| 2. Was God Once a Man Like Us? The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that God is Spirit (John 4:24; 1 Timothy 6:15,16), He is not a man (Numbers 23:19; Hosea 11:9; Romans 1:22, 23), and has always (eternally) existed as God — all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present (Psalm 90:2; 139:7-10; Isaiah 40:28; Luke 1:37). By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that God the Father was once a man like us who progressed to become a God and has a body of flesh and bone (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; " God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! " from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-347; Gospel Principles, p. 9; Articles of Faith, p. 430; Mormon Doctrine, p. 321). Indeed, the Mormon Church teaches that God himself has a father, and a grandfather, ad infinitum (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 373; Mormon Doctrine, p. 577). 3. Are Jesus and Satan Spirit Brothers? The Bible teaches and orthodox Christians through the ages have believed that Jesus is the unique Son of God; he has always existed as God, and is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father (John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 14:9; Colossians 2:9). While never less than God, at the appointed time He laid aside the glory He shared with the Father (John 17:4, 5; Philippians 2:6-11) and was made flesh for our salvation; His incarnation was accomplished through being conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:34-35). By contrast, the Mormon Church teaches that Jesus Christ is our elder brother who progressed to godhood, having first been procreated as a spirit child by Heavenly Father and a heavenly mother; He was later conceived physically through intercourse between Heavenly Father and the virgin Mary (D&C 93:21; Journal of Discourses, 1:50-51; Gospel Principles, p. 11-13; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p. 129; Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 546-547; 742; Ezra Taft Benson, Come unto Christ, p. 4; Robert L. Millet, The Mormon Faith: Understanding Restored Christianity, p. 31). Mormon doctrine affirms that Jesus, all angels, Lucifer, all demons, and all human beings are originally spirit brothers and sisters (Abraham 3:22-27; Moses 4:1-2; Gospel Principles, pp. 17-18; Mormon Doctrine, p. 192). |
| If we truly care for the poor, why don’t we use the billions of dollars given as “aid” for contraceptives, abortion, and population control, to fund genuine livelihood opportunities for them, build houses and schools and fund their education? If we sterilize people or give them pills and condoms, is it going to put food on their table? No: we will only succeed in making large poor families into small poor families, and this certainly will not solve poverty. But of course we know that massive promotion of contraceptives, divorce, euthanasia, population control and homosexuality are part of a global anti-life agenda used by unscrupulous governments and groups in the “developed” world to control the world and get the natural resources of the poor countries, for their own selfish ends. They fail to realize or perhaps refuse to acknowledge that there is enough for everyone’s need, but not for anyone’s greed. In the once top secret document National Security Study Memorandum 200 written by then-U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, it mentions “women’s empowerment” as one of the strategies for population control: taking women out of their homes to work, because if they stay at home, they will produce more children. They want zero population growth by promoting one- or two-child policies, promoted with the language of “sustainable development.” The document discusses using the United Nations agencies the World Bank and the World Health Organization, among others, to implement their agenda, as well as withholding of aid to countries that don’t follow along. And this is exactly what we see around the world today. Very sadly, countless women have fallen into the trap without knowing the many horrors of contraception and abortion until it is too late. No less than the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization has from 2005-2013 consistently classified hormonal contraception as a Group 