Twisted Scripture, part 15

Bob corrigan

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Born again.

I am not a fan of "conspiracy theories" or "urban myths." While these things can be very interesting, some may be true or based on truth; I don't determine what I believe on any theory or myth. Some may think I am creating "conspiracy theories" about Scripture, English translations, the original texts, or the Strong's Concordance.
I don't post studies based on theory. My studies are based on actual research. Anything I have said related to Scripture and the words of Scripture can also be researched by anyone who reads my posts. In this post, anybody who has a Strong's Concordance and an interlinear bible can discover for themselves what I am about to show. A lexicon helps in any word study. An interlinear bible is a bible that displays the original Hebrew and Greek texts and, underneath, the English translation. There is a free Bible App called "Bibletool" (The "t" is printed in the form of a cross). You select a verse, and you can read an English translation or the interlinear version. The best way to learn something and has the most impact is when people learn or see things for themselves.
Just because something is stated or taught in any book does not automatically mean it is accurate or factual. I have warned about the problems in all English translations hundreds of times. Within the last couple of months, I have also discovered problems in the Strong's Concordance. Most of Strong's is dependable, but I am beginning to find some flat-out wrong definitions! Made up definitions that came from the "Christian" bias of Mr. Strong to validate Evangelical/Christian dogma. A dogma that is taught by the "Traditions of Men."

Jesus never said, "You must be born again." No Greek text is written with Jesus saying, "You must be born again." Where do we find this? In particular English translations. Not all English translations phrase this in John 3:3 the same way. Some translations phrase it as "new birth." A few frame it, "you must receive birth from above." The most common way to translate this phrase besides "born again" is "born from above." The second two are correct, "born again" is made up.

When you read the interlinear version of the App I mentioned, you will see the Greek text on top of the English words. The English reads, "Except a man be born again." On top of the English words will be the Greek words in the Greek text. Based on the English words used, the reader is supposed to believe that English words used are exact English equivalents that correctly convey, as much as possible, the original meaning of the original Greek word used in the original Greek text.

The Greek word above "again" is anothen. The App will give a Strong definition. It will then tell you how many times the Greek word is used in John and how many times it is used in the N.T. According to the app, the Greek word anothen is used 13 times in the N.T. The app shows the 13 verses.

According to the app, in John 3:3, 3:7, and Gal 4:9, anothen is correctly translated as "again." In the other verses, it is translated four times as "from above," three times, "from the top," once "from the beginning," and once "from the very first." While it is a fact that Greek words have different nuances and shades of meaning, it also makes sense that each of the various nuances should relate to the other nuances. Some nuances for the word "fast" are quick, sudden, impulsive, reckless, and abrupt. Different shades of meaning, but easy to see the connection.

It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to understand that "from above" is not related to "again." Or "from the beginning" is not associated with "from above." Do you see any shenanigans going on here?

The definition given by the app, which comes from the Strong's, reads: from above; by analogy, anew-from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top. Very interesting is the phrase "by analogy." Says who? Nothing in the definition about "by Greek analogy," just "by analogy." "Anew" and "from above" is not connected! Different meanings. According to the definition, anothen comes from the Greek adverb ano, which means: above, brim, high, up.
It is plain to see that when I say that, once again, Mr. Strong forced words into "his definition" to change the original and most robust Greek meaning into one that could be used to teach E.C. dogma, it is not my "theory" or "my conspiracy."

The Greek word for "again" is pali, palin. Strong's number for anothen is 509. Strong's number for palin is 3825. Far apart in the dictionary! Most of the time, Palin is translated as "again," other times as "anew." Palin is never translated as "from above." There is no connection between the two words! One is not a form of the other! Different terms, different meanings!

The app Bibletool would have you believe that in the Greek text, in Gal 44:9, "...how turn ye again..." the Greek word for "again" is anothen. Ah, but did you know that four primary Greek texts are used in translation work? And that each of the Greek texts is different? Not one matches up word for word with another. And they all differ in length and number of words used. Some of the texts omit verses and passages that the others include.
In the other Greek texts I looked at, they each use the Greek word palin in Gal 4:9!

While I am not a Greek scholar, I can look up the words. The Greek word for "born" in John 3:3 is gennao. One fascinating fact about biblical Greek is that it was an exact language. It was so accurate that there was no need for capital letters, breaks, or punctuation. If you ever see a copy of the original Greek, it was written in block form as a continuous sentence. Anybody who spoke and read biblical Greek knew precisely what the writer was conveying. If the biblical Greek meant to express "born again," we would find in the original text, gennao palin, or palin gennao. Guess what? We don't!

This is just another lie that was introduced in the seventies! The phrase "born again" didn't become popular and used in "church buildings" until Jimmy Carter said it in several interviews, including one with Playboy. The problem with the phrase "You must be born again" immediately has people think, "Oh, I must get born again; it is something I have to do."

John 1:13 Which were born not of flesh, the will of the flesh, the WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD.

James 1:18 Of HIS OWN WILL begat He us with the truth...

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is BORN OF GOD...

Did John tell people, "you must be born again," Mk 1:4?

When Jesus was asked what must one do to inherit eternal life, did Jesus tell him, "You must be born again?" Lk 18:18

Did Jesus tell the thief on the cross, "You must be born again?" Lk 23:39

Did Jesus say, "you must be born again?" John 3:18

Did Paul or Silas tell the jailer, "You must be born again?" Acts 16:30-31.

If Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again," isn't it strange that he never said this to another living soul? If being "born again" is "THE CRUCIAL PART OF SALVATION," why wouldn't he have told this to the Apostles or Paul? When Paul preached to a crowd, why did he never say, "You must be born again?"

I know that in 1Pet 1:23, we find the phrase, "born again." But that deals with a different Greek word, anagenno, translated as "Being born again." I've taken up enough of your time to launch into another study.
 

Guojing

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You can understand John's specific emphasis on being born again, as inextricably linked to Israel's relationship with God.

Their father, Abraham, was barren. Naturally, at his ripe old age, he could no longer have children.
God had to supernaturally intervene in his life to enable him to give birth to Issac.
Thru Issac, thru Jacob, thru his 12 sons, the nation literally came into existence.

Exodus 4:22 had a very insightful verse about this
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

This was reinforced in Jeremiah 31:9
9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

God considered Israel his first born son. They literally became a nation when God supernaturally rescued them from Egypt, separating the waters in the ocean until all of them crossed over the water in dry land.

But as we all know, Israel broke their covenant of Law that was given at Mount Sinai. They killed or ignored all the prophets that God repeatedly sent to them when they were separated into 2 kingdoms and went into captivity under Babylon, and then under Persia.

Jesus used the parable of the tenants, one of my favorite parables to understand his first coming on Earth to Israel, in all 3 synoptic gospels. (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19) to illustrate this.

When Jesus and the 12 were preaching from Matt-John, they need to repent of rejecting God their Father in the OT, and believe in his Son is their promised King and Messiah, as foretold by their prophets.

God had mercy on them even when they killed his prophets (e.g. 2 Chronicles 24:20-22; Jeremiah 26:20-30; cf. Luke 13:34; Acts 7:52), and is now sending his very own Son to Israel, to do a final persuasion to Israel to repent and believe in him.

If they do, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, Israel will be born again.

That is why Paul never mentioned the necessity of being born again to us gentiles. That concept is irrelevant to us.
 
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