Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Italian philosopher, mathematician, physicist, mechanic and astronomer, said: “The Holy Scriptures cannot in any way speak a lie or be mistaken; his sayings are absolute and inviolably true.” We have collected the opinions of ministers about whether they agree that the Bible does not err or is free from contradictions.
Don Landis, pastor (USA)
Don Landis, founder and president of Jackson Holly Bible College, co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of the Answers in Genesis ministry, pastor of Community Bible Church in Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
“The Bible contains the truth” is a flawed opinion. Of course, the Bible contains truth, but this statement is not exhaustive. The Bible is the truth!
Jesus Christ clearly said: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). His words are repeated in Psalm 119:160: “The foundation of Your word is true.” God, not us, determines what truth is. And God declared what is true - the Bible. Every word and every thought is written under the inspiration of God. In theology we call this verbal or complete inspiration. Every word is “inspired” (breathed in by God), not just the thoughts behind those words (“verbal” inspiration). And all words are inspired, not just those that we like (“full” inspiration). As a result of inspiration, the Bible is inerrant (without mistakes) and inerrant (incapable of containing errors). It is absolutely true about everything it teaches.
Let's think about the consequences for a Christian who opens the Bible and reads its text.
If the Bible "contains" the truth, and if the truth is determined by some criteria based on personal human experience, then that person must seek the truth for himself. He must seek out and choose what is true. During this process he must rely on his own ability to recognize the truth, despite the fact that man's heart, mind and emotions are corrupt and flawed.
On the other hand, if a person opens the Bible with the belief that everything in it is true, then he does not need to think about “what is truth?” He believes the whole Bible to be true and on this solid basis he is ready to hear everything that the Lord has for him, as the Spirit of God leads him to the truth (John 16:13).
Do you understand what I am talking about? If we do not open the Bible with a correct understanding of its verbal and complete inspiration, then the authority of Scripture is destroyed. We are then forced to be the ones who recognize, decide, or choose what is true. The rest of the Word is sent to the cutting room and simply rejected or ignored.
If we do not accept or believe that the entire Bible is given by God, what is the basis of its authority? If we decide for ourselves what the truth is, then God's Word has no authority at all. We are our own authority. Unobvious mistake? Yes. But such an opinion occupies a dominant position in the Church today. I think this widespread idea is simply pandemic in nature.
Christians must believe in the authority of Scripture—all Scripture: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
This approach to understanding Scripture allowed our Lord and Savior to speak as “one who has authority” (Matt. 7:29). We must have the same approach as we go through life sharing and helping others with the good news. Our words will only have power if we affirm that “God’s Word is the truth!”
Sergei Sannikov, pastor, doctor of theology, historian of Christianity from Ukraine, cites as an example the testimony of Jesus Christ himself about the inerrancy of Scripture: “The Lord said: “Everything must be fulfilled that was written about Me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms” (Lk. 24:44) and “...the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). With what sadness He looked at the disciples who did not trust the Holy Scriptures enough: “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25).
Christ insisted on the inerrancy of Scripture: “Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law, until all is fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). Jesus never pointed out the errors in the scriptures. Of course, if they were, if in the Old Testament the truth was hidden in the shell of myths and legends, as modern Christian rationalists believe, then Christ would undoubtedly have warned His followers about this.
Much of what Christ and His disciples said has already been fulfilled. The part is being performed before our eyes. Christ pointed to the descent of the Holy Spirit and His function: to guide into all truth and reveal what is to come. In this way, Jesus provided the inspiration of the New Testament. Thus Christ guaranteed the truth Holy Scripture.
Can you trust Jesus Christ? It's certainly possible. We believe Him not only because we know Him as the Son of God and God Himself, but also because no one to this day has been able to convict Him of lying.”
He attacks the truth of the Bible in 4 key phrases:
- “The Bible is only a brilliant human creation” (erasing the Word of God from the Bible);
- “The Truth Is Not Only in the Bible” (adding to the Word);
- “Not all the Bible is true” (diminution of the Word);
- “As I understand it!” (distortion of the Word).