1 Carcinogen — which means the highest level of cancer risk! 3 To quote IARC: “Women increase their risk of breast, cervical and liver cancer if they use oral contraceptives and the greatest cancer risk is to young women, particularly teenagers, who use the pill.” These and other killer effects like high blood pressure; increased risk of stroke or heart attack; osteoporosis; blurring of vision/blindness; infertility; birth defects; gall bladder disease; liver tumors; increased risk of getting HIV/AIDS; mood disorders; and loss of libido or sexual pleasure, among many others, are very amply demonstrated by scientific evidence. We see the same disconnect with abortion, which is also proven to cause breast cancer, as well as many other physical and emotional ailments. 4 Yet we should not be surprised: the Bible tells us “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). |
| The Lord showed through the prophet and through his family how the God-chosen nation lives, and what awaits them. The scene was rather horrifying: The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take to thyself a wife of fornication, and children of fornication: for the land will surely go a-whoring in departing from the Lord (Hos. 1:2). Let’s read this Bible verse slowly, in order to digest it well. Let’s take a look into Hosea’s prospects… The bourgeois image of a prophetic gift (“perks”) falls apart. What does Hosea see? The people of God “spiritually fornicate”; that is, they serve not the One God, but a pantheon of gods called Baalam (cf. Hos. 11:2). The people are like a wife who is constantly betraying her lawful husband. And the full outrage is described not “simply” by Hosea’s sharp words, for which he could have been hated and cruelly punished. All of this is made clear through the everyday torturous tragedy of his personal life, and not only through unpleasant words about the surrounding reality. Hosea’s wife leads a debauched life. In the family appear the children of fornication. They receive names from God that are no better than insulting nicknames: The daughter is named Loruchama (meaning Unpitied), and the son was named Loami (meaning Not My People). Everyday in Hosea’s home and out on the sun-drenched streets, everyone could hear the names of the children, on whom was published the prophecy about God’s severe judgment on the nation. There will be judgment—it has essentially begun. And this people cannot count on some special relationship with the judge. The past, special relationship has been trampled underfoot. Everyday Hosea has shame before his eyes and outrage in his ears. And the outrage is obvious. The people of God has divided into separate kingdoms, and the relationship between them is very quarrelsome. Brothers are not living in peace. God’s people have weakened from their many iniquities and shameful passions ; serious spiritual illnesses have stricken them. Apart from open paganism, pagan reinterpretations of the Covenant with the True God have spread among the people of God. How so? People perceived holy patriarchs’ and prophets’ worship of God not as a personal relationship but as a magic one: “I will make whole burnt sacrifices to the God of our fathers; I will perform all the required rites. And my house will be as a brimming cup.” The Lord explains this paganization of the Israelites like this: I will have mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings (Hos. 6:6). This heavenly truth is repeated also by Christ (cf. Matt. 9:13). |
| Second, the message of the Prophets emphasizes our need for repentance and for God’s forgiveness. Over and over again, the Prophets exhorted the people to turn from their sinful ways and seek the forgiveness of God. Return , O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity (Hosea 14:1). They warned of the consequences of forsaking Him, but spoke of the healing that would come through forgiveness. Isaiah proclaimed, “ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon ” (Isaiah 55:7). Third, the Prophets preached about the priority of justice in all relationships. Micah stated, “ He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God ?” (Micah 6:8) These exhortations came at a time when kings and judges, religious leaders and the wealthy were ignoring the plight of those living in suffering, of the poor, the