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A Paradigm Shift in vocabulary


Retrobyter

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Shalom, everyone.

I think I may have started something like this before, but I STILL feel that it is important to explore ... and CORRECT, if possible.

Down through the last 2,000 years or so, we have made some MAJOR changes to terminology that I believe we as a people once knew and now have changed the meanings of those words into something that is now totally foreign to the first century meanings. Among these words that are so foreign to their original meanings are the following:

The Need For A Paradigm Shift.png 

I believe that we should work toward a paradigm shift back to the original meanings of these words. There are others, of course, that could have been listed, as well, but these are the fundamental ones. And, I believe they are fundamental because to some they are especially "holy words" that "one should not touch" as far as trying to correct their meanings.

The major six are the ones in the circle: salvation, gospel, kingdom, Christ, church, and heaven. I started with angel and heaven, but one could start anywhere, because it is truly a "state function." That is, it doesn't matter how you get from point A to point B; it will take you the same amount of time and effort to make the journey.

Let me start with a few basics:

Will = want.

When one asks, "What is God's will for my life?" he or she is actually asking the same thing as "What does God want for my life?" This may break down into more particular questions, like: "What does God want me to do for a living?" "What job does God want me to have?" "Who does God want me to marry?" "Where does God want me to live?"

Faith = trust.

"To have faith in God," one must learn "to trust God." Connected to this is the adjective and adverb forms of the words: "To be faithful" = "to be trustworthy." When we say, "God is faithful," we are saying that "God is trustworthy!" that is, "He is worthy of our trust!" A "faithful" spouse is a spouse we can trust to be consistently devoted to us. A faithful person or a trusty person is one we can count upon. Faithfulness = trustworthiness.

There are certain words that are used in church or in synagogue on Sunday or Shabbat that have SYNONYMOUS COUNTERPARTS in life during the weekdays in other scenarios and workplaces. These are a few that I believe we can agree upon, for the most part.

However, there are other terms that are less likely to have agreement.

"Salvation," for instance, is a term today that is used quite exclusively for the deliverance or redemption of a person, putting that person in a good Father-son/daughter relationship with God (although the Scriptures call this "Justification by God"). However, in the past, this term simply applied to ANY rescue, particularly a PHYSICAL one. This is especially true about prophetic passages. For instance, ...

Isaiah 62:1-12 (KJV)

1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

4 Thou shalt no more be termed "Forsaken"; neither shall thy land any more be termed "Desolate": but thou shalt be called "Hephzibah" (Hebrew: Cheftsiy-Baah = "my-delight [is] in-her"), and thy land Beulah (Hebrew: B`uwlaah = "in-marriage"): for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, "Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people."

11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.'"

12 And they shall call them, "The holy people," "The redeemed of the LORD": and thou shalt be called, "Sought out," "A city not forsaken."

And,

Jeremiah 30:1-24 (KJV)

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 

2 "Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, 'Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. 3 For, lo, the days come,' saith the LORD, 'that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah,' saith the LORD: 'and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.'"

4 And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.

5 For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

6 "Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

8 For it shall come to pass in that day," saith the LORD of hosts, "that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob," saith the LORD; "neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

11 For I am with thee," saith the LORD, "to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished."

12 For thus saith the LORD,

"Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.

13 There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.

14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.

15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

16 Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds," saith the LORD; "because they called thee an Outcast, saying, 'This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.'"

18 Thus saith the LORD;

"Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

20 Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.

21 And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me?" saith the LORD.

22 "And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."

23 Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.

24 The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.

So, "to be saved" was for Israel "to be RESCUED" from their enemies! And, God shall be their "Salvation," their "RESCUER!" Thus, the "S" of the 21st Century is DIFFERENT than the "S" of the 1st Century.

Other terms have also had drastic changes down through the years.

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1 hour ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, everyone.

I think I may have started something like this before, but I STILL feel that it is important to explore ... and CORRECT, if possible.

Down through the last 2,000 years or so, we have made some MAJOR changes to terminology that I believe we as a people once knew and now have changed the meanings of those words into something that is now totally foreign to the first century meanings. Among these words that are so foreign to their original meanings are the following:

 

I believe that we should work toward a paradigm shift back to the original meanings of these words. There are others, of course, that could have been listed, as well, but these are the fundamental ones. And, I believe they are fundamental because to some they are especially "holy words" that "one should not touch" as far as trying to correct their meanings.

The major six are the ones in the circle: salvation, gospel, kingdom, Christ, church, and heaven. I started with angel and heaven, but one could start anywhere, because it is truly a "state function." That is, it doesn't matter how you get from point A to point B; it will take you the same amount of time and effort to make the journey.

Let me start with a few basics:

Will = want.

When one asks, "What is God's will for my life?" he or she is actually asking the same thing as "What does God want for my life?" This may break down into more particular questions, like: "What does God want me to do for a living?" "What job does God want me to have?" "Who does God want me to marry?" "Where does God want me to live?"

Faith = trust.

"To have faith in God," one must learn "to trust God." Connected to this is the adjective and adverb forms of the words: "To be faithful" = "to be trustworthy." When we say, "God is faithful," we are saying that "God is trustworthy!" that is, "He is worthy of our trust!" A "faithful" spouse is a spouse we can trust to be consistently devoted to us. A faithful person or a trusty person is one we can count upon. Faithfulness = trustworthiness.

