversity and the pain we have seen around the
world would be relieved, and swept away. May we find common ground in many ways,
even if we start with just one step.
- Remember those who have been lost either violently or
peacefully this week.
- Keep the ministry in your thoughts, each member, no matter
their location, their circumstances, because a group of friends, a ministry,
should support one another.
- There are many in our ministry who are searching for more in
regard to our presence with my health, and with the health of others. We pray
that there would be health found once more, and that we have answers to all and
for all.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, we thank You for this day and for these who
are here to share it with us. Thank you for all the things that help us learn
more about who we are. We pray for those who have been sick. We pray for those
who have suffered worry and pain. We pray that they be well in spirit and in
life, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening
Song: Kyrie Eleison
Sermon:
Today
there will be a discussion on the interpretation of God’s word. We’re going to
take a single passage and go from King James to each of these, including New
International, Aramaic, New American Standard Bible, and the New Living
Translation. You will notice one thing.
King
James Version Matthew 5:21-22
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou
shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to
his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say,
Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
I
can hear the first question. Why choose this particular verse? Well,
truthfully, it was an old friend who mentioned this particular terminology
‘thou shall not kill’ versus ‘thou shall not murder’. So, today we’re going to
look at how the different versions portray just this particular verse in the
Gospel. Everyone will realize that there are many verses that are identical,
but, there are certain ones that are markedly different. This is one of them.
Think about it this way, in both the Old and New Testaments you see the word
kill in place of murder. This verse above is from the King James. The other
versions are shared below.
New
International Version
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You
shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I
tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be
subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister,
‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’
will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Notice,
unlike the King James, the New International actually does say ‘murder’ in
place of ‘kill’. That is one of the ‘surprises’ Scripture and its interpretation
can be.
Aramaic
21.
"You heard that it was told to the first
people,
'You shall not kill, and whoever kills is condemned to trial.'
22. "However, I am telling you,
whoever is angry with his brother unfairly,
will be held accountable in trial.
And whoever spits at his brother,
is answerable before the congregation*.
And whoever says, 'Lunatic*,'
is condemned to hell fire.
'You shall not kill, and whoever kills is condemned to trial.'
22. "However, I am telling you,
whoever is angry with his brother unfairly,
will be held accountable in trial.
And whoever spits at his brother,
is answerable before the congregation*.
And whoever says, 'Lunatic*,'
is condemned to hell fire.
The
Aramaic, again says ‘kill’ in place of murder. It makes things very
interesting, as this version if far older than most of those here. Let’s take a
look at some others. How interesting it is to realize how many viewpoints of
the very same verses can be.
New
American Standard Bible
21 “You have heard that the ancients
were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall
be liable to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his
brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his
brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme
court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to
go into the fiery hell.
This
is one of the versions that particular friend directed me to. So, note again,
this one says ‘murder’ as opposed to ‘kill’. Now, this friend is Catholic, and
the Scriptures are done differently, as they are through each version. I no
longer have my Catholic Bible. However, there are online versions, as this one
would be.
New
Living Translation
21 “You have heard that our ancestors were
told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I
say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If
you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the
court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
Here
we go again, yet another version that says ‘murder’ in place of ‘kill’. Now,
there are going to be some that say “what’s the difference?”. Truthfully there
is a difference between murder and kill.
Murder
– the unlawful, premeditated, killing of one human being by another.
Kill
– cause the death of another person.
Look
at the difference. Yes, there is a difference. Murder is both unlawful and
premeditated in regard to killing someone. Killing someone is just causing the
death, not how it is caused as murder would be. Sure, it doesn’t seem like
there is a difference. But there is this, one is the type and cause (murder) .
The other is the result (kill) . Yes, that friend and I got into quite the
lively debate over this very subject, save the Scriptural quote that originally
started this debate. This is the one that we focused on, for one reason alone,
there is a difference in the wording, not just in one verse or view, but in
many. Look at it this way, there are many ways to see, it’s how you see that’s
important. What you see is one thing, how you see it is interpreting that which
is seen. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus
taught us saying: After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)
Closing
Song: Keep You Safe
~Shalom~
Covenant
of Hope Ministries
Scripture
Excerpts: The New Open Bible Study Edition:Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson
Publishers, Inc.
Scripture
Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture
Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © circa 1890-1910: International Bible
Press,The John C. Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA., USA
Sermon
or Study Copyright © 2012 http://covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com/
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries and
Poetic-Expressions is not to exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all
that is created through fear together as the rainbow in the darkness.
Was the change from "kill" to "murder" made to justify war? Still, isn't war murder?
ReplyDeleteActually it was the reverse of that, according to the Catholic Bible it was murder before it was kill. Now, as to the war ideal, that's a good question. War being murder, there's another interesting view. In biblical times were wars considered murder? Or were they considered justice? Take Joshua and Jericho. Or the many battles where God 'delivered them into the hands of the Jews'. It's an interesting view, I agree. It's also interesting to find that there are contradictions as to whether war is or isn't murder, or even killing. The second one is the most recognized in that regard.
DeleteI found an interesting thought in regard to what the difference is between killing and murder as they relate to war. In a war it is kill or be killed. Murder is premeditated. War isn't because it can come out of nowhere for any reason in order to protect the many over the few.
ReplyDeleteWar is premeditated if you are the attacker. Defense of your homeland from foreign attackers is another story. Even though the latter involves some killing, it is in defense and not killing as in the former. Defense and premeditated attacks are different.
DeleteWhat is the adage, a good defense is a good offense? Or is it the reverse of that?
Delete