Happy holidays!

I've got a lot going on right now. See you after the New Year!

Paul's early life and mission as found in Acts, part 3

Now we will look at Paul's account of his conversion as related by the author of Acts, in Acts 22. He  is speaking to a crowd of Jews who are upset with him, in Aramaic:
-He tells them he is a Jew (Check).
-He is from Tarsus of Cilicia (Epistles- no mention, Acts  7 through 9- yes) *1
-He was brought up in Jerusalem (Epistles-no mention, Acts 7 through 9- no mention)
-He was taught the law at the feet of Gamaliel (Epistles- no mention, Acts 7 through 9-  no mention)*2
-He was zealous and persecuted the church (Epistles- yes, Acts 7 through 9- yes)
-He arrested men and women and threw them into prison ( Epistles- no, Acts 7 through 9- yes)
-He got letters from the high priest and council to go after believers in Damascus (Epistles - no, Acts 7 through 9- yes)
-On the road to Damascus a bright light flashed around him (Epistles- no, Acts 7 through 9. - yes)
-This happened at noon (Not previously mentioned)
-He fell to the ground and heard a voice (Epistles- no, Acts 7-9 yes)
-The words of the voice recorded here and in Acts 9 are basically the same. No Surprise, same author.
-Paul is blinded and led by the hand to Damascus (Epistles - no, Acts 9 - yes)
-Ananias stood beside Paul and recovered his sight. In Acts 9, he placed his hands on him. (Not in the epistles.)
-This time Ananias tells Paul his mission and orders him to be baptized "for the remission of his sins." This phrase was not used in Acts 9. Paul does not mention his baptism in Galatians. Also there is no mention here of Paul not eating and drinking for three days, as in Acts 9.
-After that he returned to Jerusalem, according to Acts 22:17, leaving out the preaching in Damascus and the narrow escape from there mentioned in Acts 9. This also eliminates the trip to Arabia found in Galatians.
-When he returned to Jerusalem, he was visited in the temple by another revelation of  Jesus, telling him to leave immediately because his testimony would not be accepted. There is no mention of the visit with only Peter and James as mentioned in Galatians. Plus there is no mention of Barnabas bringing him to the disciples and the preaching he did in Jerusalem as mentioned in Acts 9.

*1. Cilicia is mentioned in Galatians, even though Tarsus isn't. Paul supposedly travelled in that region after he left Peter and James in Jerusalem.

*2. Gamaliel is mentioned in Acts 5:33-39 as a Pharisee and teacher of the law. He was against persecuting the followers of Jesus. So why did Saul?

Also we are not told how many years after Jesus died that Saul's event occurred on the road to Damascus. If Saul grew up in Jerusalem, how is it that he never saw or heard Jesus in the flesh?

Paul's early life and mission as found in Acts, part 2

*We are at Acts 9:17.Both Saul (Paul) and Ananias have had visions about each other. Now Ananias goes to the house where Saul is staying. He put his hands on Saul. He identified the lord who appeared to Saul on the road as Jesus and says Jesus sent him to help Saul gain his sight back and be filled with the Holy Spirit, whatever that means. Scales fell off Saul's eyes. He got up and was baptized. It doesn't say why he was baptized. Today, it is generally assumed that it was to join the church, but notice that he ate right afterward. I looked at the Interlinear reference for the original word "baptized" in this passage. I found that the exact same word was used in Luke 11:38 (Supposedly written by the same author) to denote a tradition of ceremonial washing before eating!

*Next we are told Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus and immediately began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues. This is in direct contrast to what he says in Galatians 1:15. There he says that after his revelation  he did not consult anyone but went immediately to Arabia and returned to Damascus later. Galatians also has Paul going to Jerusalem three years later. In Acts, he appears to go to Jerusalem right after Damascus. He never goes to Arabia. In Galatians, Paul sees only Peter and James, none of the other apostles. In Acts, Barnabas takes Paul to meet the apostles in Jerusalem and he preaches about Jesus in the city. Because of his preaching, Acts says an attempt is made on Paul's life in both Damascus and Jerusalem. Galatians does not mention that. Acts says other believers helped Paul escape by taking him to Caesarea and sending him off to Tarsus. (They sent him home.) Galatians says that Paul went to Syria and Cilicia, it never mentions Tarsus. In Galatians, Paul states, "I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in christ." This is a direct contradiction to the events recorded in Acts 9.