Vladimir Kartaev, teacher, missionary in Egypt
The entire Bible, of course, is God's true revelation. But this does not mean that every statement in the Bible is true. The Bible contains the words of lying people, the words of the devil, etc. For example, Job's friends spoke incorrectly about God. Much of what they said is not the truth, although their words are recorded in the Bible. As for Christ and Paul, I personally do not see any contradictions in their words. Christ agrees with Paul, and Paul agrees with Christ.
The same people who pit Christ and Paul against each other usually choose one of two tactics:
1. Not everything that Jesus said is relevant, since He taught before the cross, and, therefore, under the Old Testament. Therefore, we must consider the words of Christ in the light of the New Testament revelation, most fully revealed in the letters of Paul.
2. The controlling revelation is Christ himself, so Paul's words must be seen in the light of Christ. Some are even willing to subject Paul's words to revision based on their often limited understanding of Christ. The problem with the first view is that Christ himself, in the Great Commission, commanded the disciples to teach all nations EVERYTHING that He taught them (Matt. 28:19-20).
It is obvious that the teachings of Jesus are relevant to the Church. The problem with the second view is that Paul's letters are doctrinal in nature. It seems that Paul himself considered his letters to be normative for the Church (2 Thess. 3:14). If Paul's letters contain errors in matters of faith and practice, what guarantee do we have that the apostle correctly interpreted Jesus, His cross, justification, salvation, etc. for us? Overall, I think this is a very slippery slope. In fact, such a contrast between Christ and Paul is an attempt to reduce biblical revelation to the dimensions of a theology convenient for us: when Jesus is not convenient, we look at Paul, and when Paul is not convenient, we look at Jesus.
Jesus prays to God the Father with these words: “Your word is truth.” So the Word of God is the truth.
We need to be very clear about what Jesus meant by the Word of God. And again we must turn to His own words. The New Testament records Jesus quoting the words from the Book of Psalms: “I said, “You are gods...”.” This is how He commented on these words in John 10:35: “If He called them gods to whom the word of God came, the Scripture cannot be broken.”
We will not consider all sides of these words, but will pay attention to the fact that, as is clearly evident from these words of Jesus, for Him the word of God and Scripture are coinciding concepts. “He called those to whom the word of God came…” and “the Scripture cannot be broken...” This tells us two very important things: firstly, God’s word is Scripture, and secondly, Scripture (or the Word of God ) cannot be violated - it is completely authoritative and absolutely reliable.
So, putting the two statements together, we see that Jesus is the truth, and at the same time, God's Word (Scripture) is the truth. And there is no contradiction in this. We need to understand, and this is of vital importance to us, that they always go in harmony. Jesus and Scripture are always in perfect harmony with each other. In fact, Jesus in the Bible is called "the Word" and "the Word of God" - and this is one of His greatest titles.
For example, this is what it says about Jesus in John 1:1-2: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It was with God in the beginning.”
In the first verse of John's Gospel, Jesus is called the Word three times. Then, in the same chapter, the following is said about Jesus, John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”
So Jesus is the Word. Then, at the very end of the New Testament, in its last book, we have a prophetic description of the return of Jesus in glory and power at the end of this age. Here's how the apostle John describes it in Revelation 19:11-13:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who judges righteously and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; He had a name written, which no one knew except Himself; He was dressed in clothes stained with blood. His name is: the Word of God."
Here He is - the Word of God! So Scripture is the Word of God, Jesus is the Word of God. Interestingly, it says that no one knows His name except Himself. In other words, another truth is shown here, that only Jesus fully understands the Word of God. It is in perfect harmony and agreement with Scripture. He is the interpretation of the Word. He is the fulfillment of the Word. He is the answer. He is in complete agreement with Scripture.
