Prove All Things....

[Tammy Roesch]

I think we all agree that it was Mary Magdalene who brought the alabaster box of ointment, right?  Perhaps I'm reading too much into this but when the Bible calls her "a sinner", I am assuming that means she was a Prostitute. 

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, Luke 7:37

[Dennis1209]

10 hours ago, Tammy Roesch said:

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

With all the MISINFORMATION out there, it's very difficult to "PROVE ALL THINGS". Nearly impossible to ALWAYS know who is telling the TRUTH & who is LYING.

Thankfully, when we read the Bible, we don't have to PROVE ALL THINGS....because the Bible is TRUE, it never LIES. What we do have to PROVE are the human interpretations put on the Bible. Our job is to determine, with the help of the Holy Spirit, which interpretations are TRUE and which interpretations are LIES and to "HOLD FAST" to the true ones.

There are many parts of the Bible that are not hard to understand, even a child can understand them, they are as CLEAR AS NOON DAY.

And then there are other parts that are not so clear, and that is where we often read other humans understanding of those parts and that is where we must PROVE ALL THINGS.

Hi Tammy,

Our Bible, the word of God is just so amazing. It was inspired and written in such a way, that every generation of all ages can read it and understand it. If I were to write a book today using modern words and terminology, the technology and machinery I am citing, etc. Two, three hundred years from now, someone reading that old book would not understand what I was saying, because things drastically changed so much. Thirty years ago or so, if I said I was gay, is that the same meaning today? 

Our Bible is written in such a way, that even a child can understand the gospel message. Yet, so much information is there to be gleaned, ten lifetimes could not extract all that is there to be found. 

This one thing alone is just amazing. Calendars have been around for millennia, yet the Bible never uses dates. As we all know, there's been dozens of calendars throughout the ages, been tinkered, toyed with and adjusted, and are not accurate. What better way of stating a date as, in the 22 year of king so and so, or 2 years after the earthquake that destroyed... Using symbols and representations of things back then, that would still be around centuries, millennia later [animals, geography, etc.]. 

Archeologists continue to discover a multitude of artifacts, that validate history and the written word, and prove the Bible and timeline accurate and correct. 

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Peter 1:20 (KJV) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

[Dennis1209]

7 minutes ago, Tammy Roesch said:

I think we all agree that it was Mary Magdalene who brought the alabaster box of ointment, right?  Perhaps I'm reading too much into this but when the Bible calls her "a sinner", I am assuming that means she was a Prostitute. 

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, Luke 7:37

I don't recall her occupation, but she had to be miserable: Mark 16:9 (KJV) Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

[enoob57]

1 hour ago, Tammy Roesch said:

I think we all agree that it was Mary Magdalene who brought the alabaster box of ointment, right?

What is an alabaster box? | GotQuestions.org

[Willa]

1 hour ago, Tammy Roesch said:

I think we all agree that it was Mary Magdalene who brought the alabaster box of ointment, right?  Perhaps I'm reading too much into this but when the Bible calls her "a sinner", I am assuming that means she was a Prostitute. 

Your assumption may be wrong.  Women are sinners for many reasons that are not sexual in nature.  My 6th grade girls Sunday school class said, "why do we have to repent?  We have never done anything wrong!"  So I asked them if they had ever been disrespectful to their parents, or stolen anything, or lied, or desperately wanted something that didn't belong to them.  The room got very quiet.  

Someone once said: when the Bible speaks, we speak.  Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.

[Selah7]

9 hours ago, Tammy Roesch said:

I think we all agree that it was Mary Magdalene who brought the alabaster box of ointment, right?  Perhaps I'm reading too much into this but when the Bible calls her "a sinner", I am assuming that means she was a Prostitute. 

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, Luke 7:37

I do not agree.  According to many commentaries, the woman spoken of here in this verse was not Mary Magdalene, but she was a sinner, and she repented and loved the Lord. When she heard that Jesus was in town and at the house of this Pharisee, she bought this box of very expensive ointment. The purpose of an alabaster box was for anointing.

Luke 7:38 "And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment."

It is obvious that this woman just loved the Lord, and being in Jesus presence, the tears flowed with joy.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Selah7

[enoob57]

47 minutes ago, Willa said:

Your assumption may be wrong.  Women are sinners for many reasons that are not sexual in nature.  My 6th grade girls Sunday school class said, "why do we have to repent?  We have never done anything wrong!"  So I asked them if they had ever been disrespectful to their parents, or stolen anything, or lied, or desperately wanted something that didn't belong to them.  The room got very quiet.  

Someone once said: when the Bible speaks, we speak.  Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.

This is just plain respect for God and His Word!

[Sower]

5 hours ago, debrakay said:

It wasn't until I was born again and felt the power and voice of the Holy Spirit in my life that I began to understand more and more of scripture.  That has been 40 plus years and I continue to learn as I seek and study.  It was just in the past week I learned that even though we are taught that Jesus was a carpenter, the word used is:

Ancient Greek noun tektōn (τέκτων), a common term for an artisan/craftsman, in particular a carpenter, woodworker, or builder.

Archaeology digs show that buildings from the time of Jesus were made of stone with very little wood used.  Of course there would have been furniture and other things that were made from wood but wood was not primarily used more than stone.  Throughout time Jesus was been declared a carpenter, like Joseph, but now I will prefer to call him a "builder" because it seems to be that is exactly what he did and still does.  He builds.  He is also my "chief cornerstone".

