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G'day all, This is a friendly reminder that U3A Term 4 2020 has begun. Our class on the Bible will recommence this Thursday 8 October 2020 from 11:00 AM to 12:30. This term we're going to study two fascinating New Testament books: Galatians and Hebrews. Galatians has been called the "Magna Carta of the Reformation." Arguably Martin Luther's favourite book, it became the manifesto of freedom in Christ and was largely responsible for the revival of Biblical truth during the Protestant Reformation. It's also been referred to as "Paul's little Romans". Paul's instructions to the Galatians is considered his treatise on how justified believers should live, which makes it relevant today. By contrast, the epistle to the Hebrews is one of the most neglected documents in the New Testament Canon, yet it covers many of the same topics. Although unsigned, early Church Fathers considered it to be written by Paul or at the very least by someone in his circle. But some influential post-Constantine movers and shakers debated whether it should be removed from the Canon, and some might argue that in the end, it survived in the Canon because it was deemed a Pauline letter and because it is a fabulous treatise on faith. You have been sent the full log-in details, so I'll simply summarise them here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89208017420?pwd=OU45MkprVU00Uk5NOSt6K1JsSmNFdz09 Meeting ID: 892 0801 7420 Passcode: 744932 Some of you may also be interested in the separate U3A class that I'm starting entitled U3A Term 4 2020 Course H10 Two Heroines in the Bible: Ruth and Esther. It will start tomorrow 6 October at a different time, 10:30-12:00. You are welcome to attend if you'd like. Log-in is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86744477413?pwd=RWg5ZGlFbkpBa2VwOTdpM3BpcFlLdz09 Meeting ID: 867 4447 7413 Passcode: 814764 I hope to see you Thursday. Blessings, Ray

Hi Ray and fellow Students, Last Thursday you, Ray, asked the Group whether or not it believed King Solomon (The Preacher) will make it to Heaven or not. I was one of those who believe he did not repent, nor did he find peace, nor find God (or The Lord) and died a bitter, albeit very knowledgeable and rich man. My reasons: I didn’t hear anything said that the Preacher gave thanks to God, or thanks to anyone for that matter. Nor did I hear that he received joy in giving – his only happiness was through “living the high life”. In fact, in giving Advice to Young People starting in Chapter 11 at verse 9: Enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your heart’s desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do. ...... you aren’t going to be young very long. So “remember” your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say “I don’t enjoy life”. He then proceeds to go on and on about the dismal reality of Old Age quoting that “..... and all desire will have gone”. Not a word here about being glad in the Lord, or finding joy in loving God. ALL the way through Ecclesiastes His God is portrayed as a God of judgement, righteous, keen to give us our “just deserts” so as to speak. Nothing about He is preparing a Place for us, etc. etc. after mortal death – no hope promised here. He repeatedly advises to continue to eat, drink and enjoy yourselves, i.e. MATERIAL, bodily happiness. Even to the extent in Chapter 11 to Invest your money wisely. Although God made everything, it is not given to us to know Him nor how He works or even whether or not He helps us, especially when the Preacher says – you never know whether or it it will grow well etc. – intimating it is all a matter of chance. No matter how long you live, remember that you will be dead much longer – there is nothing AT ALL to look forward to ever. In Chapter 9 verse 7: Go ahead – eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It’s alright with God. Enjoy life with the woman you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it!! Nothing here about God also giving us another richer SPIRITUAL LIFE. What!! Have I misread it. No, I don’t think so. The Preacher is intimating that there is NO life after death, except that God is going to judge us – see his final words in verse 13: there is only one thing to say: have reverence for God and obey His commands, because this is ALL THAT MAN WAS CREATED for. Finally, verse 14: God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret. I believe that Solomon didn’t search for God in a personal way, even at the end. What he felt was regret and sorrow that all his good times of dining, wining, excesses, doing as he pleased, indulging himself, etc. and so on, were going to end, and he didn’t want that AT ALL. He wanted it to continue forever, but without his aging body which I believe he resented. The whole tone of Ecclesiastes is one of despair, not regret, but despair that the life he lived on earth was going to end and that was THE END – nothing more for mankind. Not a mention that God is a God of love and a rewarder of those who do give Him reverence and obey His commands – but didn’t say “love and honour Him, Praise Him” – didn’t see those words anywhere! All of Solomon’s wealth, wisdom and physical attraction didn’t help him at the End – he believed he returned to dust! Over to the rest of you for your comments - I hope I can be convinced that I am wrong – but I don’t think so – and I’ll need some convincing on this one! Sincerely to you All, Merlene