Let me point out one interesting detail. Almost all of these scriptures that we used to answer the question of what truth is, including the scripture where this question actually came from - all these passages were taken from the records of one person - the Apostle John. Having started self-study topics of truth, you will be surprised that you will almost always have to turn to the writings of the Apostle John. This is one of John's great themes.
In this regard, I again feel close to him, because for many years the question is - what is truth? - was my question. And what a joy it is to find in the Apostle John that man who has the same thirst for the truth and finds the same answer.
Anatoly Denisenko, theologian, teacher (Ukraine)
Anatoly Denisenko, Master of Philosophy, Master of Theology, candidate for a candidate's degree at the National Pedagogical University named after M.P. Dragomanova, Kyiv:
Indeed, the entire Bible is true, where by truth I mean truthfulness, inspiration, authority and inerrancy. But it should be noted that by truthfulness I mean literalness, by inspiration - dictation, by authority - detailed instructions, and by infallibility - the absence of errors in matters of history, geography or science.
The best example that helps show the truth of the Bible is a parable. Almost each of us remembers the parables used by the Old Testament prophets and Jesus. What was the parable? A parable is a story in which the central existential (not changing over time) thought is dressed in the details of changing everyday life. What I mean? Take, for example, the parable of the ten virgins (five of whom were foolish) described in Matthew 25:1-13. The central idea here is “ last days“There will be “foolish virgins” - carefree people who, knowing that they need to appear at the Judgment of God, will do nothing to prepare for the coming of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
I call the details of changing everyday life the clothes in which I am dressed the main idea: virgins, olive, feast, lamps, and the like. Details are things inherent in the world in which the person telling the parable lives. They have a changeable (transitional) nature, as eras change, time is running, and, consequently, the details change.
For example, in the parable of prodigal son(Luke 15) I remember how younger son herds pigs, as a father gives orders to his slaves and gives a ring on the hand of his “newly converted son,” another son (the eldest) works in the field, a calf is slaughtered during a banquet, and so on. We see that even though these small details are no longer relevant in the 21st century, where in the era of urbanization, most people live in cities rather than villages, do not own slaves and have no idea what it means when the father gives the ring to his son, the parable, nevertheless, has an unchanged existential meaning - God, as loving Father, accepts a sinner who repents, admitting his guilt.
Therefore, my conclusion is this: the Bible is true, but it is true in the same sense in which a parable is true. For us, the main thing is, first of all, an unchanging idea, while details that become outdated over time or even contain an error, from the point of view of a person who already perceives history, science, geography differently than ancient man, are not that important. The Bible is not an encyclopedia, the purpose of which is to answer in detail all the questions of mankind. This is a guide that guides and helps you not go astray.
The books of the Holy Scriptures were written in different eras, different people. Their author is an imperfect man who had inspiration from God. Therefore, we are dealing with double authorship: the cooperation of God and man. God did not dictate, he gave ideas, and the author framed these ideas in the terms and plots of his time. Thus Moses and other men who worked on the Torah clothed the idea of monotheism in the garb of Mesopotamian legends and myths. Because they were the ones that were at hand, they were known, they were quoted, they were retold, they were lived by. But that is another topic.
George Ladd
The biblical view in terms of salvation history or redemptive history creates two difficulties for the modern thinker. First, is it possible for history to contain the revelation of God? Plato spoke of the kingdom of time and space as something changeable and impermanent. History, by definition, contains an element of relativity, partiality, caprice, arbitrariness, while revelation must be universal, absolute, final. History has sometimes been called "the abyss that swallowed Christianity against its will."
How can one cognize Infinity through the finite, the Eternal through the temporary, the Absolute through the relativity of history? From a human point of view this seems impossible; but this is probably where it lies greatest miracle biblical faith. The Living God, Eternal and Unchangeable, gave people knowledge of Himself in a changing and fickle stream historical experience. Such is the most difficult aspect of the Christian faith to understand.