widows and orphans. The Prophets called everyone to turn from greed, selfishness, and the exploitation of the weak to relationships grounded in truth and marked by holiness and righteousness. Isaiah preached, “ Learn to do good; Seek justice; Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless; Plead for the widow ” (Isaiah 1:17). The final theme in the message of the Prophets is one of hope in the restoration of communion with God. Many of the Prophets foretold of great tragedies and struggle that would come because of the sins of the people. But messages of judgment were followed by words of hope. Speaking a promise from the Lord the Prophet Hosea said, “ They shall return and dwell beneath My shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom as the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon ” (Hosea 14:7). Isaiah proclaimed, “ And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away ” (Isaiah 51:11). |
| The same Prophet Hosea, proclaiming the name of God and addressing the chosen people, says: “for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee” (Hosea 11:9). God defines Himself as such, which means that holiness is one of the most important definitions of God (Cf., Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:3, 7, 26; 21:8; 22:2, 32. Jesus of Navi [Joshua] 24:15, 19. 1 Kings Samuel] 2:2, 10; 6:20; 2 Kings Samuel] 22:7; 4 Kings Kings] 19:22. 1 Paralipomena Chronicles] 16:10, 27, 35; 29:16. 2 Paralipomena Chronicles] 6:2; 30. 27. Tobit 3:11; 8:5, 15; 12:12, 15. Judith 9:13; Job 6:10; Psalms 2:6; 3:5; 5:8; 10 14 15 17 19 21 23 26 27 32 42 45 46 47 50 64 67 70 76 77 54; 78 88 97 98 5, 9; 101 102 104 42; 105 110 137 144 21; Proverbs 9:10; Wisdom of Solomon 1:5; 9:8, 10, 17; 10:20. Wisdom of Sirach 4:15; 17:8; 23:9–10; 43:11; 47:9, 12; 48:23. Esaias [Isaiah] 1:4; 5:16, 19, 24; 6:3; 8:13; 10:17, 20; 11:9; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19, 23; 30:11–12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 40:25; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14–15; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 52:19; 54:5; 55:5; 56:7; 57:13, 15; 58:13; 60:9, 14; 63:10–11; 65:11, 25; 66:20. Jeremias [Jeremiah] 23:9; 31:23; 50:29; 51:5. Baruch 2:16; 4:22, 37; 5:5; 20:39–40; 28: 14; 36:20–22; 39:7, 25. Ezekiel 43:7–8; Daniel 3:52–53; 4:5–6, 10, 14–15, 20; 5:11; 9:16, 20, 24. Joel 2:1; 3:17; Amos 2:7. Abidias 1:16. Jonas 2:5, 8; Michaias [Micah] 1:2; Abbacum [Habbakuk] 1:12; 2:20; 3:3; Sophonias [Zephaniah] 3: 11–12; Zacharias [Zechariah] 2:13; 2 Maccabees 8:15; 14:36; 15:32; 3 Maccabees 2:2, 11, 16; 5:8; 6:1–2, 4, 17, 26; 7:8; 2 Esdras 14:22; Matthew 1:18, 20; 3:11; 12:32; 28:19. Mark 1:8, 24, 29; 12:36; 13:11; Luke 1:15, 35, 41, 49, 67, 72; 2:25–26; 3:16, 22; 4: 1, 34; 11:13; 12:10, 12. John 1:33; 7:39; 14:26; 17:11; 20:22; Acts 1:2, 5, 8, 16; 2:4, 33, 38; 3:14; 4:8, 25, 27, 30–31; 5:3, 32; 6:3, 5; 7:51, 55; 8:15, 17–19, 39; 9:17, 31; 10:38, 44–45, 47; 11:15–16, 24; 13:2, 4, 9, 35, 52; 15:8, 28; 16:6; 19:2, 6; 20:23, 28; 21:11; 28:25. 1 Peter 1:12, 15–16; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 2:20; 5:7. Jude 1:20; Romans 5:5; 9:1; 14:17; 15:13, 16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 3:17; 6:19; 12:3; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 13:13. Ephesians 3:5; 4: 30; 1 Thessalonians 1:5–6; 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:14; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 2:4; 3:7; 6: 4; 9:8, 14; 10: 15; Revelation 3:7; 4:8; 6:10; 15:3–4; 16:5). |
| Slave owners were demonically clairvoyant missionaries. They consciously baptized their slaves so that Uncle Tom would humbly live in his straw cabin composing his " spirituals,” and take up his knife only for the purpose of cutting the fruits at harvest time. Perhaps the pre-revolutionary Russian Church really was at fault, but then let’s not forget that every Church in any Christian country is under the same threat. God should be loved not for what He gives. God should be loved as God, and not as a sponsor. The best sons of Israel before the coming of Christ understood that the Torah should be read and studied not " for,” but " for the sake of” the sweetness of the Torah itself. We know Christ’s words in the Gospels: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice (Mt. 9:13). These