led astray

October 27, 2018

You do not know scriptures (Mk 12:24-12:24)

“Jesus said to them.

‘Is this not the reason

That you are wrong?

You know neither

The scriptures

Nor the power of God.’”

 

ἔφη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ

 

This comment or reprimand by Jesus is similar to Matthew, chapter 22:29, but not in Luke.  Mark said that Jesus responded to the Sadducees (ἔφη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς) by telling them that they were wrong, deceived, or led astray (Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε).  They did not know scriptures or the writings (μὴ εἰδότες τὰς γραφὰς).  They also did not know the power or purpose of God (μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ).  Simply put, they were ill-informed or stupid.

June 25, 2018

Where is the Messiah? (Mt 24:25-24:26)

“Take note!

I have told you beforehand!

Thus,

If they say to you.

‘Look!

He is in the wilderness!’

Do not go out!

If they say.

‘Look!

He is in the inner rooms.’

Do not believe it.”

 

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν

ἐὰν οὖν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν Ἰδοὺ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐστίν, μὴ ἐξέλθητε· Ἰδοὺ ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις, μὴ πιστεύσητε

 

This is unique to Matthew, except for the first line that is like Mark, chapter 13:23.  Matthew seemed more concerned about the disciples being led astray.  Jesus warned his disciples, since he was telling them before it happened (ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν).  If someone said that they were to look in the wilderness for the Christ (ἐὰν οὖν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν Ἰδοὺ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐστίν), they were not to go out there (μὴ ἐξέλθητε).  If they say that the Messiah was in the inner rooms or secret chambers (Ἰδοὺ ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις), the disciples should not believe it (μὴ πιστεύσητε).  The disciples should be wary of these false messiahs and prophets.

October 31, 2017

Against Judah (Am 2:4-2:5)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘For three transgressions

Of Judah,

And for four,

I will not revoke

The punishment.

Because they have rejected

The law of Yahweh.

They have not kept

His statutes.

But they have been

Led astray

By the same lies

After which their ancestors

Walked.

So,

I will send a fire

On Judah.

It shall devour

The strongholds

Of Jerusalem.’”

Next, Yahweh turned to Judah, his most favorite territory. Yahweh, via Amos, invoked the same language as he had used against Damascus, the Philistines, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. He also used the same non-forgiving numeric formula of 3 and 4, as in Proverbs, chapter 30. Judah had rejected the law of Yahweh, as they had failed to keep its statutes. They had been led astray by the same lies that their ancestors had followed. Thus, Yahweh was going to send fire on Judah. In particular, he would devour their fortresses in Jerusalem.

September 10, 2016

Wisdom and knowledge will not save the Babylonians (Isa 47:10-47:11)

“You felt secure

In your wickedness.

You said.

‘No one sees me.’

Your wisdom

With your knowledge

Led you astray.

You said in your heart,

‘I am.

There is no one besides me.’

But evil shall come upon you.

You cannot charm it away.

Disaster shall fall upon you.

You will not be able to ward it off.

Ruin shall come on you suddenly,

When you know nothing about it.”

Another common biblical theme was the idea that no one saw them when they were doing wicked things. The Babylonians were led astray by their own knowledge and wisdom, instead of helping them. They thought that there was no one equal to them. Their charms will not help them to ward off disaster, since their ruin will come quickly. They will not know what hit them.

September 7, 2016

The folly of a block of wood (Isa 44:18-44:20)

“They do not know anything.

They do not comprehend.

Their eyes are shut.

Thus they cannot see.

Their minds are shut.

Thus they cannot understand.

No one considers this.

No one has knowledge.

No one has discernment to say.

‘I burned half of it in the fire.

I also baked bread on its coals.

I roasted meat.

I have eaten meat.

Shall I make the rest of it an abomination?

Shall I fall down before a block of wood?’

He feeds on ashes.

A deluded mind has led him astray.

He cannot save himself.

He cannot say.

‘Is not this thing in my right hand a fraud?’”

Second Isaiah explains the moral of this tale of the idol carpenter maker. These idol makers do not know or understand what they are doing. Their eyes and minds are shut, so that they cannot see or understand. These carpenters do not consider that they used part of their precious wood to make a fire to keep them warm and cook on. They then made their abominable wooden idol out of the rest of this wood. Do they not realize that they are bowing down to a block of wood? They have deluded minds. They have been led astray. They eat ashes. They do not understand that what they have made with their right hand is a fraud.

March 23, 2016

The error of the impious (Wis 2:21-2:24)

“Thus they reasoned.

But they were led astray.

Their wickedness blinded them.

They did not know the secret purposes of God.

They did not hope for the wages of holiness.

They did not discern the prize for blameless souls.

God created us for incorruption.

He made us in the image of his own eternity.

Through the devil’s envy,

Death entered the world.

Those who belong to his company experience it.”

Now we have the counter argument of the just one. These wicked ones were led astray because they were blind. They did not know the secret mysterious plan of God (μυστήρια Θεοῦ). They did not hope for holiness. They did not know about the prize for the blameless souls (ψυχῶν ἀμώμων). Now we have the positive part. God has created us for incorruption (ὁ Θεὸς ἔκτισε τὸν ἄνθρωπον) to live in eternity with him. We would not die. This is a very strong emphasis on the immortality of humans. However, there is the disclaimer based on the creation stories of Genesis. We were made in the image of God (εἰκόνα τῆς ἰδίας ἰδιότητος ἐποίησεν αὐτόν), but the envious devil (διαβόλου) entered the world (κόσμον) so that those who associate with him experience death (θάνατος). The wicked have become associates of the devil or Satan.