STAMMER SPEAK

(running a bit late with this post sorry!) 

Stammer speak

Matthew 6: 7-8

This is another of those verses of which EVERY translation differs.

Here's a word for word translation:

(when or while cos present participle) Praying and not STAMMERSPEAK (N.B. Aor. Subj.)

like the pagans they seem to think for that in a manyword of them they will be heeded.

Not therefore make similar to them

knows for the father of yours what need you have before of the (need?) you to ask him.

This verse is often used to criticize the devotional practise of repeated prayers and mantras and similar spiritual tools by Catholics Hindus Orthodox and Buddhist. More about that in a moment.

When praying do not stammerspeak. This usually gets translated as empty prayers or vain repetitions as the KJV phrases it but the verb literally means stammerspeak!

We know from Aristophanes and Attic dramas that invocations of gods included repeting names and syllables. Io! Io! Etc.Why say stammer speak? Was it a popular insult directed towards Pagans by Jews of that time?

Were some jews using prayers that involved repeating epiphets of the divine?

Perhaps the point is not simply that repetitions are wrong but meaningless repetitions.

The Jesus Prayer devotional practise involving repeating one short prayer over and over again and has been discouraged by some writers and lauded by others.

The point of such repetitions is not to earn karma or reduce anxiety or reach a meditative state but to achieve communion with the Divine by placing yourself in a receptive state. But if you don't really focus on the divine on the intent of your prayer it can become merely a kind of autohypnosis.

Jesus next saids like the nations the ethnikoi the pagans and note he uses eisakouoo not just hear but listen or hearken … they seem to think dokeoo they fut pass form they will be heeded … greek in manywords perhaps should be by speaking many words over and over again.

The repetitions become an error if you think the repetition is more important than the purpose.

Do not make yourself like them. Or pray because you need something?

God knows your needs before you ask. A relationship with the Divine like many human relationships should not be based solely on need.

The next section is the Lord's prayer and we'll leave that for next week!

More on the History of Halos From Sun God to Saviour.

I've show you on a previous post images that suggest rayed halos derive from Hellenistic art. There is one depiction of Apollo in a Roman mosaic from North Africa that is similar though to the cross halo found in later Byzantine art.

Note there are seven rays within a flat circle.
 I suspect the use by romans of circles to outline images within mosaics may have contributed to the development of halos.

Now some Byzantine mosaics show Christ with a halo with 3 rays but these date to several centuries later so it is possible they are an independent development?

Here's one of them from the Hagia Sophia :

So rayed halos worn by Hellenistic Sun gods and Kings ! (See prior post)

But how direct was the influence on Christian and Byzantine art?

The earliest depictions of Christ usually use the Good Shepherd image but there is this Roman wall painting ...

Its as much a circle as a halo and may have been used more to emphasize that this figure is Christ?

Finally a classic 4th century Byzantine mosaic :

By the way this one was "restored" in the 19th century so possibly the  colors have been altered.

My point is Christian halos differ from Pagan solar halos and while those artists probably saw pagan sun god images the earliest halos was more usually flat.

Those rayed halos you see in Rocco and Baroque devotional art?

A much later borrowing!

There is a continuum from pagan to byzantine art but its one of continuous development inspired by classical ideas to create new forms.

Jesus on Prayer Part One Keep it in your room!

Matthew 6: 5- 6

(I'll be commenting in that whole section on prayer over several posts)

first the word for word word translation from the UBS Greek text

and when(ever) you pray, not will be (esesthe from esomai) like the hypocrites,

that love on the syngogues and in the corners of the streets ( plateia wide broad main streets)

standing (note perfect participle of histeemi) to pray (infinitive)

so that they should be seen by all people (phavoosin Aorist Subjunctive of phainoo)

Note Phainoo not just be seen but be conspicious !

Truly I say to you, they receive their reward.

You and (note the de links this to the sentence with kai) whenever you pray go into your room

(a tameion is basically an enclosed space it could be a closet store room bedroom or any room with a door that closes it off) and having closed the door of yours pray to the father of you in secret. And the father of you who is seeing in the secret gives to you.

There are several forms of the verb προσεύχομαι in this passage to note.

Another aspect is the emphasis on privacy?

Is public prayer a good idea? Is private prayer better?

Some believe public prayer as a form of protest or to open a ceremony is valid but perhaps the issue here is purpose? Again a reminder not to vaunt righteousness?

Middle week I continue my series on Iconography and the relationship of pagan to Christian art.

Next weekend repetition of prayers when is it a valid practice? 

NO TRUMPETS!

No Trumpets! Matthew 6: 2 – 4 Jesus on How to give.

Literal translation

When(ever) therefor you make (aorist subjunctive in greek) almsgving,

not you will trumpeting before you, like the pretenders (actors) making

in the assemblies ( synagoogee means a place of meeting) and the streets,

so that they (aorist passive subjunctive) should be glorified by the people.

Truly I say to you they receive their reward (apoekhoo have back).

You conjunction while making almsgiving not (let) know (gnootoo is aorist imperative)

the left (hand) of you what makes the right (hand) of you.

So that it should be (aorist subjunctive) the almsgiving in the

kruptos means secret private hidden Greek uses a definite article

where we would not in English or use an adverb.

And the Father of you (who is) seeing (blepoon is a participle) in the secret

will payback / reward you.

This is one of those sections where Greek syntax varies from English though the meaning is straightforward.

Don't use Acts of Charity for Self Promo.