words are cited from the book of the Prophet Hosea, and they continue: For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (Hos. 6:6). Knowledge of God is a remembrance of Him, which strives to become the ceaseless study and practice of His word, and the fulfillment of His commandments. The obedience of the younger to the elder and subordination to those in charge, mercy, justice, faithfulness in marriage—these are all only the fruits of knowing God. We cannot seek the fruits without first cultivating and watering the roots. When sins increase, the Lord is ready to judge the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land (Hos. 4:1). All the prophets speak of the Messiah, even if we do not always see this or understand it. All the prophets with veritably one mouth and one heart say, Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth (Hos. 6:3). We needn’t think that this fervent cry is directed only to people of the Old Testament. We needn’t think that we of the New Testament, who believe in Christ, have nothing more to know, and we can be content with reading the Creed. All who know that God exists are obligated to acquire knowledge of the Lord, to seek Him from early morning till late at night. Moreover, the sons of the Gospel should be even more enflamed with a thirst for grace than the sons of the Law. The words of Isaiah and Hosea should be closer to us than to the prophets’ contemporaries. |
| Rom. 9:17/Exodus 9:16 – my power “in you”; my name may be “proclaimed.” Hebrew – show “thee”; may name might be “declared.” Rom. 9:25/Hosea 2:23 – I will call my people; I will call my beloved. Hebrew - I will have mercy (love versus mercy). Rom. 9:27/Isaiah 10:22 – only a remnant of them “will be saved.” Hebrew – only a remnant of them “will return.” Rom. 9:29/Isaiah 1:9 – had not left us “children.” Hebrew – Jehova had left us a “very small remnant.” Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6/Isaiah 28:16 – he who believes will not be “put to shame.” Hebrew – shall not be “in haste.” Rom. 10:18/Psalm 19:4 – their “voice” has gone out. Hebrew – their “line” is gone out. Rom. 10:20/Isaiah 65:1 – I have “shown myself” to those who did not ask for me. Hebrew – I am “inquired of” by them. Rom. 10:21/Isaiah 65:2 – a “disobedient and contrary” people. Hebrew – a “rebellious” people. Rom. 11:9-10/Psalm 69:22-23 – “pitfall” and “retribution” and “bend their backs.” Hebrew – “trap” and “make their loins shake.” Rom. 11:26/Isaiah 59:20 – will banish “ungodliness.” Hebrew – turn from “transgression.” Rom. 11:27/Isaiah 27:9 – when I take away their sins. Hebrew – this is all the fruit of taking away his sin. Rom. 11:34; 1 Cor. 2:16/Isaiah 40:13 -the “mind” of the Lord; His “counselor.” Hebrew – “spirit” of the Lord; “taught” Him. Rom. 12:20/Prov. 25:21 – feed him and give him to drink. Hebrew – give him “bread” to eat and “water” to drink. Rom. 15:12/Isaiah 11:10 – the root of Jesse…”to rule the Gentiles.” Hebrew - stands for an ensign. There is nothing about the Gentiles. Rom. 15:21/Isaiah 52:15 – been told “of him”; heard “of him.” Hebrew – does not mention “him” (the object of the prophecy). 1 Cor. 1:19/Isaiah 29:14 – “I will destroy” the wisdom of the wise. Hebrew – wisdom of their wise men “shall perish.” 1 Cor. 5:13/Deut. 17:7 – remove the “wicked person.” Hebrew – purge the “evil.” This is more generic evil in the MT. 1 Cor. 15:55/Hosea 13:14 – O death, where is thy “sting?” Hebrew – O death, where are your “plagues?” |
| And Christ says prophetically, as a reference to the sacrificial nature of the Incarnation, Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’ (Psalm 40:6-8; Hebrews 10:5) Sacrifices, especially animal sacrifices, were not a primary concern of God. As a matter of fact, they could be an abomination to Him if not carried out together with deeds of loving kindness and justice. Consider these words of the prophets, the spokesmen of God: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. (Hosea 6:6) … and when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:15-16) I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though you offer me burnt-offerings and your meal offerings, I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy song; and let Me not hear the melody of thy psalteries. But let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. (Amos 