Pondering “Semitism” juxtaposed with “anti-Semitism”
Minimal
knowledge invites misunderstanding. The Holy Bible seems a mystery about
mysteries. Personal experiences and observations, many at University Baptist
Church, Baton Rouge, led me to curiosity on which I earned this opinion: Paul is history’s pivotal anti-Semite. The consequence is perpetual harm to children,
and I want Paul’s impact undone. I
choose Jesus’ civic influence to the good. I write in order to listen-to viewpoints of fellow citizens who
are also curious and wish to
precisely, accurately, and deeply consider Jesus’ civic influence.
How
“semite” was constructed
What is a Semite? The term is
constructed on genealogy, geopolitics, and language, each of which is popularly,
I think erroneously, constructed as racial. One Biblical opinion is Hagar was black, reasoning, “In the Old Testament . . . several terms .
. . refer to Africa and Africans [including] Ham, Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan”,
Hamites, or descendants of Ham. Japhethites were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras. Semites were “descendants
of Shem, Noah’s first son”, (Genesis 10). But
Semitic languages include
Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Phoenician (McCray 1990). [And]
not all Semitic-speaking people are non-Hamitic people. For instance, the
Ethiopians and Phoenicians are descendants of Ham, although their languages are
Semitic (McCray 1990).
Hope that there is a non-racial humankind
is offered by the human genome. A Stanford study is highlighted in
a Harvard
article, which seems to castigate Donald-Trump-white-skin, yet asserts,
In the
biological and social sciences, the consensus is clear: race is a social construct, not a biological attribute. Today, scientists prefer to use
the term “ancestry” to describe human diversity. “Ancestry” reflects the fact
that human variations do have a connection to the geographical origins of our ancestors—with enough information about a person’s DNA, scientists can
make a reasonable guess about their ancestry. However, unlike the term “race,” it focuses on
understanding how a person’s history unfolded, not how they fit into one
category and not another. In a clinical setting, for instance, scientists would say that diseases such as
sickle-cell anemia and cystic fibrosis are common in those of “sub-Saharan
African” or “Northern European” descent, respectively, rather than in those who
are “black” or “white”.
The studies
referenced above have information coming from homo sapiens’ inventions of
language, writing, alphabet, and grammar, each starting hundreds of years ago:
more than 1500, 55, 40, and 30, respectively. By 55 hundred years ago, Sumer civilization
developed political philosophy that assumed their pantheon of gods left pursuit
of the good on earth to humankind. That principle is expressed in Hebrew
vernacular in Genesis 1:26-28. But the Holy Bible reports opinions held
between 40 hundreds of years ago and 1.9 hundreds of years ago and interpreted
exponentially in recent decades. I assert that every good thought was expressed
before the many Bible canon were negotiated. Opinion about prior opinion
strains actual reality.
My choice about
Paul
After study, I tentatively choose and urge to civic citizens
this opinion: neither a Semite nor an anti-Semite be. Instead, accept the
mystery of the God and pursue Jesus’ civic influence. My grounding for this
opinion is Sumerian political philosophy expressed by Genesis 1:26-28, Complete
Jewish Bible, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them
rule [to the good] . . . over all the earth . . .” There is no racism in Genesis 1:26-28. I use "Hebrew" to express a pursuit rather than to define its past.
Today’s global crisis is evidence that only a civic
people can choose the good on earth: neither the God nor a government may or can
usurp human duty. “Civic” means responsibly reliable to the good in human
connections and transactions. I would appreciate
Nomads’ and others’ thoughts and comments about my findings if not my opinions.
What does the New Testament (CJB) suggest?
To present my case, I cite the Complete Jewish Bible,
in order to distinguish both the God and the Bible's “God” from Adonai, the
Spirit, and other expressions such as “the One”. I use “the God” to express
personal humility to whatever constrains the consequences of
human choices. Consider choices attributed to each Jesus, Peter,
Paul, John, and James, Jesus’ brother but not an apostle. All were Jews who commonly spoke Aramaic and did so in the Jerusalem Council of 50 CE, called to discuss circumcision, a stumbling block to pagans/Gentiles who were interested in Jesus.