Ray Sarlin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting on Thursday 24 September 2020 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 to complete the study of Ecclesiastes. You are also invited to participate in U3A Term 4 2020 R09 What the Bible is About commencing Thursday 8 October 2020 from 11:00 AM to 12:30. Time: Sep 24, 2020 11:00 AM Brisbane Sep 24, 2020 11:00 AM Oct 1, 2020 no class Every week on Thu, from Oct 8, 2020 until Dec 10, 2020, 10 occurrence(s) Oct 8, 2020 11:00 AM Oct 15, 2020 11:00 AM Oct 22, 2020 11:00 AM Oct 29, 2020 11:00 AM Nov 5, 2020 11:00 AM Nov 12, 2020 11:00 AM Nov 19, 2020 11:00 AM Nov 26, 2020 11:00 AM Dec 3, 2020 11:00 AM Dec 10, 2020 11:00 AM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0vd-GorzwuGNRVLSnvioC_ZCRQvJe6DnnP/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGhrDsiGtWStBuHRpx5AIigWfTzmGZbjY1vqjPWDTZabSDJDMFwA6RVFY70 Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89208017420?pwd=OU45MkprVU00Uk5NOSt6K1JsSmNFdz09 Meeting ID: 892 0801 7420 Passcode: 744932 One tap mobile +16465588656,,89208017420#,,,,,,0#,,744932# US (New York) +16699009128,,89208017420#,,,,,,0#,,744932# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 7 3185 3730 Australia +61 8 6119 3900 Australia +61 8 7150 1149 Australia Meeting ID: 892 0801 7420 Passcode: 744932 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kl0mha8xo

Hi Ray and all Fellow Students, A couple of weeks ago I promised I would ask a question that has always remained unanswered, seeking Ray’s and the Group’s comments. It is very lengthy, for which I apologise, but it is so complex a subject I couldn’t compress it further. How many times have you been faced with the situation of trying to convince people to believe the words of the Bible when the scientific evidence seems to prove otherwise – especially with regard to the Beginnings of Man. I am not an historian and these are very, very rough time frames. 1. Time in the Bible starts around 6,000 BC. But it is well documented that there was life on earth at least 46,000 thousand years ago (Aboriginal evidence, as an example). 2. The Bible states that God created the world, then animals, then man (Adam and Eve). This fact is now under attack from the Darwinian theory; the theory of evolution, something no one would be foolish enough to dispute. 3. It is known that the Ice Age occurred about 12-12,000 years ago, causing the distinction of many animals and possibly mankind. But the Bible puts life (our world) starting only 8,000 thousand years ago (6,000bc + 2,000ad years). 4. Assuming Bible times put the age of our world around 8,000 thousand years old, this cannot be correct. Geological evidence suggests an age of millions of years. My question to Ray and the Group is: How can we reconcile the Bible with Science considering the above facts and data? My hypothesis 1. Although the Bible says God created the World in “6” days, I believe the six days do not refer to six literal days as we understand “days” but a timeframe of Six (plus resting day of 7). Within this timeframe animals and some form of humans existed – we are talking about LONG timeframes. 2. The theory of evolution cannot be disputed, but somehow this has to be reconciled with the Bible. See Note 3. 3. After the Ice Age few animals survived, but there is CONSIDERABLE evidence of their existence, including some form of mankind. And this is where I believe the Darwinian Theory of Evolution is “king”; there were creatures that science calls Man, but I don’t believe Theory of Evolution PROVES that they WERE actual the beginnings of humans – a totally different species – Refer* 4. After almost everything was wiped out during the Ice Age, is it possible that our Bible starts sometime AFTER – a new and different world was created, massaged by God. Evolution starts with creatures in the deep (sea), then land, air, etc. to God’s creation of Man, in His image (somehow!!) Recently I came across The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes, Professor of human genetics at Oxford University, a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution. In 1994 he was called in to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy, purportedly pre Ice Age. He took 3 hair samples a purported human from remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan which were from the miogi, the Bhutanese yeti. Two of the hairs from DNA analysis, eventually were identified as hairs from a known species of bear. The third remained a mystery. From an article published in 2010, he stated it’s now possible to get a very good DNA signal from a single hair. This paper contained details of the DNA sequence from another human species, Homo neanderthalensis, the Neanderthals, widely thought to be extinct. He says we can trace our maternal line back 45,000 years (similar to Aboriginal belief) and starts with the first scientific evidence of the survival of apemen into modern times. The Seven Daughters of Eve[1] is a 2001 book by Bryan Sykes that presents the science of human mitochondrial genetics to a general audience. Sykes explains the principles of genetics and human evolution, the particularities of mitochondrial DNA, and analyses of ancient DNA to genetically link modern humans to prehistoric ancestors. Following the developments of mitochondrial genetics, Sykes traces back human migrations, discusses the "out of Africa theory" and casts serious doubt upon Thor Heyerdahl's theory of the Peruvian or

