Interlude: Three days and three nights

 I ran across this in my study today and thought I'd better share it before I forgot. It has nothing to do with the current series on gifts and won't affect anyone's salvation, but it does affect truth; and Jesus said, "The truth shall make you free."

My wife and I have long held that when Jesus said he would be crucified, die, and be buried for three days and three nights, that he meant exactly what he said. However, this wreaks havoc with conventional and traditional chronology of the passion week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It revolves around the Sabbath, which everyone knows starts at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. Thus, tradition says he must have been crucified, die, and be buried before sundown on Friday, since they wanted to get him in the grave before the Sabbath. That constitutes Good Friday, which also allocates the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, in church tradition. The explanation that is used is that three days and three nights is a Hebrew idiom for any parts of three days.

However, today I found this from E. W. Bullinger's The Companion Bible:

Appendix 144

THE "THREE DAYS" AND "THREE NIGHTS"
OF
Mat_12:40.

The fact that "three days" is used by Hebrew idiom for any part of three days and three nights is not disputed; because that was the common way of reckoning, just as it was when used of years. Three or any number of years was used inclusively of any part of those years was used inclusively of any part of those years, as may be seen in the reckoning of the reigns of any of the kings of Israel or Judah.

But, when the number of "nights" is stated as well as the number of "days", then the expression ceases to be an idiom, and becomes a literal statement of fact.

Moreover, as the Hebrew day began at sunset the day was reckoned from one sunset to another, the "twelve hours in the day" (Joh_11:9) being reckoned from sunrise, and the twelve hours of the night from sunset. An evening-morning was thus used for a whole day of twenty-four hours, as in the first chapter of Genesis. Hence the expression "a night and a day" in 2Co_11:25 denotes a complete day (Gr. nuchthemeron ).

When Esther says (Est_4:16) "fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days", she defines her meaning as being three complete days, because she adds (being a Jewess) "night or day". And when it is written that the fast ended on "the third day" (Mat_5:1), "the third day" must have succeeded and included the third night.

In like manner the sacred record states that the young man (in 1Sa_30:12) "had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights". Hence, when the young man explains the reason, he says, "because three days agone I fell sick". He means therefore three complete days and nights, because, being an Egyptian ( vv . MATT. 11, 13) he naturally reckoned his day as beginning at sunrise according to the Egyptian manner (see Encycl. Brit. , 11th (Cambridge) ed., vol. xi. p. 77). His "three days agone" refers to the beginning of his sickness and includes the whole period, giving the reason for his having gone without food during the whole period stated.

Hence, when it says that "Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" (Jon_1:17) it means exactly what it says, and that this can be the only meaning of the expression in Mat_12:40; Mat_16:4. Luk_11:30, is shown in Ap. 156.

In the expression, "the heart of the earth" (Mat_12:40), the meaning is the same as "the heart of the sea", "heart" being put by the Fig. Metonymy (of the Subject), Ap. 6 for "the midst", and is frequently so translated. See Psa_46:2. Jer_51:1. Eze_27:4; Eze_27:25-27; Eze_28:2. It is used of ships when sailing "in the heart of the seas", i.e., in or on the sea. See Eze_27:25-26; Eze_28:8; also of people dwelling in the heart of the seas, i.e. on islands (Eze_28:2). Jonah uses the Heb. beten ( = womb) in the same way (2.2).

Now, if you are still stubbornly holding to your church tradition for the chronology of the Passion Week, try this on for size:

Yes, the seventh day of each week was a Shabbat, a day of rest. However, there are at least three other Shabbats in the Jewish calendar, one of them being the Passover Shabbat. Now, we know that the monk who established the Gregorian calendar (under Pope Gregory) miscalculated by 4 to 6 years and that Jesus was born (by Gregorian calendar reckoning) between 4 and 6 B.C. (or B.C.E., if you are particularly antitheist). We know that Jesus' ministry ran for approximately three years; however, we don't know the exact date it started. We assume it began at about the age of 30 because that was Jewish tradition when a man began his life's work on his own and under normal circumstances would marry and begin a family. The only thing we are sure of is the context in which his ministry came to a climax (it did not end) at Passover when he became the embodiment of the Passover lamb and was killed as a sacrifice for sin.