About a decade after Jesus’ death, there were informed,
like-minded groups in lands surrounding the Mediterranean, as follows:
·
Hebrews
who followed and worked to improve the Torah -- the Hebrew law.
o A majority continuously worked to improve the Torah
- A faction expected in future a Messiah to unite Israel.
o After death, a minority expected “Messiah Jesus” to return and unite Israel.
o
Each
of the 12 tribes had its own like-minded particulars, such as opposing
circumcision and Torah-hypocrisy.
o
Other
Messiah-speculations emerged, such as Paul's Christ theory.
·
Gentiles
were non-Hebrews
o
Most were pagan, heathen, or mystics to idols.
o
Some
were wanton or evil. Some worshipped by sacrificing humans as did some Hebrew ancestors.
o
A
minor-few believed Jesus is the Hebrew Messiah but did not want to pursue the
Torah, especially circumcision. Call them “believers”.
o
A tiny
few vaguely pursued the mystery of the God. That pursuit puts them in common with many if not most Hebrews.
·
Tradition
holds that descendants of Noah’s 3 sons geographically dispersed as follows:
o
Ham
NE Africa and Arabia
o
Shem
in 3 areas, the north, the far-east, and the south of the Arabian Peninsula
o
Japheth,
seafaring also, across SW Asia and southern Europe.
Noah’s
descendants dispersed into lands dominated by Latin and Arabic, with a small
development of Greek and even smaller area, Israel and Judah, developing
Hebrew and Aramaic. A small Shemite faction developed Hebrew, perhaps initially in writing. Perhaps the Hebrew faction is
the target of anti-Semitism; I don’t know.
Where
does Jesus stand in the Hebrew Messiah controversy?
Returning now to the Jesus controversy, from the ancient
background, extrapolation of the Greek equivalent of “anointed one”, χριστός
(chrīstós),
emerged as European “Crist”, which 500 years ago became “Christ”. About 2.173
billion people look to Christ for salvation each perceives. There are about
0.0139 billion Hebrews, 40% of whom consider Jesus’ Messiah-ship plausible.
That is, Jesus’ influence could eventually unite Israel. I agree and think Jesus’
civic influence is lessened by chrīstós; Crist; Christ. I think "Christ" represents Paul's church. Churches and synagogues
may and can accept the mystery of Divinity yet promote Jesus’ civic influence
to the good. I now turn to that suggestion.
If so, I think the principle villain in lessening
Jesus’s impact seems to be Paul, the ancient Christ-promotor. It seems
to stem from his letter to the Galatians perhaps 16 years after Jesus’ death.
Therein, he proclaims divine authority to censor competitive thought. Quoting
statements that express a message,
From: Sha’ul, an emissary — I received my
commission not from human beings or through human mediation but through Yeshua
the Messiah and God the Father . . . who picked me out before
I was born and called me by his grace, chose to reveal his Son to me, so
that I might announce him to the Gentiles I did not consult anyone . . . We are Jews by birth, not so-called ‘Goyishe sinners’
[sinners among pagans/Gentiles]; even so, we have come to
realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the ground of his
legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the
Messiah Yeshua’s trusting faithfulness . . . For neither being circumcised nor being
uncircumcised matters; what matters is being a new creation. And as many as order their lives by this rule, shalom upon
them and mercy, and upon the Isra’el of God!
(With this quotation of CJB, I transition from traditional "Jesus" to Yeshua, which makes me feel closer to the person who lived in Nazareth 2 thousand years ago). Paul seems to denigrate not only “Goyishe sinners” but Hebrew factions who do not think Yeshua was the Messiah. He seems to discount the
entire legacy of improving Moses’ law, which Hebrews continue as I write. Paul
assesses the legacy, ignoring both Genesis 1:26-28 and Yeshua’s improvements such
as in Matthew 19:3-8. Paul concludes in Romans 9:6, “But the present condition of Isra’el does not mean that the Word
of God has failed. For not everyone from Isra’el is truly part of Isra’el.” He especially castigates “Judeans” in 1
Thessalonians 2:14-16:
For, brothers, you came to be imitators of
God’s congregations in Y’hudah that are united with the Messiah Yeshua — you
suffered the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Judeans
who both killed the Lord Yeshua and the prophets,
and chased us out too. They are displeasing God and opposing all
mankind by trying to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles, so that they
may be delivered.
