Do you believe that the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew? It seems that many within today’s Messianic movement believe the New Testament was written in Hebrew, but they lack substantial proof for this.
Greek
I heard a Messianic teacher say that the Divine Name YHWH was spelled out on the writing above Yeshua’s cross. Is this true?
I saw a teaching that discussed the “Hebrew versus Greek mindset.” What does this mean?
Can you recommend any specific Hebrew and Greek dictionaries or lexicons I can use in my Bible studies?
J.K. McKee of Messianic Apologetics discusses how many people across the Messianic community have an immature attitude when it comes to Greek language studies for the Holy Scriptures.
Why does your ministry use the terms “God” and “Lord” for YHWH, when these are well documented terms used in ancient paganism?
What are some important Greek lexicons you need to be considering adding to your library?
One area that receives some discussion, in various parts of the Messianic movement, is whether or not the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)—which we usually refer to as the Torah—should ever be called the Law. A statement that can be heard from time to time in our Messianic faith community, is: The Torah is teaching. The Torah is not the law. It is said that Torah just means Teaching or Instruction, and should never be referred to by the term law.
The claim that the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew is something that must be substantiated by those who believe it with historical references, textual support, and most of all extant manuscripts in Hebrew. These references must be credible, the textual claims must be supported within a relatively conservative framework of exposition, and the manuscripts must be verified as authentic by organizations such as United Bible Societies or the American Bible Society. Thus far, no one in the Messianic community has been able to prove a written Hebrew origin for the entirety of the New Testament on the basis of these factors.
Many Messianic Believers think that it is important to learn the Hebrew language, the language of the Tanach or Old Testament. This is to be commended and encouraged, as these texts make up the first two-thirds of our Bible that many Christians, sadly, ignore or feel are important only for Bible history. However, there is another portion of the Bible, the Apostolic Scriptures or Messianic Writings, commonly known as the New Testament, which were not written in Hebrew, and should not be cast by the wayside.
Why do you consult the Septuagint frequently?
I understand that the Greek Septuagint is a valuable resource for understanding Second Temple Judaism and for reading the Apostolic Scriptures, and that there are some differences between the Septuagint and Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Tanach. Are there any English translations of the Septuagint which can help me in my studies?
Do you need help using the Septuagint, because you do not know of any English versions accessible as a guide?
What are some better lexicons to employ, than the more standard tendency to use Strong’s Concordance?