Hi Ray and all Fellow Students, A couple of weeks ago I promised I would ask a question that has always remained unanswered, seeking Ray’s and the Group’s comments. It is very lengthy, for which I apologise, but it is so complex a subject I couldn’t compress it further. How many times have you been faced with the situation of trying to convince people to believe the words of the Bible when the scientific evidence seems to prove otherwise – especially with regard to the Beginnings of Man. I am not an historian and these are very, very rough time frames. 1. Time in the Bible starts around 6,000 BC. But it is well documented that there was life on earth at least 46,000 thousand years ago (Aboriginal evidence, as an example). 2. The Bible states that God created the world, then animals, then man (Adam and Eve). This fact is now under attack from the Darwinian theory; the theory of evolution, something no one would be foolish enough to dispute. 3. It is known that the Ice Age occurred about 12-12,000 years ago, causing the distinction of many animals and possibly mankind. But the Bible puts life (our world) starting only 8,000 thousand years ago (6,000bc + 2,000ad years). 4. Assuming Bible times put the age of our world around 8,000 thousand years old, this cannot be correct. Geological evidence suggests an age of millions of years. My question to Ray and the Group is: How can we reconcile the Bible with Science considering the above facts and data? My hypothesis 1. Although the Bible says God created the World in “6” days, I believe the six days do not refer to six literal days as we understand “days” but a timeframe of Six (plus resting day of 7). Within this timeframe animals and some form of humans existed – we are talking about LONG timeframes. 2. The theory of evolution cannot be disputed, but somehow this has to be reconciled with the Bible. See Note 3. 3. After the Ice Age few animals survived, but there is CONSIDERABLE evidence of their existence, including some form of mankind. And this is where I believe the Darwinian Theory of Evolution is “king”; there were creatures that science calls Man, but I don’t believe Theory of Evolution PROVES that they WERE actual the beginnings of humans – a totally different species – Refer* 4. After almost everything was wiped out during the Ice Age, is it possible that our Bible starts sometime AFTER – a new and different world was created, massaged by God. Evolution starts with creatures in the deep (sea), then land, air, etc. to God’s creation of Man, in His image (somehow!!) Recently I came across The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes, Professor of human genetics at Oxford University, a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution. In 1994 he was called in to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy, purportedly pre Ice Age. He took 3 hair samples a purported human from remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan which were from the miogi, the Bhutanese yeti. Two of the hairs from DNA analysis, eventually were identified as hairs from a known species of bear. The third remained a mystery. From an article published in 2010, he stated it’s now possible to get a very good DNA signal from a single hair. This paper contained details of the DNA sequence from another human species, Homo neanderthalensis, the Neanderthals, widely thought to be extinct. He says we can trace our maternal line back 45,000 years (similar to Aboriginal belief) and starts with the first scientific evidence of the survival of apemen into modern times. The Seven Daughters of Eve[1] is a 2001 book by Bryan Sykes that presents the science of human mitochondrial genetics to a general audience. Sykes explains the principles of genetics and human evolution, the particularities of mitochondrial DNA, and analyses of ancient DNA to genetically link modern humans to prehistoric ancestors. Following the developments of mitochondrial genetics, Sykes traces back human migrations, discusses the "out of Africa theory" and casts serious doubt upon Thor Heyerdahl's theory of the Peruvian or

