Here's #Pegasus.
I'm sharing this simply cos I'm sorting thru older images in my laptops folders and wanted to share the pleasure of this striking piece showing Pegasus acting as a war horse aiding his rider to defeat Chimera!
Monday, 14 September 2015
Pegasus on a plate
I'm sharing this simply cos I'm sorting thru older images in my laptops folders and wanted to share the pleasure of this striking piece showing Pegasus acting as a war horse aiding his rider to defeat Chimera!
Saturday, 12 September 2015
MARTYR or not ...?
MARTYR or not ... ?
There is a great gulf in difference between the Greek and English usages and meanings of the word martyr.
A MARTYR is someone who gives witness or testifies about an event.
However for Christians in the early church it came to have another meaning.
ST. Stephen is referred to as the first martyr but we often forget that is partly he give witness in a long speech to the council that condemned him.
While in later centuries there were anti Christian riots the word martyr came to be applied to persecuted members of the early church because they could not be condemned to the arena or other punishments for "atheism" or not sacrificing to the Emperor BEFORE they were processed by a magistrate.
They could give witness in their own defence.
Its a perfect and tragic example of semantic transfer and extension from one limited meaning to another broader one.
To most people it now means someone who suffers for a cause and their suffering is seen as a form of witness. Yet originally the witnessing the giving of testimony in court was more important than the consequent suffering.
There are some people who undoubtedly think a certain Kentuckian county clerk is a martyr. That person however may be and think she's witnessing her faith but she is not at risk of death or torture unless by torture you include some of the social media memes cartoons and other satire appearing on the net.
Martyrs first and foremost should be witnesses presenting evidence not heros or victim. However the only thing Kim Davis' activities seem to be proving is that she doesn't understand she lives in a secular democracy not the first century AD Roman Empire!
She wasn't asked to sacrifice to idols or worship the President as a living god.
IF you want to be a social activist Davis try supporting the local homeless or refusing to issue marriage licenses to church elders who marry girls young enuff to be their daughters or to adulterers maybe?
Or perhaps you could resign your cosy bureaucrat's job and go and help Syrian refugees many of whom genuinely are persecuted ! ... and possibly more Christian than you?
It also appalls me that I see people curiously nearly all white middle aged american males getting on social media "witnessing" that refugees are actually ISI jihadis or economic migrants.
Witnessing is supposedly to be based on things you have seen and experienced FIRST HAND not RECYCLING whatever paranoid or homophobic nonsense you saw on the web!
If you're witnessing about anything be a responsible informed witness!
Next week we presume working through the Gospel of Matthew though the way some people are behaving about refugees I'm tempted to do a word for word translation of the Good Samaritan story especially the part where the Samaritan doesn't ask the person to provide visas passports and other proof of ID.
There is a great gulf in difference between the Greek and English usages and meanings of the word martyr.
A MARTYR is someone who gives witness or testifies about an event.
However for Christians in the early church it came to have another meaning.
ST. Stephen is referred to as the first martyr but we often forget that is partly he give witness in a long speech to the council that condemned him.
While in later centuries there were anti Christian riots the word martyr came to be applied to persecuted members of the early church because they could not be condemned to the arena or other punishments for "atheism" or not sacrificing to the Emperor BEFORE they were processed by a magistrate.
They could give witness in their own defence.
Its a perfect and tragic example of semantic transfer and extension from one limited meaning to another broader one.
To most people it now means someone who suffers for a cause and their suffering is seen as a form of witness. Yet originally the witnessing the giving of testimony in court was more important than the consequent suffering.
There are some people who undoubtedly think a certain Kentuckian county clerk is a martyr. That person however may be and think she's witnessing her faith but she is not at risk of death or torture unless by torture you include some of the social media memes cartoons and other satire appearing on the net.
Martyrs first and foremost should be witnesses presenting evidence not heros or victim. However the only thing Kim Davis' activities seem to be proving is that she doesn't understand she lives in a secular democracy not the first century AD Roman Empire!
She wasn't asked to sacrifice to idols or worship the President as a living god.
IF you want to be a social activist Davis try supporting the local homeless or refusing to issue marriage licenses to church elders who marry girls young enuff to be their daughters or to adulterers maybe?
Or perhaps you could resign your cosy bureaucrat's job and go and help Syrian refugees many of whom genuinely are persecuted ! ... and possibly more Christian than you?
It also appalls me that I see people curiously nearly all white middle aged american males getting on social media "witnessing" that refugees are actually ISI jihadis or economic migrants.
Witnessing is supposedly to be based on things you have seen and experienced FIRST HAND not RECYCLING whatever paranoid or homophobic nonsense you saw on the web!
If you're witnessing about anything be a responsible informed witness!
