A Temporary post...

We were given a couple of challenges at the end of Sunday morning's Christmas service— these are some notes that I am parking here temporarily.



How was begotten used in John 1:14?
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.


Begotten • μονογενής • monogenḗs,  meaning 'single of its kind'

Strong's G3439  only-born, i.e. sole:—only (begotten, child).

Webster's 1828 -participle passive of get. Procreated; generated.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon expands: "He is so spoken of by John … because by the incarnation of the logos in him, he is of nature or essentially Son of God, and so in a very different sense from that in which men are made by Him." In other words, John didn't want us to think Jesus was God because the Father 'put' an eternal Word/logos in him, but because He is the logos.

Even with only a simple high school science background, "mono genes" probably jumps out when you see the Greek transliteration monogenḗs.  (Although it is pronounced more like muh-nog-ga-NACE).



Did the shepherds really hear the angels sing in Luke 2:13?
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying..
(the specific word for singing was not used) When Paul and Silas were "singing" with the prisoners, Acts 16:25, the Greek word used was hymneō. (And you don't even need high school science to see that "hymn" is there.)

praising: aineō  to praise, extol, to sing praises in honour to God

saying: legō  to say, to speak, to call (using words in systematic discourse)

The word used for 'praising' can imply singing. It certainly does not rule out that the angels sang. What stood out for me, though, was that legō is a 'systematic discourse.'  One look at sheet music for a good Bach Fugue pretty much is conclusive evidence that music is 'systematic.'

But surely angelic beings have the ability to sing, right?
Hmm... The verse that I thought would be conclusive, isn't. In God's challenge to Job, (38:7,) He said that, "the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy."  If God is being literal and not figurative, then the early star matter was resonating and pulsing to produce sound and the angels were shouting about it.

All of this considered, I think the angels probably did sing, but that Scripture was written to emphasize the message of the song, not the music. 

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Well, maybe not so temporary after all.  I have two unpublished drafts from 2016 too. I don't remember where I was going with any of them, but this one can stay.  edited April 2017