"Throughout time Jesus was been declared a carpenter, like Joseph, but now I will prefer to call him a "builder" because it seems to be that is exactly what he did and still does"

As a carpenter myself, I have always considered Jesus as a fellow carpenter in his early earthly years. This subject has already  come up in a past thread, so I researched it. There were many farm tools like plows and harrows and yokes, chairs tables, doors etc. Too much (scripture) and historical evidence shows (me) he worked with wood, as a carpenter.
Some day debrakay, we can ask him together......

I was working out in my wood shop a just few days ago building another set of cabinets for shipping. I have a jug of water there, and drinking the water I saw all the saw dust in it. Just sorta smiled wondering how much wood I have ingested over 5+ decades, and wondered if Jesus had the same problem working in his earthly fathers shop (if they had one).  As I was sitting down taking a break having a drink, I thought about his working with wood, the tools and different planes and chisels he may have used and the projects he may have built. Thought how cool it would be if a little stool or chair had survived these many years and still in use, or stored in some attic. And I thought "Lord I would have loved to have seen one of your own creations"
And then I stared at my hands.....
 

 

 

 

Evidence From Biblical Greek Scholars

Verlyn D. Verbrugge explains that tekton could refer to a carpenter, stone mason or metallurgist in classical Greek as well as in the Old and New Testaments. Here are two quotes that introduce the meaning of this word.

In cl. Greek tekton means a craftsman or builder in wood, stone or metal.
Though carpenter is the common rendering here, tekton can also mean mason . . .[1]

J. I. Packer also states that tekton means ” craftsman or builder in wood, stone or metal.”[2]

But Louw and Nida state that the meaning of the word tekton is simpler,

There is every reason to believe that in biblical times one who was regarded as a tekton would be skilled in the use of wood and stone and possibly even metal.[3]

Danker and Bauer make the point that tekton usually or primarily referred to a woodworker. Stone mason or metal worker was not the primary meaning.

“. . . one who constructs, builder or carpenter” and “one who works with wood, in contrast to a worker in bronze.”[4]

Balz and Schneider cite many references that indicate the most common meaning of the Greek word tekton in the time of Christ was a carpenter. They state,

Τέκτων refers to “one who makes, produces” (Latin faber), esp. when referring to woodworking (cf. Homer Il. 6.315; Plato R x.597d; Josephus Ant. xv.390; τέκτων ξύλων και τέκτων λίθων, 2 Kgdms 5:11; cf. 1 Christian 22:15; τέκτων και ἀρχιτέκτων, Sir 38:27)[5]

Moulton and Milligan, referring to tekton, agree with this comment,

The ordinary limitation of this word to “a worker in wood,” “a carpenter,” as in Mat 13:55, Mk 6:3, is supported by P Fay 110 (A.D. 94).[6]

Then the authors continue to provide numerous references from the papyri to support this conclusion.

Their conclusion is also supported by the early church father Justin Martyr (A.D. 110-165).  He gives strong reason to believe that Joseph and Jesus were carpenters.

And when Jesus came to the Jordan, He was considered to be the son of Joseph the carpenter; and He appeared without comeliness, as the Scriptures declared; and He was deemed a carpenter (for He was in the habit of working as a carpenter when among men, making ploughs and yokes . . .)[7]

 Justin Martyr, who lived very close to the time of Christ, understood that Jesus was a carpenter.

Conclusion:

If Justin Martyr is correct, then Joseph and Jesus were primarily carpenters and as Lou and Nida have stated they probably also worked with masonry and metal in order to make items of wood. Many modern woodworkers also have secondary skills in masonry and metal since items constructed primarily of wood often have parts made of metal or stone or must be secured to something else with metal or stone.

Whatever skills Joseph and Jesus had they were hard working men. They were laborers and not men of the aristocracy. Most likely their primary skill was that of a carpenter as evidenced by the historical data above. John Nolland in his commentary on Matthew provides the best conclusion,

A carpenter (τέκτων) was typically a woodworking craftsman who built furniture and utensils, doors, and door frames, and prepared roofing beams; he may at times have doubled as a brick mason.[8]

[Tammy Roesch]

6 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Hi Tammy,

Our Bible, the word of God is just so amazing. It was inspired and written in such a way, that every generation of all ages can read it and understand it. If I were to write a book today using modern words and terminology, the technology and machinery I am citing, etc. Two, three hundred years from now, someone reading that old book would not understand what I was saying, because things drastically changed so much. Thirty years ago or so, if I said I was gay, is that the same meaning today? 

Our Bible is written in such a way, that even a child can understand the gospel message. Yet, so much information is there to be gleaned, ten lifetimes could not extract all that is there to be found. 

This one thing alone is just amazing. Calendars have been around for millennia, yet the Bible never uses dates. As we all know, there's been dozens of calendars throughout the ages, been tinkered, toyed with and adjusted, and are not accurate. What better way of stating a date as, in the 22 year of king so and so, or 2 years after the earthquake that destroyed... Using symbols and representations of things back then, that would still be around centuries, millennia later [animals, geography, etc.]. 

Archeologists continue to discover a multitude of artifacts, that validate history and the written word, and prove the Bible and timeline accurate and correct. 

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Peter 1:20 (KJV) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

So very true, Dennis!  It's truly like a GOLD MINE!

[Tammy Roesch]

6 hours ago, enoob57 said:

What is an alabaster box? | GotQuestions.org

It was a box filled with expensive perfume....it was her pre-burial offering to Jesus...even though I don't think she realized that He was soon going to die for all of us