The Masonic Scholar

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Anecdotes, Gleanings & Musings: Lessons About & From Freemasonry

Anecdotes, Gleanings & Musings: Lessons About & From Freemasonry

 Kerry A. Shirts, MM, 32°, CM, RAM, KT

Ritualist/Education Officer

Eagle Rock Lodge # 19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

 In reading through the Masonic Service Association publication(s) of the “Short Talk Bulletins,” one finds witticisms, humor, and profoundly solid historical, philosophical, practical, and moral wisdom, including good turns of phrases. Here are some real gems I have found in my perusal of these amazing little bits of literature. While the themes are diverse and interesting, the underlying unifying theme is powerful. Masonic education is important to our brotherhood and elevating good men into helping them become better men. Education is a great key for successfully learning the truth of the knowledge of the Brotherhood of all mankind and Fatherhood of God.

 “Because darkness is thought of as existing before light was created, it was originally worshipped as the firstborn, as the progenitor of day and the state of existence before creation… In the Old Testament, and in many other ancient

ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν – ‘‘The Kingdom of God is Within You’’ What Does Luke 17:21 Mean?

ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν – ‘‘The Kingdom of God is Within You’’ What Does Luke 17:21 Mean?

 

Kerry A. Shirts MM, 32°, CM, RAM, KT

Eagle Rock Lodge #19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

January 2, 2011

 After healing the ten lepers, Luke then presents (17:20-21) the Pharisees as questioning Jesus about when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus’ response is interesting because he tries to show them their expectations are inaccurate in how they perceive what is to happen. The discussion of the meaning of the Greek statement βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν – ‘‘The Kingdom of God is within you,’’ in biblical scholarship circles is fascinating. It is ambiguous and various interpretations give shades of meanings that teach us a very important lesson. Based on syntactical, linguistic, and grammatical considerations, there is simply no one single correct way to interpret this statement. Dogmatism has to be laid aside with the realization that the Bible itself is never clearly one sided and simple in its meaning. Nor is there always a single correct interpretation and meaning. It isn’t the fault of the scholars, it is the very nature of the way Greek is constructed (and recorded as well as written by the ancient authors styles and choices of expression!) and how it can legitimately be translated into various ways, perfectly logic and coherent, and yet sometimes arriving at contradictory readings and meanings. ‘‘Ernst Kasemann argues that such theological variety in the early church is ‘so wide even in the New Testament that we are compelled to admit the existence not merely of significant tensions, but, not infrequently, of irreconciliable theological contradictions.’ Krister Stendahl agrees that such differences cannot and should not be resolved through clever exegesis because ‘when they are overcome by harmonization, the very points intended by the writers are dulled and distorted.’’’[1]

ἐμβριμαομαι αυτω: Was Jesus Really “Snorting Angry,” With the Leper in Mark 1:43-44 After Healing Him?

ἐμβριμαομαι αυτω: Was Jesus Really “Snorting Angry,” With the Leper in Mark 1:43-44 After Healing Him?

 

Kerry A. Shirts, MM, 32°, CM, RAM, KT

Eagle Rock Lodge #19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

January 1, 2011

 

When we begin reading the Gospel of Mark, we soon run into the story of Jesus healing the leper (after he had healed many at Simon Peter’s Mother-in-law’s house – vss. 30-34), and Jesus says to him after he heals him -  Και εμβριμησαμενος αυτω ευθεως εξεβαλεν αυτον – “And having strictly charge him, immediately he sent him away. ”

 

The Greek brings up something that is not grasped at all in the English translations. Kenneth Wuest noted the verb in the phrase “He straightly charged him,” “is embrimaomai (ἐμβριμαομαι) from brimaomai (βριμαομαι) “to be moved with anger.” The word Mark uses means “to snort,” and was used of horses. In the classics it meant “to be very angry, to be moved with indignation.”[1] Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer described this scene, based on the Greek as “After he had been angry at him, wrathfully addressing him… we are to conceive of a vehement begone now! Away hence! With this is connected also the forcible εξεβαλεν (exebalen – [KAS notes – from the verb ἐκβάλλω (ekballō)