But which Passover? Passover does not always happen on Saturday. In the Jewish calendar (a lunar calendar), it occurs on a different day each year. Some scholars believe the Passover Shabbat occurred on Thursday that year, that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and died at the exact time (3 p.m.) that the High Priest was slaughtering the Passover lamb in the Temple, also the time that the thick curtain separating the Holy Place in the Temple from the Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, split from the top to the bottom, indicating all men now had immediate access to God.

That also means the chronology runs more like this:

1. Palm Sunday - Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, a symbol of royal humility, of a king coming not in conquest (which would be on a horse) but in peace. He immediately goes to the Temple and drives out the merchants and money changers, causing no little bit of a stir. He then sits down and begins to teach the people. At the end of the day, he retires to the house of Mary, Martha, and their now resurrected brother Lazarus in Bethsaida.
2. Maundy Tuesday - Jesus sends some disciples back into Jerusalem to prepare the upper room for the Passover meal, what we now call the Last Supper or Lord's Supper (Communion). He eats the meal (except for the wine) with his disciples. In the middle of the meal, he reveals that one of their number will betray him. Judas departs to set things up. Jesus takes the eleven that are left to a garden outside Jerusalem called Gethsemane. Here he prays for three hours, struggling against an untimely death (I'll post another blog about that later). Judas shows up with a mob to arrest him and they drag him off to the chief priests. He is brought before the Sanhedrin and illegally tried at night. 
3. We are now probably after midnight into early Wednesday morning (Good Wednesday?). The trial can't last long because they still have to get him to Pilate who has to have time to interrogate him, send him to Herod for further interrogation, have him flogged, and then sent along the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha by early morning. He is on the cross  by noon, because that's when the sky goes dark for three hours. Jesus dies at about 3 p.m. Joseph of Arimathea has just enough time to  go to Pilate, secure permission to bury Jesus, take him down from the cross, wrap his body in burial linens, and deposit the body in the tomb. It must be an open tomb because the Jewish leaders get wind of it and go to Pilate demanding that the tomb be sealed with a stone with the governor's Roman seal on it and station a guard to prevent the disciples from stealing the body. The disciples, however, are cowering in a locked room. The sun goes down, beginning the Passover Shabbat.
4. One thing the women were not able to do because of the pace of events was to procure spices to prepare the body for burial. Fortunately, the Magi had provided those when they came and worshiped him at the age of two (see my blog from Jan 6, 2017). However, the women were able to go out and buy them on Friday between the Passover Shabbat and the Saturday Shabbat, but they apparently didn't have time to go to the grave. Also, there was the stone and the guard to contend with. So apparently sundown Friday came and they rested for the Shabbat.
5. Easter Sunday - In the morning, he women go to the grave to prepare the body according to tradition. Along the way, they talk about the stone that stands in their way. However, when they arrive, they find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. In wonder and confusion, they flee. Mary Magdalene stumbles into Jesus, thinking him the gardener. Why didn't she recognize him? Medical experts say that in circumstances of extreme stress (crucifixion?) a person's hair can turn white. This is borne out in John's Apocalypse (Revelation) where Jesus is described as having white hair. He tells her to go to the disciples and Peter and tell them that he is risen as he said.

All told, he has spent three days and three nights in the tomb, beginning at sundown on Wednesday, continuing through sundown on Thursday (1 night, 1 day), sundown on Friday (2 nights, 2 days), and ending at sundown on Saturday (3 nights, 3 days), the end of the second Shabbat that week. This, along with Bullinger's linguistic analysis above, leads me and others to believe that the common church liturgical calendar is in error and that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday of the Passion week.

Gifts: Gifts of the Father, Part 1

Obviously, since this is a blog, the newest blogs are on top of the list. But since this posting is more in the fashion of a serial blog, if you haven't read the previous posts, it might be helpful to go back to the first posting of 2021, titled Note and continue through the subsequent posts. 

Okay, so that was a lot to take in at one sitting. It also took a lot out of me; so much so that it's taken a couple of days to get back to it. I failed at one of the principles of Instructional Design (something I have a Master's degree in) called "chunking": never give them too much at one time; they'll never retain it all.

So we've established a scriptural principle from 1 Cor. 12:4-6 that there are three types of dispensations or gifts from God (the Trinity): gifts of the Father (energies or motivations), gifts of the Son (services, administrations, or ministries), and gifts of the Spirit (charismata, gifts of grace, or manifestations).