There are certain words that are used in church or in synagogue on Sunday or Shabbat that have SYNONYMOUS COUNTERPARTS in life during the weekdays in other scenarios and workplaces. These are a few that I believe we can agree upon, for the most part.

However, there are other terms that are less likely to have agreement.

"Salvation," for instance, is a term today that is used quite exclusively for the deliverance or redemption of a person, putting that person in a good Father-son/daughter relationship with God (although the Scriptures call this "Justification by God"). However, in the past, this term simply applied to ANY rescue, particularly a PHYSICAL one. This is especially true about prophetic passages. 

Dear oh Dear oh Deary Me. What to do, Policy Change. Law Change. Climate Change. Culture Change. Social Change. Personality Change. Sex Change. And this horrible Vocabulary Change.  

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4 hours ago, Michael37 said:

Dear oh Dear oh Deary Me. What to do, Policy Change. Law Change. Climate Change. Culture Change. Social Change. Personality Change. Sex Change. And this horrible Vocabulary Change.  

One thing that never changes is change itself.  It will always be happening, it is the nature of the universe that God created.

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4 hours ago, Michael37 said:

Dear oh Dear oh Deary Me. What to do, Policy Change. Law Change. Climate Change. Culture Change. Social Change. Personality Change. Sex Change. And this horrible Vocabulary Change.  

Shalom, Michael37.

Yes, I AM advocating a change; however, it is not a change AWAY from something; it's a change BACK TO something we've LOST!

In fact, I believe that these subtle changes throughout the last 2,000 years away from the original truth of Scripture are the SOURCE of all the chaos that we experience today! Remember this: If one starts with faulty assumptions, one is GUARANTEED to come to faulty conclusions!

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27 minutes ago, RTCarroll said:

One thing that never changes is change itself.  It will always be happening, it is the nature of the universe that God created.

True. Music uses combinations of sounds and rhythms. Languages are a bit more complicated.

1Co 14:7
(7)  And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
 From the Believer's Bible Commentary: Unless a flute or harp makes a distinction in the notes, no one will know what is being piped or played. The very idea of enjoyable music includes the thought of distinction in notes, a definite rhythm, and a certain amount of clarity.

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48 minutes ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, Michael37.

Yes, I AM advocating a change; however, it is not a change AWAY from something; it's a change BACK TO something we've LOST!

In fact, I believe that these subtle changes throughout the last 2,000 years away from the original truth of Scripture are the SOURCE of all the chaos that we experience today! Remember this: If one starts with faulty assumptions, one is GUARANTEED to come to faulty conclusions!

Our ekklesia makes a point of not using words inserted into the English texts as mistranslations and transliterations that obscure the original meaning.

Also to be avoided is using as titles words intended to describe functions.

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9 hours ago, Retrobyter said:

I believe that we should work toward a paradigm shift back to the original meanings of these words. There are others, of course, that could have been listed, as well, but these are the fundamental ones. And, I believe they are fundamental because to some they are especially "holy words" that "one should not touch" as far as trying to correct their meanings.

I quoted just one section rather than reposting the entire OP.  I would also include centuries of accumulated theological and homiletical jargon and phrases many different groups of Christians use.

From what I've seen, most Christians are aware of this to some degree and do proactively try to address this.  Some approach this by retaining the words and explaining what they really mean.  Others approach this by using contemporary equivalents.   I usually take the route of using contemporary equivalents to explain and discuss things.  I'll usually then drop in a quick sentence or two pointing out that this is what Christians mean by whatever the original words were.

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8 hours ago, GandalfTheWise said:

I quoted just one section rather than reposting the entire OP.  I would also include centuries of accumulated theological and homiletical jargon and phrases many different groups of Christians use.

From what I've seen, most Christians are aware of this to some degree and do proactively try to address this.  Some approach this by retaining the words and explaining what they really mean.  Others approach this by using contemporary equivalents.   I usually take the route of using contemporary equivalents to explain and discuss things.  I'll usually then drop in a quick sentence or two pointing out that this is what Christians mean by whatever the original words were.

Shalom, GandalfTheWise.

Well said! I like your approach. Contemporary equivalents bring the jargon back down to earth, so to speak. It puts reality behind the rhetoric when one uses words that we commonly use every day. Thank you for your VERY relevant input!

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12 hours ago, RTCarroll said:

One thing that never changes is change itself.  It will always be happening, it is the nature of the universe that God created.

This is true in a lot of ways. One thing we can rely on, is our Lord does not change. 

Malachi 3:6  For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.  KJV 

Edited by BeauJangles
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13 hours ago, RTCarroll said:

One thing that never changes is change itself.  It will always be happening, it is the nature of the universe that God created.

Shalom, RTCarroll.

While it's true that change in inevitable, it's NOT a good idea to migrate away from the Truth (who is also the Way and the Life)! 

Without getting too political, some Democrats have hollered in the past for "Change," and some things NEED change; however, it's not a good idea to encourage change for change's sake! Furthermore, "Change" needs DIRECTION! We don't want change in a negative direction (as has been happening in the Democratic Party for several years now)!

If we must have "Change," it would be wise to be sure that we "Change" in a positive direction - a RIGHTEOUS direction!

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