Next week we presume working through the Gospel of Matthew though the way some people are behaving about refugees I'm tempted to do a word for word translation of the Good Samaritan story especially the part where the Samaritan doesn't ask the person to provide visas passports and other proof of ID.
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Careless Words Can Condemn
Matthew 12. 36 - 37 #biblestudy #greek #greeknewtestament
#Jesus continues his rebuking of the Pharisees.
I say and to you that every word careless / casual/idle see note which they say the people they will give back yield be judged by implied by their own word in / on day of judgement
argon is a+ergos not shining or white careless idle unworked lazy casual
out of for of the words of you you will be judged / justified
and out of the words of you condemned
readers please think and speak with wisdom compassion and carefully
#Jesus continues his rebuking of the Pharisees.
I say and to you that every word careless / casual/idle see note which they say the people they will give back yield be judged by implied by their own word in / on day of judgement
argon is a+ergos not shining or white careless idle unworked lazy casual
out of for of the words of you you will be judged / justified
and out of the words of you condemned
readers please think and speak with wisdom compassion and carefully
Saturday, 29 August 2015
Abundance is not always treasure
Abundance is not always treasure
#biblestudy #greeknewtestament #gospel #greek
Matthew 12 34-35
There are some very interesting Greek words in these two verses.
First my word for word
34
Offspring of vipers how are you able good things to say (while) evil being.
out for the overflow / surplus of the heart the mouth speaks.
35
the good man out of his good treasure / treasury / storehouse brings out good
and the evil man out of the evil treasury brings out evils.
Note first the use of a neuter genneemata not family or clan but offspring and of poisonous snakes!
Then there's perisseumata usually translated as abundance but this from of abundance implies over flow surplus excess even waste too much of something.
They're spewing!
A theesauros can be a storehouse or room or a chest anything you store something you think is valuable EVEN if it isn't!
Offerings arent always gold and silver and spices and silk but sometimes candles sashes old clothing an odd peice of brocade old furniture.
I think from the context Jesus was thinking of a treasury that's a mixture of junk and valuables only the owner thinks are treasures ... (something like my garage or library shelves!)
Finally remember he has just rebuked them for accusing him of black magic!
#biblestudy #greeknewtestament #gospel #greek
Matthew 12 34-35
There are some very interesting Greek words in these two verses.
First my word for word
34
Offspring of vipers how are you able good things to say (while) evil being.
out for the overflow / surplus of the heart the mouth speaks.
35
the good man out of his good treasure / treasury / storehouse brings out good
and the evil man out of the evil treasury brings out evils.
Note first the use of a neuter genneemata not family or clan but offspring and of poisonous snakes!
Then there's perisseumata usually translated as abundance but this from of abundance implies over flow surplus excess even waste too much of something.
They're spewing!
A theesauros can be a storehouse or room or a chest anything you store something you think is valuable EVEN if it isn't!
Offerings arent always gold and silver and spices and silk but sometimes candles sashes old clothing an odd peice of brocade old furniture.
I think from the context Jesus was thinking of a treasury that's a mixture of junk and valuables only the owner thinks are treasures ... (something like my garage or library shelves!)
Finally remember he has just rebuked them for accusing him of black magic!
Saturday, 22 August 2015
Known by its fruit
#Matthew 12:33
#gospel #biblestudy #whatjesussaid
"Either make the tree fine and the fruit of it excellent
or make the tree rotten and the fruit of it worthless
for by the fruit the tree is known."
Some language points
In #greek "Good" is KALON" which also translates as fine or excellent or beautiful.
Rotten and worthless are two possible readings of Greek sapros.
Note the use of MAKE in an Imperative form.
Coming after a passage in which he rebuked the Pharisees for claiming his healing powers came from demons and asked who they got their powers from?
Its not just the tree and its fruit being good or bad. They can be made good or bad. Sapros is not just flawed imperfect fruit its fruit that is rotten infected diseased or moldy.
However trees can be healed like people or churches or whole religions.
You can trim infected branches and perform other actions.
A recent example might be the actions of the #Duggar family.
Instead of removing the infected fruit they're trying to down play the sexual misconduct of their offspring and one has to wonder what flaws are in the rest of the family tree?
How do you heal trees or families?
Sound healthy food compost or manure and clean water.
Cut out infected parts and burn infected fruit or wood.
Fundamentalism is it a poison ?
Known by its fruit?
#gospel #biblestudy #whatjesussaid
"Either make the tree fine and the fruit of it excellent
or make the tree rotten and the fruit of it worthless
for by the fruit the tree is known."
Some language points
In #greek "Good" is KALON" which also translates as fine or excellent or beautiful.
Rotten and worthless are two possible readings of Greek sapros.
