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To: MarkBsnr
The trouble with Protestant readings of scripture is that they rip the New Testament out of the culture that Jesus and the apostles lived in, nor the Hellenistic Gentile world they were preaching in. The only way to reach the Gentiles was to borrow their language. Logos, for example. We need to remember that Bible translations are INTERPRETATIONS, and Protestant Bible translators always begin with their anti-Catholic prejudice to water down the Bible's language. Take Romans 15:16. The Greek uses sacerdotal language regarding the service to the Gentiles. Something that St. John Chrysostom, a Greek, picked up on 400 years later in his commentary on the passage. The New American Standard Bible reads: to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The King James Version obfuscates this sacerdotalism St. Paul talks about: That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This pattern of worship is still recognizable to any Eastern Christian because this theme is found throughout the prayers of the Divine Liturgies of the Eastern Churches. The Greek says: εἰς τὸ εἶναι με λειτουργὸν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἱερουργοῦντα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος ἡγιασμένη ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Leitourgos is a term found in the Septuagint referring to the priests of the Old Covenant. 3011 leitourgós (a masculine noun derived from leitos, "belonging to the people" and 2041 /érgon, "work") – properly, an official servant (minister) who works for the good of the community. In the NT (and LXX), this root (leitourg-) is especially used for priestly-service given to God, impacting all who witness it. [3011 (leitourgós) was originally a term for public service done by an official minister of the State. In classical Greek, it means "one who discharges a public office at his own expense, then, generally, a public servant, a minister, servant" (Abbott-Smith). That is, "a servant of the state, assuming public office to be administered at his own expense" (L & N, 1, 461, fn 5).] While prosphora means sacrifice, and it remains the name given by the Greek Church to the loaf of bread that is offered by the priest in the Divine Liturgy. It is connected with the Greek term prosphero, which means a bloodless sacrifice. offering up. From prosphero; presentation; concretely, an oblation (bloodless) or sacrifice -- offering (up). Ver. 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering (ἱερουργοὕντα) the Gospel of God. For after his abundant proof of his statements, he draws his discourse to a more lofty tone, not speaking of mere service, as in the beginning, but of service and priestly ministering (λειτουργίαν καί ὶερουργίαν). For to me this is a priesthood, this preaching and declaring. This is the sacrifice I bring. Now no one will find fault with a priest, for being anxious to offer the sacrifice without blemish. And he says this at once to elevate (πτερὥν) their thoughts, and show them that they are a sacrifice, and in apology for his own part in the matter, because he was appointed to this office. For my knife, he says, is the Gospel, the word of the preaching. And the cause is not that I may be glorified, not that I may appear conspicuous, but that the offering up (προσφορὰ) of the Gentiles may be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. That is, that the souls of those that are taught by me, may be accepted. For it was not so much to honor me, that God led me to this pitch, as out of a concern for you. And how are they to become acceptable? In the Holy Ghost. For there is need not only of faith, but also of a spiritual way of life, that we may keep the Spirit that was given once for all. For it is not wood and fire, nor altar and knife, but the Spirit that is all in us. For this cause, I take all means to prevent that Fire from being extinguished, as I have been also enjoined to do. Why then do you speak to those that need it not? This is just the reason why I do not teach you, but put you in mind, he replies. As the priest stands by stirring up the fire, so I do, rousing up your ready-mindedness. And observe, he does not say, that the offering up of you may be etc. but of the Gentiles. But when he says of the Gentiles, he means the whole world, the land, and the whole sea, to take down their haughtiness, that they might not disdain to have him for a teacher, who was putting himself forth (τεινόμενον) to the very end of the world. As he said in the beginning, as among the other Gentiles also, I am a debtor to Greeks, and also to barbarians, to wise, and to foolish. Romans 1:13-14
3,584 posted on 12/11/2011 12:08:08 PM PST by rzman21
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To: rzman21
The trouble with Protestant readings of scripture is that they rip the New Testament out of the culture that Jesus and the apostles lived in, nor the Hellenistic Gentile world they were preaching in.

The only way to reach the Gentiles was to borrow their language.

Logos, for example. We need to remember that Bible translations are INTERPRETATIONS, and Protestant Bible translators always begin with their anti-Catholic prejudice to water down the Bible's language.

Take Romans 15:16. The Greek uses sacerdotal language regarding the service to the Gentiles. Something that St. John Chrysostom, a Greek, picked up on 400 years later in his commentary on the passage.

The New American Standard Bible reads: to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

The King James Version obfuscates this sacerdotalism St. Paul talks about: That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This pattern of worship is still recognizable to any Eastern Christian because this theme is found throughout the prayers of the Divine Liturgies of the Eastern Churches.

The Greek says: εἰς τὸ εἶναι με λειτουργὸν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἱερουργοῦντα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος ἡγιασμένη ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.

Leitourgos is a term found in the Septuagint referring to the priests of the Old Covenant. 3011 leitourgós (a masculine noun derived from leitos, "belonging to the people" and 2041 /érgon, "work") – properly, an official servant (minister) who works for the good of the community. In the NT (and LXX), this root (leitourg-) is especially used for priestly-service given to God, impacting all who witness it. [3011 (leitourgós) was originally a term for public service done by an official minister of the State. In classical Greek, it means "one who discharges a public office at his own expense, then, generally, a public servant, a minister, servant" (Abbott-Smith). That is, "a servant of the state, assuming public office to be administered at his own expense" (L & N, 1, 461, fn 5).] While prosphora means sacrifice, and it remains the name given by the Greek Church to the loaf of bread that is offered by the priest in the Divine Liturgy. It is connected with the Greek term prosphero, which means a bloodless sacrifice. offering up.

