The Light of the World, The Light of the Life, The Logos of the Deity

The Logos

Jesus Christ is the Logos of the Deity in human form. This Logos, spoken to us by the Messiah, gives us an introduction to the Logic of the Father Deity: His Rationale, His Reasoning, the Way He Thinks: His Logic. It soon becomes apparent that the Logic of the Deity is completely opposite to Human Logic. As we become doers of this Divine Rationale, we prove its efficacy and everything begins to change for us: our thinking, our attitudes, our actions and ultimately our abilities.

An Old Testament Problem

The OT Hebrew text on which all our English OT translations are based is called the Masoretic Text. As readers of our English Bibles, we have come to accept that this text is faultless. There is a problem however, that many readers are not aware of. The problem only begins to come to light when we discover that the OT quotes in the NT are more than 93% of the time taken from a Greek translation of the OT done in Alexandria, Egypt, 250+ years before the Christ was born. This text is called the Septuagint or LXX for short, because it was thought that 70 scholars did the work. Such discovery in itself is not alarming but when one then compares this Greek text with the Hebrew Masoretic text, we find they are not always saying the same thing. This is quite disturbing and raises the questions: which is correct, why such differences and are they significant. A classic example is found in the differences in Isaiah 9:6. The Masoretic text has:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The LXX has:
For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him.
As one can see the difference is very significant especially to Trinitarians. Many examples of this can be given, but rather than repeat them I refer the reader to two very good articles.

Firstly, I include a link to a research article by Dr Barry Setterfield who argues convincingly that the LXX is the more accurate rendition of the OT and giving reasons for how these differences came about and why. The article can be found on Barry’s web site but a quick link to a pdf is found HERE. This is not a short read but it comprehensively shows the greater accuracy of the Alexandrian text.

Secondly, I must add to this the extensive research done by Rick Grant Jones on the actual differences between the LXX and the Masoretic text for the OT quotes in the NT. An abridged pdf of his work is given HERE, while his complete work can be found HERE. Rick Grant Jones’ conclusion was: “The New Testament authors show a clear preference for the Septuagint over [Hebrew] Masoretic readings.” Jones notes that 78 times New Testament writers chose the Septuagint reading of a text when it differed from the Hebrew reading and only six places where the New Testament writers chose the Hebrew reading over the Septuagint rendering.

Both of these documents clearly show that the current Masoretic text is markedly different in certain places to the Hebrew text used for translation by the 70 scholars, 250 years before Christ’s birth. As suggested, neither text is absolutely correct. It is perhaps unfortunate that all our English translations are based on the current Masoretic text when it seems that the text used by the apostles was the Septuagint or a version of it. There is one excellent example of such differences given us in an Israel Today article, Psalm 22 and the Crucified Christ, written by Eitan Bar. Referring to Ps 22:16 he says:
For the past millennia, all Hebrew bibles say: “Like a lion are my hands and feet.” Or, in other words: my hands and my feet are like those of a lion. It doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense, does it? 1,000 years ago, the Masoretes who made the “Masoretic text” that Israelis all use today, changed one single letter in this verse:
They shortened the letter VAV into the letter YUD.
Originally, the text actually read they have pierced my hands and my feet. The original Hebrew word means to mine or bore, to make a hole or dig a pit. According to Bar-Ilan University’s Biblical Hebrew Dictionary the meaning of “mine” is the same as “dig.” This is reinforced in various places throughout the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 21:33 or in 2 Chronicles 16:14. However, this sounded a little too much like Jesus for the rabbis, and they decided to shorten the letter VAV to become the letter YUD. Any person who reads any ancient version of the Old Testament, such as the Septuagint or the Dead Sea Scrolls, will see for themselves that the original text doesn’t say “like a lion”, but rather “they have bored / pierced.” The Dead Sea Scrolls, dated hundreds of years before the time of Jesus or, as in the New Testament, were written at least 1,200 years prior to the Masoretic text.
Further evidence of tampering with the Hebrew text is given HERE.

It matters little in the wash up since the OT foundation is already laid and set solid, fulfilled and continuing to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This does not mean we have nothing to learn from the OT. Indeed we still have much to learn but we are now under the New Covenant, for the old covenant in the blood of animals is long ago superseded by this new covenant in the blood of the Son of the God.

Wisdom is a tree of Life to all who take hold of her; and blessed are they that hold her fast.
(Proverbs 3:18)