*When we get to Galatians 2, we will see Paul going to Jerusalem with Barnabas...fourteen years later! Let's take a look at the timelines so far.

Galatians:
Persecuting the church
Revelation in unknown place, told to preach Jesus to the Gentiles
Trip to Arabia
Return to Damascus no people or events mentioned
Three years later, Trip to Jerusalem to meet Peter and James and no one else, for fifteen days
Trip to Syria and Cilicia
Fourteen years later, trip to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus in response to a revelation.

Acts:
Stoning of Stephen
Persecuting the church
Road to Damascus with bright light and voice
In Damascus with Ananias and disciples of Jesus
Ananias and Paul recieve visions. Ananias is told that Saul will preach  Jesus to the Gentiles.
Caused trouble with his preaching, foiled a conspiracy to kill him, escaped
Trip to Jerusalem to join the disciples there
Barnabas takes him to meet the apostles
Caused trouble with his preaching, foiled a conspiracy to kill him, escaped
Sent to Tarsus by the disciples

Paul's early life and mission as found in Acts, Part 1

*Now we will see what the author of Acts has to say about Paul's early life and conversion. We do not know who the author of Acts is, but whoever he is, he was not an eyewitness to the events we will cover. Acts had to have been written after 63 C.E. The book of Acts is written as though the narrator is omnicient. The author does not claim to have recieved his knowledge of the events from God. Nor does he claim to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

*Acts 7:58-9:  First we see Saul (supposedly Paul's original Jewish name, which Paul does not mention in the epistles.)  watching and giving approval to the stoning of Stephen, a disciple of Jesus. This is not mentioned in Paul's letters, but that is understandable. However, He does say he persecuted the church. In 8:3, we see Paul trying to destroy the church by dragging its adherents off to prison. In chapter 9, Paul asks the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to "The Way, " men or women, he could take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. Pause.

*One thing that stands out to me so far is that the disciples were called members of The Way and they were meeting in synagogues. This means they were probably Jews and still considered themselves Jews. They had not separated themselves from the Jewish faith. The Way was not a separate religion. Also interesting is the fact that many Eastern religions had philosophies or practices called the way or the path,  including Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shinto. I wouldn't be surprised if that concept was a component of most ancient religions, but I'm not going to look them all up.

*In Acts 9, as Saul is travelling to Damascus, a light from heaven (How did he know it was from heaven? My first thought is to wonder if this is a description of being struck by lightening. Some people think it sounds like he had an epileptic siezure.) flashed around him, he fell to the ground and heard a voice say,"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He answered the voice and said,"who are you, lord?" You want to be polite and respectful to disembodied voices that come with flashes of light, but how would Saul know if the owner of the voice was good or evil? The voice then said it was Jesus, whom Saul was persecuting. How does he know it's not a demon playing a trick on him? He was to get up, go into the city and he would be told what to do. Men travelling with Saul heard the sound but did not see anyone. It is not clear if they heard words or just noises. Saul got up from the ground but could not see, so he had to be led to Damascus by the hand. For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything. The Bible just loves three day stretches. Saul would have been pretty weak after three days of no food or drink. None of this is mentioned in the epistles.

*In Damscus there was a disciple called Ananias. The lord (God or Jesus?) called to him in a vision. How did he know it was the lord? We must take the author's word for it. The author must take the word of the person who told him. If Ananias existed, someone had to take his word for it. Ananias is not mentioned in Paul's epistles. God (or Jesus?) gives Ananias specific instructions about how to find a man from Tarsus named Saul. He was told that Saul was also having a vision of Ananias coming to heal his blindness by placing his hands on him. Paul never mentions he is from Tarsus in the epistles.