From prosphero; presentation; concretely, an oblation (bloodless) or sacrifice -- offering (up).

Ver. 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering (ἱερουργοὕντα) the Gospel of God. For after his abundant proof of his statements, he draws his discourse to a more lofty tone, not speaking of mere service, as in the beginning, but of service and priestly ministering (λειτουργίαν καί ὶερουργίαν).

For to me this is a priesthood, this preaching and declaring. This is the sacrifice I bring. Now no one will find fault with a priest, for being anxious to offer the sacrifice without blemish. And he says this at once to elevate (πτερὥν) their thoughts, and show them that they are a sacrifice, and in apology for his own part in the matter, because he was appointed to this office. For my knife, he says, is the Gospel, the word of the preaching. And the cause is not that I may be glorified, not that I may appear conspicuous, but that the offering up (προσφορὰ) of the Gentiles may be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

That is, that the souls of those that are taught by me, may be accepted. For it was not so much to honor me, that God led me to this pitch, as out of a concern for you. And how are they to become acceptable? In the Holy Ghost. For there is need not only of faith, but also of a spiritual way of life, that we may keep the Spirit that was given once for all. For it is not wood and fire, nor altar and knife, but the Spirit that is all in us. For this cause, I take all means to prevent that Fire from being extinguished, as I have been also enjoined to do. Why then do you speak to those that need it not?

This is just the reason why I do not teach you, but put you in mind, he replies. As the priest stands by stirring up the fire, so I do, rousing up your ready-mindedness. And observe, he does not say, that the offering up of you may be etc. but of the Gentiles.

But when he says of the Gentiles, he means the whole world, the land, and the whole sea, to take down their haughtiness, that they might not disdain to have him for a teacher, who was putting himself forth (τεινόμενον) to the very end of the world. As he said in the beginning, as among the other Gentiles also, I am a debtor to Greeks, and also to barbarians, to wise, and to foolish. Romans 1:13-14
3,585 posted on 12/11/2011 12:12:46 PM PST by rzman21
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To: rzman21
The trouble with Protestant readings of scripture is that they rip the New Testament out of the culture that Jesus and the apostles lived in, nor the Hellenistic Gentile world they were preaching in.

That is a frequent failing of American contemporary Protestant theology.

This pattern of worship is still recognizable to any Eastern Christian because this theme is found throughout the prayers of the Divine Liturgies of the Eastern Churches. The Greek says: εἰς τὸ εἶναι με λειτουργὸν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἱερουργοῦντα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος ἡγιασμένη ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Leitourgos is a term found in the Septuagint referring to the priests of the Old Covenant. 3011 leitourgós (a masculine noun derived from leitos, "belonging to the people" and 2041 /érgon, "work") – properly, an official servant (minister) who works for the good of the community. In the NT (and LXX), this root (leitourg-) is especially used for priestly-service given to God, impacting all who witness it. [3011 (leitourgós) was originally a term for public service done by an official minister of the State. In classical Greek, it means "one who discharges a public office at his own expense, then, generally, a public servant, a minister, servant" (Abbott-Smith). That is, "a servant of the state, assuming public office to be administered at his own expense" (L & N, 1, 461, fn 5).] While prosphora means sacrifice, and it remains the name given by the Greek Church to the loaf of bread that is offered by the priest in the Divine Liturgy. It is connected with the Greek term prosphero, which means a bloodless sacrifice. offering up. From prosphero; presentation; concretely, an oblation (bloodless) or sacrifice -- offering (up). Ver. 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering (ἱερουργοὕντα) the Gospel of God. For after his abundant proof of his statements, he draws his discourse to a more lofty tone, not speaking of mere service, as in the beginning, but of service and priestly ministering (λειτουργίαν καί ὶερουργίαν). For to me this is a priesthood, this preaching and declaring. This is the sacrifice I bring. Now no one will find fault with a priest, for being anxious to offer the sacrifice without blemish. And he says this at once to elevate (πτερὥν) their thoughts, and show them that they are a sacrifice, and in apology for his own part in the matter, because he was appointed to this office. For my knife, he says, is the Gospel, the word of the preaching. And the cause is not that I may be glorified, not that I may appear conspicuous, but that the offering up (προσφορὰ) of the Gentiles may be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. That is, that the souls of those that are taught by me, may be accepted.

Very good. The office of priest is supposed to be largely anonymous - that is the advantage of the ad orientam. The cult of personality - the Joel Osteens and the Rick Warrens and the Robert Schullers depend upon the recognition of the people. Whereas it does not matter who the servant of the servants of God is who celebrates the Mass. We have Mass each day. There is no celebration or recognition of the individual, or should not be. Father Phleger in Chicago is an exception and has needed removal for decades...

But when he says of the Gentiles, he means the whole world, the land, and the whole sea, to take down their haughtiness, that they might not disdain to have him for a teacher, who was putting himself forth (τεινόμενον) to the very end of the world. As he said in the beginning, as among the other Gentiles also, I am a debtor to Greeks, and also to barbarians, to wise, and to foolish. Romans 1:13-14

Yes. All the world. And I must count myself amongst the foolish barbarians; but I am ever grateful to God for my baptism into the Church.

3,597 posted on 12/11/2011 2:58:37 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.)
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