To liberals past and present (for example, in the person of Rudolf Bultmann) it seems incredible that God could act in history in the way described in the New Testament. According to Bultmann, “mythology” includes not only ideas about God and His deeds, but also the deeds of God revealed in world history. He believes that we should speak of God as acting only in the sense that He acts through me here and now. For Bultmann, the history of salvation, in the sense we have indicated, does not exist by definition, so he tried to reinterpret the meaning of the redemptive activity of God in the light of personal human experience. However, in doing so he sacrificed the very Good News that proclaims redemptive history, the ultimate goal of which is Christ. The problem here is not the nature of history, but the nature of God.
There is another difficulty. In the Bible we can clearly see how in one particular historical stream the redemptive work of God is manifested in a way that has never been manifested anywhere in the history of the world. Moreover, Scripture also indicates that sometimes God's acts in history go beyond the scope of ordinary historical experience.
This is easier to understand if we briefly analyze the nature of “history.” The laity regards it as the totality of past events; but even without much thought it is clear that vast areas of past human experience remain hidden from us. There is no history if there are no documents - records of past events. But at the same time, ancient records in themselves do not constitute “history.” The works of Herodotus are a kind of history, but they contain a lot of absurdities, fiction and errors. “History,” therefore, must be understood as the reconstruction of past events by a modern historian who takes a critical approach to the interpretation of ancient documents. In such a reconstruction, a critical approach is the main commandment. If you read from ancient Greek writers about how the gods acted among people, you treat it not as history, but as mythology.
Many historians believe that the same critical approach should be taken to biblical history. However, this only makes the task more difficult. In the Bible, God is often represented as acting through “ordinary” historical events. Israel's enslavement by Babylon and its subsequent return to Palestine was "ordinary" historical events. God used the Chaldeans to defeat His chosen people and drive them out of the Promised Land; but this was not a divine judgment. He also used Cyrus, His “anointed one” (Isa. 45:1), to bring His people back to native land. On such occasions, God was active in history to fulfill the purpose of redeeming the people of Israel. This particular stream of history has a special meaning that distinguishes it from all other streams of history. The eyes of faith are able to discern the work of God in historical events.
But often the activity of God appears as something unusual. Sometimes revelation takes on such a character that modern secular historians call it ahistorical. God, who reveals Himself in redemptive history, is the Lord of creation and the Lord of history, therefore, He can not only influence the course of ordinary historical events, but also perform acts of intrinsic value, going beyond the boundaries of ordinary historical experience.
Most shining example This is the resurrection of Christ. From the point of view of scientific historical criticism, the resurrection cannot be "historical" because it could not have been caused by any other historical event and has no analogues. God, and only God, is the cause of the resurrection. Therefore, this event has no cause-and-effect relationships with other historical events. Moreover, nothing like this has ever happened anywhere else. The resurrection of Christ is not resurrection of the dead, but the emergence of a life of a new order - the life of resurrection. If the biblical record is accurate, the resurrection of Christ cannot be explained “historically” or compared to anything. Indeed, the very challenge that this event poses to scientific historical criticism may serve as something of a proof by contradiction in favor of its supernatural character.
The essence of the problem is theological. Is such a supposedly supernatural event consistent with the character and design of God Himself as He revealed Himself in sacred history? Is history as such the measure of all things, or is the Living God truly the Lord of history? The Bible's answers to these questions leave no room for doubt. The Lord of history is superior to history, but He is not alien to it. Therefore, He can carry out authentic acts in time and space, which are nevertheless “supra-historical” in nature. This only means that such events of revelation are caused not by history, but by the Lord of history, who is above it, but acts in it for redemption historical creatures. The redemption of history can come from outside - from God Himself. This does not mean that we should not use the historical method to study the Bible. This means that sometimes God performs acts that in their nature go beyond the scope of the historical method, and the historian cannot say anything about them.
Ladd D.