Note the use of MAKE in an Imperative form.
Coming after a passage in which he rebuked the Pharisees for claiming his healing powers came from demons and asked who they got their powers from?
Its not just the tree and its fruit being good or bad. They can be made good or bad. Sapros is not just flawed imperfect fruit its fruit that is rotten infected diseased or moldy.
However trees can be healed like people or churches or whole religions.
You can trim infected branches and perform other actions.
A recent example might be the actions of the #Duggar family.
Instead of removing the infected fruit they're trying to down play the sexual misconduct of their offspring and one has to wonder what flaws are in the rest of the family tree?
How do you heal trees or families?
Sound healthy food compost or manure and clean water.
Cut out infected parts and burn infected fruit or wood.
Fundamentalism is it a poison ?
Known by its fruit?
Saturday, 15 August 2015
Why the Bible is A Classic
Why the Bible is A Classic
and why a Classicist posts a Greek Testament Bible Study on weekends
Yes the Bible is a "Classic"
Yes I know its an anthology that evolved over many centuries however like it or not it is a foundational classic of Western Culture.
It, like many other classics, Homer, Aristotle, Sophocles, Ovid, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, has influenced philosophers poets painters theologians and politicians.
As a Classicist I love being able to read the Greek New Testament for several reasons:
Not all of them religious!
Insight into how Greek was used in writing and speech by people using it as a second language.
Politics
being able to spot when some one goes but the bible says and they're using a bad translation or misquoting both the original and their preferred translation
Art
giving me verses to use for digital typography
The second reason is my main motivation for shifting towards weekend bible study posts. I have had the privilege of studying Greek and felt an obligation maybe even a calling to share that knowledge of Greek and Ancient History with others.
If you have been or become a follower you'll notice I keep interpretation to the minimal. Yes I could score more followers starting theological arguments but evidence comes first. It may not be exciting but making it easier for people to understand where and why translations differ is an ethical obligation.
Also Evidence comes first and in this case the evidence artifact and data is text!
As Paul says Panta Dokimazei Test everything
The verb he used could also be translated as assay test examine !
I hope my posts have provided some helpful insights but people please some feedback?!
Thank You
and why a Classicist posts a Greek Testament Bible Study on weekends
Yes the Bible is a "Classic"
Yes I know its an anthology that evolved over many centuries however like it or not it is a foundational classic of Western Culture.
It, like many other classics, Homer, Aristotle, Sophocles, Ovid, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, has influenced philosophers poets painters theologians and politicians.
As a Classicist I love being able to read the Greek New Testament for several reasons:
Not all of them religious!
Insight into how Greek was used in writing and speech by people using it as a second language.
Politics
being able to spot when some one goes but the bible says and they're using a bad translation or misquoting both the original and their preferred translation
Art
giving me verses to use for digital typography
The second reason is my main motivation for shifting towards weekend bible study posts. I have had the privilege of studying Greek and felt an obligation maybe even a calling to share that knowledge of Greek and Ancient History with others.
If you have been or become a follower you'll notice I keep interpretation to the minimal. Yes I could score more followers starting theological arguments but evidence comes first. It may not be exciting but making it easier for people to understand where and why translations differ is an ethical obligation.
Also Evidence comes first and in this case the evidence artifact and data is text!
As Paul says Panta Dokimazei Test everything
The verb he used could also be translated as assay test examine !
I hope my posts have provided some helpful insights but people please some feedback?!
Thank You
Sunday, 9 August 2015
Feedback requested on Metousia post topics please
I've noticed an increased number of readers for the sunday bible study but still no comments sooo
Feedback please !
Do you prefer notes and bible study on new testament greek to posts on classics ?
Would you prefer me to go back to a mixture of Classics mid week and nt greek on weekends ?
Would you like to go more articles on archaeology and art?
Would you prefer to see more posts on mythology ?
Did you want to see more study guides to learning Classical Greek ?
Would you prefer quotable Quote type posts translating remarks by famous philosophers ?
Who is your favorite Greek philosopher ?
IF you want more art posts do you want them to be about ancient greek ceramics sculpture or architecture or about the influence of greek myth on later art ?
Feedback please !
Do you prefer notes and bible study on new testament greek to posts on classics ?
Would you prefer me to go back to a mixture of Classics mid week and nt greek on weekends ?
Would you like to go more articles on archaeology and art?
Would you prefer to see more posts on mythology ?
Did you want to see more study guides to learning Classical Greek ?
Would you prefer quotable Quote type posts translating remarks by famous philosophers ?
Who is your favorite Greek philosopher ?
IF you want more art posts do you want them to be about ancient greek ceramics sculpture or architecture or about the influence of greek myth on later art ?
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