Now, I'm not presenting an opinion here. I'm trying to exegete the Word of God by examining the words in Scripture both in English and the original Greek. Whether or not the particular sect (i.e., denomination) you identify with adheres to what I'm presenting is immaterial. These are Scriptural principles that I'm examining in detail and that I have personally seen borne out in my own life and in the lives of others. So I am integrating Scripture with experience.

I have labeled the dispensations or gifts by means of the source: gifts of the Father, gifts of the Son, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. As I alluded to above, others have used a sort of onomatapoeia (from onoma, name; and poeia, make; or "to make a name") by using three words beginning with the letter "M": Motivational gifts (gifts of the Father), Ministry gifts (gifts of the Son), and Manifestation gifts (gifts of the Holy Spirit). Some systems and their tests try to lump them all together and assess them all at once. However, I will try to demonstrate that this is like trying to compare apples, oranges, and bananas: all you end up with is a fruit salad. The purpose of each category is very distinct and should be discriminated carefully to ensure accurate understanding and purposeful employment.

I'm going to first look at the Motivational gifts. Why are they called "Motivational?" Probably because the word seems to indicate a personal motivation in how we each respond to life situations. We're going to dive into personality theory, because this is the essence of this category and has to do with how God wired us from conception and birth to respond to life situations. These gifts are the basis of what makes each of us different, why people do some of the crazy things they do, and why we respond to them the way we do. No two people are alike. Just look at any marriage: opposites attract. It's a principle of physics that God established in the universe. The trick with marriage is that it's similarities that keep people together.

So here's the deal: I mentioned in my last post that in Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, the only time he references the gifts of the Father is in verse 6 of chapter 12. He lists both the Manifestation and the Ministry gifts in that chapter, then goes into detail on the Manifestation gifts in chapters 14 and 15. But we have to go to Paul's letter to the church at Rome to find the Motivational gifts. We'll look at that next time in Romans 12.

Gifts: Categories of Gifts

 Obviously, since this is a blog, the newest blogs are on top of the list. But since this posting is more in the fashion of a serial blog, it might be helpful to go back to the first posting of 2021, titled Note.

This post will introduce the concept of Gifts and that there are actually three different categories of gifts.

First, what is a gift? Obviously, its definition and etymology identify it as an object, whether tangible or intangible, that is given by one person to another person. Possession and often ownership of the gift are transferred from the one to the other.

The following is taken from Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:

Gift, Giving

1. doron (G1435), akin to didomi, "to give," is used (a) of "gifts" presented as an expression of honor, Mat_2:11; (b) of "gifts" for the support of the temple and the needs of the poor, Mat_15:5; Mar_7:11; Luk_21:1, Luk_21:4; (c) of "gifts" offered to God, Mat_5:23, Mat_5:24; Mat_8:4; Mat_23:18, Mat_23:19; Heb_5:1; Heb_8:3, Heb_8:4; Heb_9:9; Heb_11:4; (d) of salvation by grace as the "gift" of God, Eph_2:8; (e) of "presents" for mutual celebration of an occasion, Rev_11:10. See OFFERING.

2. dorea (G1431) denotes "a free gift," stressing its gratuitous character; it is always used in the NT of a spiritual or supernatural gift, Joh_4:10; Act_8:20; Act_11:17; Rom_5:15; 2Co_9:15; Eph_3:7; Heb_6:4; in Eph_4:7, "according to the measure of the gift of Christ," the "gift" is that given by Christ; in Act_2:28, "the gift of the Holy Ghost," the clause is epexegetical, the "gift" being the Holy Ghost Himself; cf. Act_10:45; Act_11:17, and the phrase, "the gift of righteousness," Rom_5:17.

Note: For dorean, a form of this noun, used adverbially, see FREELY.

3. dorema (G1434): see BOON.

4. doma (G1390) lends greater stress to the concrete character of the "gift," than to its beneficent nature, Mat_7:11; Luk_11:13; Eph_4:8; Php_4:17.

5. dosis (G1394) denotes, properly, "the act of giving," Php_4:15, euphemistically referring to "gifts" as a matter of debt and credit accounts; then, objectively, "a gift," Jas_1:17 (1st mention; see BOON).