Theology of the New Testament: Trans. from English - St. Petersburg: Christian Society “Bible for Everyone”, 2003. - 800 p.
“What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” Mk. 8:36
“If you remain in My word, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” In. 8:31-32
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matt. 18:18
“The race is not for the swift, nor is victory for the brave, nor bread for the wise, nor wealth for the wise, nor favor for the skilled, but time and chance for them all.” Eccl. 9:11
“In days of prosperity, take advantage of the good, and in days of misfortune, reflect: God did both so that man could not say anything against Him.” Eccl. 7:14
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to hug, and a time to avoid hugs; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace" Eccl. 3:1-9
“God cannot be scolded. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Gal. 6:7
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” Jacob 4:6
"Humility precedes glory" Proverbs 15:33
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” Proverbs 16:18
“Have you seen a man who is agile in his work? He will stand before kings, he will not stand before simpletons." Proverbs 22:29
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you become like him; But answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become a wise man in his own eyes.” Proverbs 26:4-5
"Man's destiny is from the Lord" Proverbs 29:36
“Man cannot comprehend the works that are done under the sun. No matter how much a person labors in research, he still will not comprehend this.” Eccl. 8:17
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things: enough for each day is its own care.” Matt. 6:34
“Judge not, lest ye be judged, for with the same judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matt. 7:1-2
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matt. 7:7-8
“Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in through it; For narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it.” Matt. 7:13-14
“He who is faithful in a little is also faithful in much, and he who is unfaithful in a little is also unfaithful in much.” OK. 16:10
“Whatever was gain to me, I counted loss for Christ’s sake.” Phil. 3:7
“The Lord searches all hearts and knows every movement of thoughts,” 1 Par. 28:9
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Matt. 18:18
“Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him back from the one who took what’s yours.” OK. 6:30
“And as you would have people do to you, do so to them,” OK. 6:31
“If you love those who love you, what gratitude do you have for that? for sinners also love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what gratitude is that to you? OK. 6:32-33
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matt. 11:28
“The days of our years are seventy years, and with greater strength - eighty years; and their best time is labor and illness, for they pass quickly, and we fly,” Ps. 89:10
“Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God,” OK. 16:15
“Remove vanity and lies from me, do not give me poverty and wealth, feed me with daily bread, so that when I am full, I will not deny You and did not say, “Who is the Lord?” and lest, having become poor, I should not steal and take the name of my God in vain.” Proverbs 30:9
"He who suffers in the flesh ceases to sin" 1 Pet. 4:1
“Faith without works is dead; by works faith reaches perfection” Jacob 2:20, 22
“Love is long-suffering, it is kind, love does not envy, love is not arrogant, is not proud, does not act rudely, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Cor. 13:4-7
“We brought nothing into the world; It’s obvious that we can’t take anything out of it,” 1 Tim. 6:7
“He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Cor. 9:6
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” OK. 9:62
“He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, tossed and tossed by the wind.” Jacob 1:6
“Fear not, for I am with you; do not be troubled, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness. I am the Lord your God; I hold you for right hand yours, I tell you: “do not be afraid, I am helping you,” Is. 41:10.13
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but when you are tempted, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor. 10:13
“The Lord is with you when you are with Him; and if you seek Him, He will be found by you; if you forsake Him, He will forsake you,” 2 Steam. 15:12
“He who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises mercy, judgment and righteousness on earth; for this is the only thing that pleases Me." Jer. 9:24
"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" Dejan . 2:21
The believer and the unbeliever use in their Everyday life expressions from the Bible. The compiler of the dictionary “Eternal Truths” Valery Melnikov notes the amazing breadth of use of Biblical quotations not only in ordinary speech ordinary people, but also in works of art, in newspapers, radio, etc. Even in atheistic Soviet Russia official communist slogans, unknowingly taken from the Bible, were popular: “Let us beat swords into ploughshares”, “He who does not work, neither shall he eat”...