5:21-4) Deeds of compassion and kindness toward all creation are of greater significance to God than sacrifices: To do charity and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice (Prov. 21: 3). There are many more examples of this in Scripture, but these should suffice for now. The Sacrifice of Christ Hebrews 9:11-18 applies Leviticus 17:11 to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 12 states clearly that the Old Testament blood sacrifices were only temporary and only atoned for sin partially and for a short time, hence the need to annually repeat the sacrifices. When Christ entered the heavenly Holy of Holies, He did so to offer His own blood once for all time, making future sacrifices unnecessary and entirely superfluous. |
| Впосл. труды И. М. легли в основу араб. экзегетических сочинений несторианина Абдаллаха ибн ат-Тайиба аль-Ираки ( 1043), широко цитировались в большом сир. сборнике комментариев на Лекционарий «Сад наслаждений» (рукописи с XIII в.; см.: Vost é J. M. Le Gannat Bussa me //RB. 1928. Vol. 37. P. 221-232, 386-419), а также были использованы яковитами Дионисием бар Салиби ( 1171) и Григорием Бар Эвройо ( 1286) (см.: Diettrich. 1902. S. XXXIV-XLI). Соч.: Diettrich M. G. Išo‘dâdh " s Stellung in der Auslegungsgeschichte des Alten Testamentes an seinen Commentaren zu Hosea, Joel, Jona, Sacharja 9-14 und einigen angehängten Psalmen. Giessen, 1902. (BZAW; 6); Schliebitz J. Išo‘dâdh " s Kommentar zum Buche Hiob. Giessen, 1907. (BZAW; 11); The Commentaries of Isho‘ dad of Merv, Bishop of Hadatha (c. 850 A. D.)/Ed., transl. M. D. Gibson; introd. J. R. Harris. Camb., 1911. Vol. 1: The Gospels: Transl.; Vol. 2: Matthew and Mark: Syr. Text; Vol. 3: Luke and John: Syr. Text (рец. на vol. 1-3: Brockelmann C.//ZDMG. 1912. Bd. 66. S. 329-332); 1913. Vol. 4: Acts of the Apostles and Three Catholic Epistles: Transl. and Syr. Text; 1916. Vol. 5: The Epistles of Paul the Apostle: Syr. Text and Transl. 2 pt. (Horae Semiticae; 5-7, 10-11); Euringer S. Des Išo‘dâd von Maru Kommentar zum Hohenlied ediert//Oriens Chr. Ser. 3. 1932. Bd. 7. S. 49-74; Commentaire d " I š o‘ dad de Merv sur l " Ancien Testament/Éd. J.-M. Vosté; éd., trad. C. van den Eynde. Louvain, 1950, 1955. Pt. 1: Genèse. 2 vol.; 1958. Pt. 2: Exode - Deutéronome. 2 vol.; 1963. Pt. 3: Livre des Sessions. 2 vol.; 1969. Pt. 4: Isaïe et les Douze. 2 vol.; 1972. Pt. 5: Jérémie, Ezéchiel, Daniel. 2 vol.; 1981. Pt. 6: Psaumes. 2 vol. (CSCO; 126, 156, 176, 179, 229-230, 303-304, 328-329, 433-434. Syr.; 67, 75, 80-81, 96-97, 128-129, 146-147, 185-186); The Commentary on the Books of the Holy Prophets in a Manuscript in Leningrad: An Epitome of Išo‘dad of Merv/Ed. C. Molenberg. Louvain, 1987. (CSCO; 494. Subs.; 77). Ист.: Assemani. BO. T. 3/1. P. 210-212; Maris, Amri et Slibae De patriarchis Nestorianorum commentaria/Ed. H. Gismondi. R., 1899. T. 1/1. P. 78; 1896. T. 2/1. P. 72. |
| God had allowed someone to leave a special, little flower on that table so that as she entered the building she would discover it and feel His great love for her. Her heart was greatly touched by this incident, and I felt so blessed to be a part of it. I had been right behind her when she walked into the building that morning. As I thought of how special that moment seemed to her (not knowing about the Scripture God had given her), I knew something very wonderful was happening. As I stepped into the elevator, God spoke to my heart and said, “She took the time to find ME.” She had taken the time to find God. She was continuing the day as we all have to do, working and taking care of family, yet this moment did not escape her. “Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” (Hosea 6:3) Needless to say, I took the rest of the day to look for God. I made sure I gave eye contact to everyone I met and shared a kind word and a smile. I wanted to find God in my day, and I wanted to be God’s love to someone who might need to see Him in a tangible way. We can find God. We can feel His love in wonderful ways. We don’t need to think that He is millions of miles away and too busy to care about our special needs each day. Take time to find God. from the eMail Forum of Holy Trinity Church, Los Angeles CA Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. |
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