6. charisma (G5486), "a gift of grace, a gift involving grace" (charis) on the part of God as the donor, is used (a) of His free bestowments upon sinners, Rom_5:15, Rom_5:16; Rom_6:23; Rom_11:29; (b) of His endowments upon believers by the operation of the Holy Spirit in the churches, Rom_12:6; 1Co_1:7; 1Co_12:4, 1Co_12:9, 1Co_12:28, 1Co_12:30, 1Co_12:31; 1Ti_4:14; 2Ti_1:6; 1Pe_4:10; (c) of that which is imparted through human instruction, Rom_1:11; (d) of the natural "gift" of continence, consequent upon the grace of God as Creator, 1Co_7:7; (e) of gracious deliverances granted in answer to the prayers of fellow believers, 2Co_1:11.

Note: In the KJV of 2Co_8:4 charis, "grace," is translated "gift." The RV, "in regard of this grace," adheres to the true meaning, as in 2Co_8:6.

7. merismos (G3311), "a dividing" (from meros, "a part"), is translated "gifts" in Heb_2:4, "gifts of the Holy Ghost" (marg., "distributions"); in Heb_4:12, "dividing." see DIVIDING.

Note: In the KJV of Luk_21:5 anathema, "a votive offering," is translated "gifts" (RV, "offerings").

Obviously, the New Testament is replete with words that deal with a variety of concepts of gifts.

However, I want to focus initially in 1 Cor. 12. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a large city located on an isthmus and a hub of trade, both materially and intellectually. He begins by saying:

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. (ESV)

In the original Greek, the word "gifts" is not there. Only the word translated "spiritual" (πνευματικός, pneumatikos) is present, essentially meaning "spiritual things." However, in the context of what follows in chapters 12 through 14, the use of "gifts" here seems rational.

He goes on to contrast their previous practices as pagans with what should be their current practices as Christians:

2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 

 Clearly, Paul wants to distinguish between the sources of their religious experiences and the practices. He wants to let them know that things are different now that they are Christians and that they should leave their old pagan practices (often characterized by ecstasy and chaos) behind and embrace new, more orderly practices. ("But all things should be done decently and in order." 1 Cor. 14:40, ESV)

Now, he begins to explain to them the categorical nature of gifts:

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;

 "varieties": διαίρεσις diairesis; a distinction or (concretely) variety: - difference, diversity. (Strong, G1243)
"gifts": χάρισμα charisma; a (divine) gratuity, that is, deliverance (from danger or passion); (specifically) a (spiritual) endowment, that is, (subjectively) religious qualification, or (objectively) miraculous faculty: - (free) gift. (Strong, G5486)
"Spirit": πνεῦμα pneuma; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit: - ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. (Strong, G4151)

 This is the first category of gifts, the one they were most familiar with but also the one they were having the most trouble with, as we see later in the letter.

5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;

"service":  διακονία diakonia; attendance (as a servant, etc.); figuratively (eleemosynary) aid, (official) service (especially of the Christian teacher, or technically of the diaconate): - (ad-) minister (-ing, -tration, -try), office, relief, service (-ing). (Strong, G1248)
"Lord": κύριος kurios; From κῦρος kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller; by implication Mr. (as a respectful title): - God, Lord, master, Sir. (Strong, G2962)

The word here for "service" (or "administrations" in the KJV) is where we get our word "deacon" from. When the original deacons were chosen in the Book of Acts, their purpose was to "wait on tables," to distribute meals to the widows of the church. Culturally, women rarely had the ability to support themselves. When their husband died, all his possessions were distributed to their sons and the oldest son assumed the responsibility of providing for his mother. However, if she accepted Yeshua of Nazaret as her Messiah and her family did not follow her in faith, she would be abandoned by them. In the early church in Jerusalem, the native Jewish-Christian widows were being served, but not the Hellenic-Christian widows. The apostles felt they could not lead the church both spiritually and materially; hence, the deacons were born. However, the use of the term here is broad, covering more than just serving meals as we will see later. Thus the use of the word "administrations" in the KJV.

