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Originally posted by BrianC
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I know this topic has been here since May 8th, but I just want to give props to Talisman for pointing out something a lot of us Christians tend to misunderstand. The passage talks about stoning a woman who's been whoring, because it disgraces Israel. Adultery would be similar. Keep in mind that the Law had a specific purpose in those days and it was a different time. Now, here's how Jesus (the One who wrote the Law as God originally--when Moses was, I AM is how Jesus commented on Himself as God) handles a similar situation:
(John 8:2-11)
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I'm not making any comment or debate on the original post, really. I just like that Talisman said "relevance," and I like how Jesus did not go with the surface understanding of the Law. And yet Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law. The underlying spirit of what the Law points to is very different than what it says on the surface and how we translate it. Besides, translation is a terribly tricky profession. One must know the original culture, their way of thinking and speaking and conveying things, and how they lived and functioned. Many a Christian might be scandalized to know that Abraham's people were nomads who were in the "East." In other words, they saw the world and God more like Eastern religions see it. But much has been Westernized once the Jews went into captivity under many different Western nations back before Jesus' time. We are far removed from the original Hebrews. Translators cannot help but translate their own beliefs directly into their translation. If you ever saw the original translators' notes they placed all over the KJV, this would become partly evident.
By the way, the Jews translate Torah (the Law) to be The Teachings (of the Father/Master). And if you take the original Ancient Hebrew picture language translation of "the Law (Torah)," it means The Journey, and it refers to the teachings of a loving father to help encourage his children, not meant to beat them down when they do wrong. The journey is far more meaningful to a nomad. Much trust in God is required to wander in the wilderness and survive. The word for "city" in Hebrew means "chaos," while the word for "wilderness" means "balance." Makes the 40 years in the wilderness mean something a little different, doesn't it? This website has some very cool Ancient Hebrew picture language word meanings for 36 of the major words in the Bible:
Paints a picture of a much more loving God.
We live in a different time now. Hard to apply the Law now when things are different. Great point, Talisman.
(John 8:2-11)
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I'm not making any comment or debate on the original post, really. I just like that Talisman said "relevance," and I like how Jesus did not go with the surface understanding of the Law. And yet Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law. The underlying spirit of what the Law points to is very different than what it says on the surface and how we translate it. Besides, translation is a terribly tricky profession. One must know the original culture, their way of thinking and speaking and conveying things, and how they lived and functioned. Many a Christian might be scandalized to know that Abraham's people were nomads who were in the "East." In other words, they saw the world and God more like Eastern religions see it. But much has been Westernized once the Jews went into captivity under many different Western nations back before Jesus' time. We are far removed from the original Hebrews. Translators cannot help but translate their own beliefs directly into their translation. If you ever saw the original translators' notes they placed all over the KJV, this would become partly evident.
By the way, the Jews translate Torah (the Law) to be The Teachings (of the Father/Master). And if you take the original Ancient Hebrew picture language translation of "the Law (Torah)," it means The Journey, and it refers to the teachings of a loving father to help encourage his children, not meant to beat them down when they do wrong. The journey is far more meaningful to a nomad. Much trust in God is required to wander in the wilderness and survive. The word for "city" in Hebrew means "chaos," while the word for "wilderness" means "balance." Makes the 40 years in the wilderness mean something a little different, doesn't it? This website has some very cool Ancient Hebrew picture language word meanings for 36 of the major words in the Bible:
Paints a picture of a much more loving God.
We live in a different time now. Hard to apply the Law now when things are different. Great point, Talisman.
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