Paul
uses civic and civil injustice to Yeshua’s execution, in order to divide Israel! He constructs
Paul’s “new covenant” in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “So all of us, with faces unveiled, see
as in a mirror the glory of the Lord; and we are being changed into his very
image, from one degree of glory to the next, by Adonai the Spirit.” I doubt the God agrees that Adonai is less than NIV’s
“the Lord God”. Each generation of civic citizens keeps Yeshua’s civic influence
alive and accommodating to modern discovery to the good. Some citizens feel antinomian to the Torah rather than to
civic integrity. But it seems there will always be minor factions of dissidents,
rebels, and evil people.
In summary, Paul, born a
conservative Hebrew, fancied himself the sole agent of reform. He would
narrowly lessen the division of humankind by waiting for Hebrews who expected
their Messiah to join Gentiles who believe Yeshua’s death on the cross was Adonai’s grace. He expelled
descendants of Hagar, ignored the rest of Earth’s inhabitants and intended to
persuade the world to his view. Paul went to Jerusalem to persuade the leaders then
left intending to pursue his agendum alone.
Opinions of five
contemporary Hebrews long after Jesus’ death
First, I think Yeshua, the topic of a
meeting about his afterdeath, was neutral to both Gentiles and Hebrews, talking
to anyone he encountered about improving personal behavior to the good. He
collaborated with Pharisees’ queries about the Torah and suggested rational
improvements. His integrity is especially highlighted in civic defense before
Pilate. I say civic, because Pilate abdicated his civil duty, yet Yeshua civically challenged Pilate to reliable responsibility. Yeshua said, in John 18:37,
“The reason I have been born, the reason I have
come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to
the truth listens to me.” I cannot evaluate that statement -- can only accept it.
Pilate irresponsibly did not accept it. Both the God and Yeshua could have flourished
on Pilate’s justice rather than his abdication to blood. I think humankind could have,
would have been better off with justice.
Yeshua’s afterdeath is critical to
a Hebrew meeting perhaps 17 years afterwards. Paul went to Jerusalem to meet
with leaders including Peter, James, John, and elders. Four Hebrews debated with
elders (including John) how the few Gentile believers, were to be accepted into
the community. Were they to be circumcised and required to follow the Torah?
Three critical thoughts are reported in Acts
15. There seems to be 3 Hebrew minds and one novel agendum: replacing both Yeshua’s community and Hebrew legacy with Paul’s community! In other words, the object of discussion,
Second, Peter seems
cautious if not collaborating. After elders (including John?) spoke for
circumcision and the law, Peter said in Acts 15:8-11,
God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by
giving the Ruach HaKodesh [NIV,
controversially, has “Holy Spirit”] to them, just as he did to us; that
is, he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their heart by
trust. So why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on
the neck of the talmidim [followers of their
teacher] which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to
bear? No, it is through the love and kindness of the Lord Yeshua that we trust and are delivered
— and it’s the same with them.
Peter
seems neutral to both Hebrews and believers and working to share the message.
He had a history of Hebrew approval, including Yeshua’s affirmation in Matthew
16:16-18, after Yeshua’s identity question:
Shim‘on Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach, the
Son of the living God.” “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan,” Yeshua said to him, “how
blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father
in heaven. I also tell you this: you are Kefa,”
[which means ‘Rock,’] “and on this rock I will build my Community, and the
gates of Sh’ol will not overcome it.
Paul, who in building his church gave no thought to “[Yeshua’s] Community”, expressed to Peter.
Third, Paul, then a Pharisee (conservative to the
Torah), in Acts 15:12, seemed to, perhaps unintentionally, discount each Yeshua,
Hebrews, and Gentiles by reporting the self-styled miracles “God” performed
through himself and Barnabas. He would clarify independence 5 years later in
Romans 1 - 15:
From:
Sha’ul, a slave of the Messiah Yeshua, an emissary because I was called and set
apart for the Good News of God . . . I owe a debt to both
civilized Greeks and uncivilized people, to both the educated and the ignorant
. . . And now I urge you,
brothers, by our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and by the love of the Spirit, to join
me in my struggle by praying to God on my behalf that I will be rescued
from the unbelievers in Y’hudah, and that my service for Yerushalayim will be
acceptable to God’s people there.