In our modern, Western perspective, the word "Lord" has lost much of its original meaning, especially embodied in the Greek word "kyrios." In the context of the time, a kyrios actually had the power of life and death. Each year, people were required to pay their taxes to Rome and the Roman Empire and recite the phrase kyrion kaisar, Caesar is Lord. There was also a statement of deity along with the authority, because only a god could have power of life and death. Of course, Christians could make no such confession, and thus were deemed enemies of the state. Therefore, in this context, the word kyrios is referring to the second person of the Trinity, Jesus, the Son. As the head of his body, the church, he has given gifts for the purpose of ministry. (Eph. 4:7-12)

6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

"activities":  ἐνέργημα energēma; an effect: - operation, working. (Strong, G1755)
"God": θεός theos; Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward]. (Strong, G2316)
"empowers": ἐνεργέω energeō; to be active, efficient: - do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in). (Strong, G1754)
"all": παντα panta; from πᾶς pas; Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole: - all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever. (Strong, G3956)
"everyone": πασιν pasin; from πᾶς pas; Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole: - all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever. (Strong, G3956)

Of the three verses dealing with what I call gift categories (vss. 4, 5, and 6), this last one is the most enigmatic and perhaps the least understood, partly because it is discussed nowhere else in this letter. Apparently, the Corinthian church had enough problems dealing with their excesses in regard to the use of the gifts of the Spirit that Paul deemed it prudent not to confuse them with what I feel are deeper matters. Instead, we must look to Paul's letter to the church in Rome to find them.

Note the relation of the Greek word to our English word, "energy." I feel a more accurate translation would almost be a transliteration: "and there are differences of energies, but it is the same God who energizes them all in everyone." Note also that it is Theos who distributes these gifts. To continue the pattern, charisma come from the Spirit, diakonia come from the Son, and energēma come from the Father (God). 

Thus, we have three categories of gifts: gifts of the Father, gifts of the Son, and gifts of the Spirit. Each Person of the Trinity has authority and distribution of the gifts in their domain, yet they all work together "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," (Eph. 4:12 ESV).

In my next posting, we will discuss the gifts given to all humans, whether or not they are believers: the Gifts of the Father.

Gifts: Introduction

 Before we can begin our study, let's lay some ground rules.

First, this is more than just a scholarly treatise. While some scholarship will be involved, the ultimate goal is to impact life in such a way that it becomes more understandable, more productive, and just more fun.

Since I hope this will reach a variety of people with a variety of backgrounds, I want to discuss some buzzwords that some may bring to the table.

First, let's talk about Theology. This comes from two Greek words: θεός (theos) and λόγος (logos). Essentially, it means "God words" or "words about God." It forms the general term for the study of God and is broken down into various aspects of God, e.g., holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, etc.

Another term we should look at is Doctrine. Generally speaking, this speaks to the core beliefs of any given sect, such things as salvation, original sin, justification, etc. The Greek word found in 2 Tim. 3:16 translated as doctrine is διδασκαλία (didaskalia). It, along with another Greek word, διδαχή (didache), are related to teaching. Zodhiates discriminates between them as the latter being "the substance of teaching" and the former "the act of teaching." Clearly, doctrine has to do with the teachings of any specific group regarding their understanding of the principles of the Bible. Throughout history, these have usually been promulgated through the personal revelation and inspiration of a single individual, e.g., Luther, Calvin, and others. Even in modern times, whole new sets of teachings have been promoted by an individual and enhanced through the use of technology (read "Tele-evangelists").

One term that originally had positive connotations and now not so much is Dogma. This word is used within groups to indicate concepts that are immutable and should be universal to all who profess to believe common truths. In my experience, however, it tends to describe a stubborn an intractable adherence to certain concepts, often even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. An example of such might be found in the tenets of Atheistic Humanism. Adherents to this belief system deny the existence of God, let alone the possibility that he could have created everything that is. Even the concept of intelligent design is anathema to a true believer of this faith. But I digress.

Not that any of these terms have any real impact on what I'm going to do here. It is my intention to draw from various scriptures (without proof-texting) that might seem to the casual Bible reader as random and unrelated. However, in my view, they are actually the core of Christian life, after initial salvation. By understanding them more fully, I hope the reader will have a "lightbulb" effect and begin to see life in a new light (pun intended!).

Here we go!!

Note

 It's been about three years now since my last post. I have two people following this blog. Clearly, I'm not winning any awards for social activity.

However, I'm presently motivated to look in depth at a project I've studied for some time now: Gifts.

I'm going to begin with a short introduction into the nature of Bible study and its corollaries as found in Christian circles; nothing too in-depth, just a means whereby we can understand each other.

Although much of what I'm going to share has already been drawn from teachers like Russell Kelper and Bill Gothard, ultimately my source is going to be Scripture, primarily the New Testament, along with my own personal experience.

While some have emphasized scripture and others experience, I believe it is possible to blend the two into one cohesive lifestyle. To that end, I will begin this journey.