I think its okay if you mention you tithe or will be donating if you think that will encourage some one else to donate too or buy a product that does help a cause but even in that situation don't let the promotion become self promotion. Don't sound your trumpet!

A salipigs was more shaped more like a horn than a modern trumpet.

The word hupokritees originally meant actor or pretender.

Apollo and Mithras

Apollo and Mithras
A strange relationship

A couple of weeks back some one described my Judeo-Christian deity  as being just another near eastern solar god. I politely pointed that that was incorrect for several reasons. anyway I started thinking about the rayed halo iconography and its origins and did some googling to find the latest views on that.

A lot of people believe the rayed halo was borrowed from either the Mithras cult or or some other sun god like Apollo.

Now the odd thing is that Apollo with a rayed halo or any halo is only depicted with one from the late Hellenistic era onwards.

Some scholars used to believe the Kouros images of archaic Greek art were Apollo like this one.

Greek Classical art depicted Apollo like this :

Either dressed as a musician or shown as an archer or nude always with long hair and young. Frequently you can see where a hand holding a bow was broken off.

Now these Hellenistic Imperial era images.

First sign of the rayed halo motif!

Though this may be Helios driving the sun chariot!

The later Greeks seem to have confused the two in popular art.

Images of Mithras a maybe Persian god. 

Maybe a persian god? The first shows Mithras with a Hellenistic Greek King Antiochus and the second is Persian. 

Now the Mithras cult is odd. Said to have come from Persia there are very few artifacts within the Persian and Parthian cultural sphere showing Mithras. 

Given the Mithras cult peaks during the Roman era is it possible there was a separate Anatolian Mithras cult incorporating solar imagery from both Greek and Near Eastern art . Mithras changed from a minor deity to a separate syncretistic cult.

A lot of Roman art copies and adapts earlier Greek art.

Here's a mosaic from Roman Africa.

Who used the rayed halo first? Apollo or Mithras. Given Hellenistic cultural contact with the Parthians its not impossible the rayed halo idea moved from west to east? 

By the way that sun god thing in relation to images of Christ? The earliest images of Christ tend to to stress the Good Shepherd image without HALOS.

But thats a topic for a separate post.

Apollo and Mithras. What was the ultimate source for the rayed halo?

I've given you images to think about. Enjoy.

Alms and Mercy

ALMS and MERCY

What do Alms and Acts of Charity have to do with mercy.

Before I discuss the next section of Chapter 6 I want to take an in depth look at one key word.

Ἐλεημοσύνη

Pity Mercy Compassion

the feeling that may move you to be kind to someone in a wretched pitiable condition

Related words are ἔλεος and ἔλεέω

This word was borrowed into Late Latin as eleemosina and then via Old French or directly into Old English the e changed to an a and the rest of the word shortened to aelmysse and then alms.

In Attic drama these group of words and other related terms are often used to encourage the audience to feel sympathy of the sufferings of characters.

Remember apart from the bread rations in some ancient cities there was very little organised charity. A disabled person with no job or family support would be reduced to being on the streets or markets or hoping to receive scraps from wealthy householders if the slaves or livestock didnt get them first.

Paid jury duty in cities like Athens was a form of welfare in some ways.

Donations were often person to person. Pity was not merely piety but acts of mercy towards the truly unfortunate.

How do we do it so the benefit is to others? That's what Jesus talks about next.

An apology to readers I had meant to blog about Apollo midweek but couldnt find the last couple of images I needed to describe how the iconography the ways Apollo was depicted were linked to other cultural memes like Sol Invictus and the development of halos.

Matthew 6:1 Justice and Giving

Matthew 6: 1 Justice and Giving.

This is one of those verses that really demonstrate why its important to think about the Greek version. Compare this verse and the following section also to Matthew 23:5

Here's the original version in Greek:

Προσέχετε τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς.

εἰ δὲ μή γε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

Beware or take heed Προσέχω the righteousness of yours not make before people to be seen Aorist Infinitive Passive of θεάομαι by them dative agent

if and / but not !!! reward not yours from the father of yours the one in the heavens

Now if you own more than one Bible or have access to them online or in a library compare the RSV to the NJV, the KJV or EV Rieu's 4 gospels, or the Douai translations.

EEK one says virtues another piety yet another charitable deeds an another alms.

Yet the Greek says righteousness and the Latin uses Attendite Iustitiam!

Now the next 3 verses talk about alms so how does righteousness of public actions go with alms giving? Almsgiving is an action what we would call donating to charity.

Righteous actions in front of others made to be seen could be things like say a politician who only visits a veterans' or other public or chairty hospital or clinic when an election is due or the media will be there and NEVER visits or donates at any OTHER time. Another example might be only donating to a charity because its popular or trendy or attending a charitable fund raiser and ignoring other charities also in need of help? A third example could be someone “volunteering” simply to get out of doing something at home or for a relative or to fulfil a business or welfare requirement and doing a half hearted barely adequate job.

Why do I offer those examples. Note which verb of seeing is used of the several used in Greek.

Θεάομαι the stem of this verb is also used to make words like theatre and spectacle or show.

Its not just being seen by others its making a show that draws attention for personal benefit?

When was the last time you saw a politician or celebrity sneak into say a soup kitchen the back way and beg people to turn off their phones so he or she could get on with cooking or cleaning without the media being aware. It does sometimes happen but not often?

Charity isn't about you being seen to do the right thing it's doing the right just thing.