The Greek word for “anointed
one”, chrīstós, was used by Greek-speaking Hebrews a couple hundred years before Yeshua was born. Paul’s arrogance toward
fellow Hebrews is shocking. Worse, in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul seems to juxtapose
his influence against Yeshua’s power:
I have to boast. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I
will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in union
with the Messiah who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the third heaven;
whether he was in the body or outside the body I don’t know, God knows. . . . I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me
in your presence, and that I will be grieved over many of those who sinned in
the past and have not repented of the impurity, fornication and debauchery that
they have engaged in.
Paul’s
implication seems that Yeshua’s civic influence is insufficient to God’s
expectations to Paul. I think that’s to be expected from teaching divinity’s
mystery rather than Yeshua’s civic integrity.
Fourth, returning to Acts 15, James, in Verses 19-20, offered a compromise,
My opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim [non-Hebrew] who are turning to God. Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood.
The 4 constraints, while limiting chaos, seem a capricious lessening
of the Torah. Incidentally, both James and Paul are concerned about
fornication. I wonder if either of them share Yeshua’s civic influence and Torah
improvement in Matthew 19:3-8. (I oppose Paul’s neglect of the unity marriage
creates, wherein bonding is a prayer;
1 Corinthians 7:5.)
James (Ya'akov) is clear about Yeshua in
James 1:1, “From:
Ya‘akov, a slave of God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.” And in 2:1, “My
brothers, practice the faith of our Lord Yeshua . . . ” again, a decade after Yeshua’s death. Also, James advocated the Torah as improved by Yeshua. In
James 1:25, “But
if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives
freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work
it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.” Perhaps James writes about
freedom from error and sin (intentional error, according to James). And in James
2:10-11 he affirms Yeshua’s encouragement to perfection, writing, “For a person who keeps the whole Torah, yet stumbles
at one point, has become guilty of breaking them all. For the One who
said, ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Don’t murder.’” “The One” seems another name for the God.
Conclusion
It seems Paul constructed a utilization of Jesus’
life that increases chaos rather than rules the earth to the good, according to
Genesis 1:26-28. But Yeshua’s civic influence is apparent to some people in every
generation. Civic citizens apply Yeshua’s integrity, in order to solve problems never
before recognized or admitted. The church can benefit by listening to reliably
responsible adults rather than trying to preserve traditions that do not
appreciate humankind’s gradual discovery of the ineluctable truth. (For example, we can fly the friendly sky of heaven.) The unfortunate
victims are the children, and Yeshua suggests woe to people who harm them (Matthew
18:6).
Shock and happiness
It is shocking to discover these controversies at age
80, after perhaps half my life’s leisure time was spent trying to understand
the community I was reared in: Christianity within humankind. I am grateful to
have known pastor George Haile and to have returned 2 years ago to UBC to
attend Nomads Sunday school class, coffee room, and worship service. I dedicate
my available time to aiding children, adolescents, and adults to comprehend the
controversies and earn personal opinion to the good they perceive early in life. I’m reminded of Niccolo`
Machiavelli, in The Prince, Chapter
XI -- one expression which I paraphrase:
Only a dreamer would imagine their opinion worthy of sharing. But if
asked, what I would share follows, below.
The advent of the Internet has made it possible for
interested persons to ask creative questions, pursue answers, form opinions,
and share them with fellow citizens, in order to listen to civic perspectives.
Civic citizens may and can collaborate on the reality of the Bible’s
confusions. The work can be enhanced by realizing that Hebrew literature is
only 3900 years old and prior, primitive writing is pertinent. While the Sumerian
writing is worthy of study, so is literature from the Indus valley and from
ancient China. Like Yeshua, Confucius suggested that a human may and can pursue
personal perfection.
Thank you for reading this, and I would appreciate
your comments and opinions from the study.
Phil Beaver, 2/10/2024,
updated 4/30/2024
#USpreambler
Copyright©2024 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included.
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