Hi Ray and all Fellow Students, A couple of weeks ago I promised I would ask a question that has always remained unanswered, seeking Ray’s and the Group’s comments. It is very lengthy, for which I apologise, but it is so complex a subject I couldn’t compress it further. How many times have you been faced with the situation of trying to convince people to believe the words of the Bible when the scientific evidence seems to prove otherwise – especially with regard to the Beginnings of Man. I am not an historian and these are very, very rough time frames. 1. Time in the Bible starts around 6,000 BC. But it is well documented that there was life on earth at least 46,000 thousand years ago (Aboriginal evidence, as an example). 2. The Bible states that God created the world, then animals, then man (Adam and Eve). This fact is now under attack from the Darwinian theory; the theory of evolution, something no one would be foolish enough to dispute. 3. It is known that the Ice Age occurred about 12-12,000 years ago, causing the distinction of many animals and possibly mankind. But the Bible puts life (our world) starting only 8,000 thousand years ago (6,000bc + 2,000ad years). 4. Assuming Bible times put the age of our world around 8,000 thousand years old, this cannot be correct. Geological evidence suggests an age of millions of years. My question to Ray and the Group is: How can we reconcile the Bible with Science considering the above facts and data? My hypothesis 1. Although the Bible says God created the World in “6” days, I believe the six days do not refer to six literal days as we understand “days” but a timeframe of Six (plus resting day of 7). Within this timeframe animals and some form of humans existed – we are talking about LONG timeframes. 2. The theory of evolution cannot be disputed, but somehow this has to be reconciled with the Bible. See Note 3. 3. After the Ice Age few animals survived, but there is CONSIDERABLE evidence of their existence, including some form of mankind. And this is where I believe the Darwinian Theory of Evolution is “king”; there were creatures that science calls Man, but I don’t believe Theory of Evolution PROVES that they WERE actual the beginnings of humans – a totally different species – Refer* 4. After almost everything was wiped out during the Ice Age, is it possible that our Bible starts sometime AFTER – a new and different world was created, massaged by God. Evolution starts with creatures in the deep (sea), then land, air, etc. to God’s creation of Man, in His image (somehow!!) Recently I came across The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes, Professor of human genetics at Oxford University, a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution. In 1994 he was called in to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy, purportedly pre Ice Age. He took 3 hair samples a purported human from remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan which were from the miogi, the Bhutanese yeti. Two of the hairs from DNA analysis, eventually were identified as hairs from a known species of bear. The third remained a mystery. From an article published in 2010, he stated it’s now possible to get a very good DNA signal from a single hair. This paper contained details of the DNA sequence from another human species, Homo neanderthalensis, the Neanderthals, widely thought to be extinct. He says we can trace our maternal line back 45,000 years (similar to Aboriginal belief) and starts with the first scientific evidence of the survival of apemen into modern times. The Seven Daughters of Eve[1] is a 2001 book by Bryan Sykes that presents the science of human mitochondrial genetics to a general audience. Sykes explains the principles of genetics and human evolution, the particularities of mitochondrial DNA, and analyses of ancient DNA to genetically link modern humans to prehistoric ancestors. Following the developments of mitochondrial genetics, Sykes traces back human migrations, discusses the "out of Africa theory" and casts serious doubt upon Thor Heyerdahl's theory of the Peruvian or

G'day all, The mpeg-4 videos for Ruth and Esther are now posted on the website, and all slide sets are posted up to date as well. If you check, you may see something already posted for next session on Ecclesiastes. While searching my computer I came across an Ecclesiastes calendar for 9 years ago that I gave as a gift to the group that I facilitated in Batemans Bay, NSW. Quick as a flash, I updated it to 2021 and posted it for you if you are interested. The reason for posting it now rather than sending it for Christmas or whatever is that it contains a detailed outline of Ecclesiastes and some other stuff that may be of interest. Although at first glance, Ecclesiastes seems both intimidating and depressing, but in truth it is very uplifting and quite frankly practical. It's just a bit weird. By the way, similar to Ruth and Esther, Ecclesiastes is one of the five Old Testament books read in the synagogue on certain Jewish feast days. It is read at the highly symbolic seven-day* feast called Sukkot (a.k.a. the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths (sukkah)), the final feast date of the Hebrew calendar. Many Christian congregations celebrate this feast in some way, and it's coming up next month. Just a reminder that U3A has opened for enrolments (alas, all by Zoom) for Term 4 of 2020. I noticed that some of you have already signed up. Thank you! Blessings, Ray *NOTE: In the opposite fashion to Purim (book of Esther) which celebrates two days in Jerusalem and 1 day everywhere else ("the diaspora"), Sukkot is a 7-day festival in Israel and tacks an extra day on (8 days total) in the diaspora. It's almost impossible to keep up with all their rules; but at least they're much more stable than those in Islam where verses in the Quran can be made obsolete by later verses or rules can be "updated" at any time through various means (Quran Surah 2:106 states, "None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but we substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?")