Of course, over time, many biblical expressions have lost their original meaning. For example, citing famous expression from the Gospel: “Man does not live by bread alone,” few people remember the second half of the verse, “but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord,” and hardly with intent, but, most likely, out of ignorance.
Below are some idioms, which are adopted from the Bible and are used by us in everyday speech.
By the sweat of your brow. By the sweat of your brow (hard work). “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread” (Gen. 3:19) - God said to Adam, who was expelled from paradise.
Babel(in a figurative sense - turmoil, complete disorder). In Old Church Slavonic, “pandemonium” means the construction of a pillar or tower. The book of Genesis tells about the attempt of people to build a tower to heaven in the city of Babylon in order to fulfill their ambitious plans and immortalize themselves in the eyes of their descendants. God punished the proud people by confusing their languages so that they could no longer understand each other, and scattered them throughout the entire earth (Gen. 11:1-9).
Back to square one(return to the beginning of some life stage). “And the wind returns to its circles” (Eccl. 1:6) (in Old Church Slavonic - “to its circles”).
To contribute(make a contribution as much as you can). Mite is a small copper coin. According to Jesus, the two widow's mites placed on the temple altar were worth much more than the rich offerings because... she gave everything she had (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4).
At the forefront(main thing, priority). “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner” (Ps. 117:22). Quoted many times in the New Testament (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7).
Return of the Prodigal Son. Prodigal Son (repentant apostate). From the parable of the prodigal son, which tells how one of the sons, having claimed his share of the inheritance, left his father’s house and began to lead a dissolute life until he squandered the entire inheritance and began to endure poverty and humiliation. Having returned with repentance to his father, he was joyfully forgiven by him (Luke 15:11-32).
Wolf in sheep's clothing (a hypocrite covering up his evil intentions with imaginary piety). “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15).
Every creature in pairs. From the story of the Flood - about the inhabitants of Noah's Ark. (Gen. 6:19-20; 7:1-8). Used in an ironic sense in relation to a motley company.
Dove of peace. From the story of the Flood. The dove released by Noah from the ark brought him an olive leaf, as evidence that the flood had ended, dry land had appeared, and God’s wrath was replaced by mercy (Gen. 8:11). Since then, a dove with an olive branch has become a symbol of reconciliation.
Antediluvian times, as well as: antediluvian technology, antediluvian judgments, etc. Used in the meaning: very ancient, existing almost before the global flood (Gen. 6-8).
the Forbidden fruit. From the story of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruits of which God forbade Adam and Eve to pluck (Gen. 2:16-17).
Burying talent in the ground(prevent the development of the abilities inherent in a person). From the Gospel parable about the servant who buried a talent (a measure of the weight of silver) in the ground instead of using it in business and making a profit (Matt. 25:14-30). The word “talent” subsequently became synonymous with outstanding ability.
Promised land(fertile place). The land promised by God to the Jewish people (ancient Palestine) upon deliverance from Egyptian slavery. “And I am going to deliver him from the hand of the Egyptians and bring him out of this land and bring him into a good and spacious land” (Ex. 3:8). This land was called promised (promised) by the Apostle Paul (Heb. 11:9).
The serpent is the tempter. Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Eve to taste the fruits from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:1-13), for which she, together with Adam, whom she treated with these fruits, was expelled from paradise.
The topic of the day(a current problem of this time). “Enough is your trouble for each day” (Matt. 6:34). In Church Slavonic: “His malice prevails throughout the day.”
stumbling block(obstacle on the way). “And He will be... a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense” (Is. 8:14). Quote from Old Testament. Often quoted in the New Testament (Rom. 9:32-33; 1 Peter 2:7).
Sealed book(something inaccessible). “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, ... sealed with seven seals. ... And no one could, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, open this book, nor look into it” (Rev. 5:1-3).
Scapegoat(creature, responsible for others). An animal on which the sins committed by the entire Israeli people were symbolically assigned, after which the goat was expelled (released) into the desert. (Lev. 16:21-22).