G'day all, Merlene sent me an email stating that as our Thursday session met its inglorious end, she was asking: “you quoted that some of the people became Jews following the King’s second decree. What was meant by that phrase? Did they accept the Jewish faith, or become – in today’s words – naturalised?” Here goes: The Hebrew word used ????? y?had, yaw-had' means to Judaize, i.e. become Jewish:—become Jews. Strong’s Lexicon actually defines H5307 as, “to become a Jew (in fact or in fraud), become Judaised.” Esther 8:17 states: “And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.” This certainly seems to imply that while some of the Gentiles converted from paganism to Judaism to join the party (), others did so out of fear, possibly of Jewish reprisals or the heavy hand of the State. These reasons seem to be fraudulent. Fear of the Jews is not the same as fear of the God of the Jews. Others may have converted for legitimate reasons, but we don’t know that from the text. Proselytes renounced idolatry and became worshippers of God throughout the Bible. Surely some would have waited “for such a time as this.” It’s interesting how different Bible commentators interpret this verse. For some, it is seen as wholesale repentance of those who formerly persecuted the Jews, something that should be met with joy and a hearty welcome. For others, the conversion was mere pretense. Still others note that by changing a single Hebrew letter slightly, the term becomes “the people united with the Jews”. Others note that the attacks of Satan tend to drive people to the Church. What are we to make of all this? Well, if nothing else, it helps underscore why our course tries to focus on what the text actually says and ignore various dogmas. The text suggests that the Jewish author (probably Mordecai) knew that God wasn’t fooled. Other Hebrew words could have been used if the (divine?) author intended a specific message. They weren’t. It usually best to take the view that God means what He says and says what He means. Blessings, Ray

Hi there Ray and fellow students as always thank you Ray for a thought provoking class, you said some scholars wondered why this book was included in the Bible as there is no reference to God. Does this mean that all the books of the Bible were written independently and someone??? decided to join all these books in one book being the Bible.If so there could be other interesting books not included. Take care everyone Mandy? Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

G'day all, That was very strange having Zoom kick me out when I mentioned Marco Polo. I don't know whether it was an electronics glitch or an algorithm disconnect. My point was that "The Adventures of Marco Polo" provides rare insight into the Asia of Kublai Khan in the 13th century (1271-1295) and describes a very different world than the one that Westerners knew then or know now. The book of Esther brings to mind some of his vivid descriptions of the many cultures that he experienced. Fortunately, we had already finished through Chapter 8, which was actually a chapter further than I had planned. I do apologise for the abrupt ending, but nearly all of you had (wisely) hung up by the time that I was able to re-enter the session. Some of you may have questions about this exciting tale. As always, I'm more than happy to receive your input either by reply to this email or privately. See you next week to finish the story and do some analysis. Blessings, Ray

Hi Ray and the Group, Once again, thank you Ray for a very informative session this morning. A lot of interesting history, including wars and names (again!). During the last couple of weeks several email references have been made to names and their meanings – thank you to those who sent them through this Group. Following on that thought, together with this morning’s class, how many of you considered the meanings of names when naming your own children?? I most certainly did. I was unable to have children for a couple of medical reasons. Notwithstanding that, for a couple of years I prayed every day for a son, knowing it would take a miracle. And it was! and unbelievable as it was at the time, I was given a son. I called him David – not that I particularly liked the name – it was the MEANING – “Beloved”. He was never to be called Dave or Davey, which he never was to this day! His second Christian name was that of his father. When my second son was born – on first glance I named him “Rod” – well actually “Rodney” for when he was a boy, knowing it would be shortened to Rod when he was adult. And Rod has always been a “rod and staff” for me. No prizes for guessing his second Christian name: “John” – with all its Biblical inferences. The third son was named Stephen (for similar reasons as above) His second Christian name was that of my father. My own name: Both my parents continually told me they wanted a boy, expected a boy, and couldn’t accept the fact I was a girl when I popped out. They had long chosen a name for me “Alan” which I have only now looked up the meaning – “rock, or harmony”. Funny, as I have always strived for harmony in all relationships! Both parents told me I was nameless for more than a week before they could decide on a name for a Girl! I’m sure some of the group will have equally interesting stories to tell how you were named and whether or not you named your children for any special meaning or reason. Anyone like to share? Cheers, Merlene From: Ray via groups.io Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2020 10:07 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [b4uc] Invitation to U3A R09 What the Bible is about - a non-religious study of the Bible #Term3 #Esther

Hi Ray I was astounded that early yesterday morning I was reading about Miltiades (leader of the Athenians and Plataeans who destroyed the much larger Persion force in 490BC), and WHAM - you brought up his name as background to the book of Esther. But for me this raised a point. It is reliably recorded that the Persian General Datis was in charge of their land forces, but that King Darius was also at the Plains of Marathon to observe his troops in battle. So, if Esther chapter 1 takes place during the final preparations for this attack, was Darius king at that time? Eshter chapter one seems to say it was Xerxes. OR Is the term "King" here being used as a more generic title? Thank you Gary O

Hi Ray and fellow students, thank you for all the extra information regarding the wars I found it really interesting particularly the size of army and navy. It seems like there was an endless supply of Persians. See you next week take care Mandy?

Good morning, The adventure begins! Today we start a study of the thrill-laden book of Esther. Ray Sarlin cordially invites you to a scheduled Zoom classroom session of U3A Course R09 What the Bible is about - a non-religious study of the Bible on August 13, 2020, at 11:00 AM Brisbane time. Zoom login details are below. Blessings, Ray Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82843520661?pwd=UTFZdG1PRm1PeGVMNS9EY2FVQ1Jwdz09 Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 One tap mobile +61871501149,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia +61280156011,,82843520661#,,,,0#,,326164# Australia Dial by your location +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia Meeting ID: 828 4352 0661 Password: 326164 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k05KJpny

Prayers please for fellow R09 class friend, Linda, as she has minor surgery with hopefully a major effect. Thanks Christine

G'day, everyone. One of the interesting emails received after the last session on Ruth had a question about the gospel message in the meanings of the Hebrew names in Genesis 5. Your classmate was commendably checking whether the message was valid, which I also did when I first heard of it a decade ago. Acts 17:11 (NKJV) notes that the Bereans: "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." The entire email discussion is posted below for anyone who is interested. Warning: it is very long and detailed. Blessings, Ray On Friday, 7 August 2020, 08:10:29 pm AEST, ___ wrote: Thank you for the work you've put into Ruth for us, and I'm looking forward to Esther. I've been looking at this week's notes, and I'm just pondering some questions about the genealogy you spoke about this week. I'm not a Hebrew scholar but I do have interests in language, and can read simple Koine Greek. The message seems to rely on the meaning of Hebrew words, but in the time of Moses, there was no codified Hebrew language, and I can find no evidence for any Hebrew based writings for about 300 years after Moses. The Semitic languages were by now separate from each other. Jacob's descendants had over 300 years to develop a distinctive language, The language continued to change into a distinctively "Hebrew" language until its codification in Babylon. Is there a suggestion that Moses wrote this genealogy in such a way that it would work out when finally it was translated into a fully "Hebrew" language? The meaning in the coded sentence is open to interpretation, depending on the extra words and grammar chosen. Without these we are left with being able to create something "Man appointed miserable sorrow. Praised of God come down teaching his death shall bring lament -rest." This is not something I could agree with, but it shows how important the interpreter's role is While the exact meaning of these men's names are not all clear, I can't find any evidence for the translations of several names, although I have no trouble at all with the others. Enosh The same word is used in Isa 24v6 Ps 8v4 Job 28v13 to mean "man" (as in "What is man that though art mindful of him?") I can find no translations as "miserable" or "frail" etc Kenan The closest meaning I can find is "from Cain" Enoch also doesn't a definitive meaning Methusalah - Jewish concordance translates tis "Man of the dart (or javelin)" Lamech - I can't find any connection with "lament" It's from the Latin lamentum, but there is no suggestion to a former Hebrew meaning. The only meanings of Lamech I can find are vigourous, youthful, powerful, or wild man. Can you please tell me how you came about the meanings that you've attributed to these? Words and languages are my "thing". I'd really like to know how the other meanings are derived. I can't read Hebrew, but I did learn the alef bet some years ago, so I can understand a little. Thank you On Fri, 7 Aug 2020 at 23:08, Ray Sarlin wrote: Hi ___, Thanks for your email and for the feedback. I’m not a Hebrew scholar either, although I have taken some courses on Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek. I’m afraid that you’ll likely find my answers to your questions simplistic because I’m a few years away from anything that could be called serious study or academic rigor. But you ask in good faith and that’s the way I’ll try to answer. Rather than get in the weeds discussing proto-Sinaitic, proto-Canaanite, or proto-Hebraic inscriptions and their relationships to Egyptian or Summerian hieroglyphics, I’ll concede your bullet points and just address the names you mentioned. God certainly knew what He was doing by having Alexander the Great spread Greek, Ptolemy Philadelphus commission the Septuagint and the Romans build roads during the Pax Romana to spread the Word. You’d be aware that Hebrew words are derived from Hebrew root words. Addressing the relationship of words to their roots and the culture in which the words were used can aid in interpreting the meaning of biblical passages. Adam and Enos (or