Colossus with feet of clay(something grandiose in appearance, but with easily vulnerable points). From the biblical story about the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, in which he saw a huge metal image (colossus) on clay feet, collapsing from the blow of a stone (Dan. 2:31-35).
Root of Evil(source of evil). “It is as if the root of evil had been found in me” (Job 19:28). “For the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim. 6:10).
Whoever comes with a sword will die by the sword.“For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).
Who does not work shall not eat.“If anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10).
Foundation stone(something important, fundamental). “I lay a stone for the foundation in Zion, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation” (Isa. 28:16).
Not of this world. “You are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23) - from the conversation of Jesus Christ with the Jews, and also “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36) - Christ’s answer to Pontius Pilate to The question is, is He the King of the Jews? The expression is used in relation to people who are detached from the realities of life, eccentrics.
Carry your cross(humbly endure the hardships of your fate). Jesus himself carried the cross on which He was to be crucified (John 19:17), and only when He was exhausted did the Roman soldiers force a certain Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23, 26).
Let's beat swords into plowshares(call for disarmament). “And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight” (Isa. 2:4). Plowshare - plow.
Guiding star— The star of Bethlehem, showing the way to the eastern wise men (magi) who went to worship the born Christ (Matthew 2:9). Used to mean: something that directs someone’s life or activity.
Holy of holies(hidden, secret, inaccessible to the uninitiated) - part of the tabernacle (camping Jewish temple), fenced off with a curtain, into which only the high priests could enter once a year. “And a curtain will separate you from the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place” (Ex. 26:33).
Vanity. This refers to the smallness of human troubles and affairs before God and Eternity. “Vanity of vanities,” said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, “all is vanity!” (Eccl. 1:2).
Pitch darkness(symbol of hell). “And the children of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). In Church Slavonic, “outer darkness” means “utter darkness.”
Wash your hands(avoid responsibility). “Pilate, seeing that nothing helped, ... took water and washed his hands before the people, and said: I am innocent of the blood of this Righteous One” (Matthew 27:24). The Roman procurator Pontius Pilate performed the ritual washing of hands customary among Jews as a sign of non-involvement in the murder being committed (Deut. 21:6-9).
Pharisaism(hypocrisy). The Pharisees were a religious and political party in ancient Judea, whose representatives were supporters of the ostentatiously strict execution of the ritual aspects of the Jewish religion. Jesus, denouncing religious bigotry, often called them hypocrites: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” (Matt. 23:13; 23:14; 23:15; Luke 11:44).
doubting Thomas(doubting person). The Apostle Thomas did not immediately believe in the resurrection of Christ: “Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). With his subsequent apostolic service and death for the sake of the faith of Christ, the Apostle Thomas atoned for his momentary doubt.
Daily bread(necessary food). “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), and also Luke. 11.3 - from the Lord's Prayer.
Heavenly abysses(nowadays a humorous expression about pouring rain). From the biblical account of the Flood: “All the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of heaven were opened; and the rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights” (Gen. 7:11). In Church Slavonic “windows” means “abyss”.
Cherish like the apple of your eye(keep as your most precious possession). “Keep me as the apple of your eye” (Ps. 16:8). “He kept it as the apple of His eye” (Deut. 32:10).
Priscilla Sitieni, a resident of the village of Ndalat in western Kenya, is a contender for the title oldest student primary classes in the world. 90 year old Kenyan woman attends school with six great-great-grandchildren. The main motive for getting an education at such an old age, according to her, was the desire to read the Bible on her own, as well as to write down the knowledge in medicine accumulated over 65 years of working as a midwife. Before this, Priscilla, who grew up in poor large family, there was no opportunity to study - free elementary education was introduced in the country only in 2003. According to official data, 7.8 million Kenyans are illiterate.
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Speech at the UN
China Photo: REX / Fotodom.ru, AFP / East News
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