Hi Christine, We already covered the Bible stuff. All the rest is just speculation. Regarding whether or not the disembodied souls are surprised, I would suspect that any sentient soul will be. We're dealing with really important extremes, after all. What I would like to address is your comment, "souls immediately find out the direction of their eternal destiny." I don't agree. Of course, I don't really know, but that would seem to negate the need for the Great White Throne Judgement, and probably the Sheep and Goats Judgement as well. I see God as compassionate, fair, AND efficient. [My second engineering degree was a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering, after all.] I mean why punish a soul for up to 1,000 years or so, only to present before a Judge to hear, "What are you here for? Go back to Hades." Plus, both the Sheep and Goats Judgement and the Great White Throne Judgement are real judgments, where the verdict could be positive ("Join the sheep") or not ("You goat!"). So, to my simple mind, Christine, I respectfully disagree about eternal destiny and punishment or reward occurring at the moment of death. I'd rather take the Bible as written. Blessings, Ray

G'day all, Thanks to all who have completed the course survey. The response thus far has been excellent, and some great input has been collected. The survey will close Wednesday, 5 August, at 5 P.M. If you would like to but haven't yet participated, please click on the link below and take the survey. It will only take a few moments of your time, and the data will be analysed and forwarded to U3A headquarters. I'm sure that they'll find it helpful. Optional Participant Survey - U3A Brisbane Course R09 - What the Bible is About Optional Participant Survey - U3A Brisbane Course R09 - What the Bible i... Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free. Thanks again. Blessings, Ray

Hi again, Christine, Living Stream Ministries (LSM) is the publisher of the works of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, believers who came to Christ in China. Witness Lee went to Taiwan during the Revolution, while Watchman Nee stayed on the Mainland. Their stories make interesting reading. Watchman Nee died in a CCP prison in 1972, while Witness Lee went to California in 1962 and died in 1997. Their prolific writings are very interesting and often inspiring. But you didn't ask that. You asked about the Recovery Bible, which is annotated with some notes of Watchman Nee. Christine, did you happen upon Brother Yun from his ministry in Brisbane some years ago? His story is truly inspiring, especially how he prayed for a bible. One day a Bible was delivered to his door. He then learned that much of the detail of what he had been taught by his mother, an early convert in her job as a servant to a Western Missionary (I hope I remember the story correctly after so many years), had been completely misunderstood because of the language problem. But what hadn't been misunderstood was the spirit! And the willingness to die for the Faith! I mention that because I stand in awe of what those believers in China went through for Christ. Their faith and perseverance in the face of evil was and is remarkable. Their books and recollections are valuable contributions to Christian history and literature. But we're talking about a particular Bible translation. Watchman Nee is known to have become something of a mystic later in his career, the last decade or so spent in prison. LSM's statement of beliefs had no surprises, either added or omitted. Only the NT was available online, although there is an OT published. I looked at the sample pages online and "tested" a few of my favorite checks within the text. It seems to be a straightforward read in English, with voluminous footnotes in some places and none in others. That by itself doesn't mean anything. I also checked several of my "test" passages. Mark 16:9-20 was included in full without an annotation (kudos) while the Johannine Comma in 1 John 5:6-8 was omitted (sigh!). I checked a few other places as well, including the prefatory materials which generally explain the major sources used. This all pointed to the observation that the unnamed translators and authors of the Recovery Bible used the same core resources as other modern translations. The work was done in California. In other words, this translation does not appear to be appreciably different from other modern Bible versions available in English. This is not a study Bible in the strictest sense. For study I would suggest sticking with the more traditional translations that are included in the serious Bible websites that facilitate quick checks of the original languages and cross-referencing with commentaries. Blessings, Ray

Hi Christine, “Can anyone provide a short, simple definition of Replacement Theology and problems that may arise if following this school of thought?” The answer to your question is, “Yes.” Oh, aren't you satisfied with that answer? Replacement theology is the premise that the “Christian Church” [whatever that means – see Note 1] has replaced Israel in God’s plan. Replacement theology, under many names, teaches that the promises made to Israel in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible also known as the Old Testament are fulfilled in the Christian Church. Basically, its adherents believe that God is finished with His dealings with Israel and that all unfulfilled promises to Israel are transferred to the spiritual “church”. The primary problem that arises from this heresy is that it contradicts the clear reading of the text of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. For example, God made four covenants with the people of the Old Testament. The New Testament in no place invalidates them, which would make God’s promises to be lies. Instead, it adds on the New Covenant wherein salvation is ALSO offered to Gentiles. There are many places in the New Testament that make this point. The most explicit is Paul’s treatise on Israel in the book of Romans where Chapter 9 covers Israel’s past, Chapter 10 Israel’s present, and Chapter 11 Israel’s future. In replacement theology, Old Testament covenants with Israel are REPLACED by the new covenant. After Pentecost in Acts, the term “Israel” refers to the “Church”. To justify deviation from the plain text, Church leaders even before Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) adopted the amillennial interpretation of Scripture. They allegorized parts of Scripture that conflict with their belief that Israel had forfeited her covenants including the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant by rejecting Christ, and so to them, Scripture has lost its authority. For example, while Revelation clearly states six times that Christ will rule for 1,000 years after Armageddon (which hasn’t yet happened), amillennials claim that to be a figure of speech, an allegory, and not a real period. Some say that the 1,000 years has come and gone; others claim that it is here now and Christ rules in our hearts; there are also many other guesses that differ from the biblical text. Holding a worldview that the Jews are no longer God’s Chosen People logically leads to the primary practical application of that perspective, the doctrine of anti-Semitism. After all, they say, the Jews killed Christ. All of the Bible’s blessings are now directed to the Church, while all of the judgements are retained by Israel. Anti-Semitism has plagued many of the mainstream religions (Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, etc.) from the beginning. I could add an argument concerning Islam since its inception here as well. Modern anti-Semitism is often shrouded in anti-Zionism, which offers a thin camouflage for those who hold it, including many secular left-wing Jews in the West. One reason for the vehement hatred of Israel by some is an inability to harmonize their belief that Israel was replaced in God’s eye (or, alternatively, that there is no God) with the reality that the Nation of Israel was resurrected on 14 May 1948, after a 1,920-year diaspora. That was indeed a miracle, and yet it was prophesied in the Old Testament to the very day. Christine, to sum up, the many problems that arise from denying the plain text of the Bible can lead one down Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole. As the Cheshire Cat said, “I’m not strange, weird, off, or crazy; my reality is just different from yours.” Blessings, Ray NOTE 1: I said “whatever that means” about “Christian Church” because one of the huge issues today is that there is great disagreement amongst replacement theologists about who or what HAS replaced Israel. To the Catholic Church, it means the Catholic Church. Ditto JWs. And so on. NOTE 2: Some other names for replacement theology include supersessionism and fulfillment theology. Adherents claim distinctions but all believe that promises to Israel a