*Ananias speaks back to his vision, saying he has heard of the damage Saul has done to the people who are calling on the lord's name. Oh, I guess it is supposed to be Jesus, whom christians would have us believe is actually God in the flesh. But a vision doesn't have flesh, so how could a person distinguish between God and Jesus? Anyway, this lord tells Ananias that he has chosen Saul to carry the lord's name before the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel. As an added bonus, he gets to suffer for the name.

I've run out of room. To be continued...

Paul's early life and mission in his letters.

*Today we will look at the claims Paul makes about his early life in the letters (epistles) in the Bible that are attributed to him. Some of the letters are considered by some experts to be forgeries, but we won't get into that now.

-Almost every letter begins with Paul claiming to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, appointed by God.

-Roman 15:17-21, Paul claims he is obeying God by preaching to the Gentiles, and that his ambition is always to preach where christ was not known, so he is not building on someone else's foundation. That also is convenient, because he won't have knowledgable people contradicting him or calling him a liar. He can indoctrinate them into his own way of thinking before anyone else gets to them. The ignorant are easier to sway. Remember, in Galations chapter 1 Paul pronounced a curse on anyone who teaches a different gospel. That's one way to ensure that the superstitious remain faithful.

-1 Corinthians 9:1-2, Paul claims he has seen Jesus the lord. Plus, he may not be an apostle to others, but he is an apostle to the Corinthians. He says they are the seal of his apostleship. This leads me to wonder if others were claiming Paul was not an apostle.  When Paul says he has seen Jesus, it was not in the flesh but must have been in a vision if some kind. Are visions trustworthy?

-1 Corinthians 15:5-11, Paul names those who saw Jesus after his resurrection. He says Peter was first, then the twelve, then five hundred believers, then James (this James must not have been one of the twelve), then to all the apostles (??? That's strange. Aren't the apostles supposed to be the same as the twelve disciples?). Last of all, Jesus appeared to Paul, obviously in a vision. Paul says he is the least of the apostles and doesn't even deserve to be one because he persecuted the church, confirming what he said in Galatians 1:13. Nevertheless, Paul claims to have worked harder than all the other apostles preaching Jesus's death burial and resurrection.

-2 Corinthians 11:22-23, Paul says he is a Hebrew, an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, and a servant of the messiah, just like others who claim to be apostles. Plus, he's worked harder and been through more hardships than any other apostle.

-2 Corinthians 12,  Paul claims to know a guy, obviously himself, who was caught up to the third heaven, or paradise. He's not sure whether it was an out of body experience or not. While there, he heard inexpressible things, some things which he is not permitted to tell. Fascinating. Also, so he wouldn't be conceited about this marvelous privilege, Paul was given a "thorn in the flesh" to torment him. This thorn in the flesh is not described by Paul, though there has been plenty of extra-biblical speculation. Paul also claims to be just as much an apostle as any other by virtue of signs, wonders and miracles he has performed.

-Philippians 3:5-10, Paul says he is a circumcised Hebrew, an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, he is legalistically faultless,  and once was a persecutor of the church. But none of that means anything to him compared to the righteousness found through faith in the messiah, which he hopes will somehow help him attain resurrection from the dead.

*If some of that seems rather vague, I can't help it. That's as much as I could find in Paul's letters. He does not mention the events on the road to Damascus, found in the book of Acts, which I will discuss in the next post. Details about his conversion are conspicuously lacking. Also, there is no mention of his birthplace, supposedly Tarsus, or his Roman citizenship, or a divinely appointed name change. At no time in his letters. does he say his name was once Saul. Also, his mission appears to be to teach about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, not about Jesus's actual life, miracles, or teachings.

Galatians chapter 1 part 3

*Verses 11 and 12: Paul wants the Galatians to know that the gospel he preached to them was not something a man made up or something he got from some other man. Oh, no, he got it by revelation from Jesus Christ himself! Jesus, if he existed, should have been quite dead. Think of what that means. Paul heard a voice that no one else heard with a message that no one else recieved. Paul believed it came from the messiah named Jesus. Paul is asking, and expects, his readers to believe this solely on his word,  without evidence. Personally, I side with Thomas Paine who pointed out that a revelation to one man is not necessarily a revelation to all. Why should we believe Paul?

*Verses 13-17: Paul tells the readers about his former life. He intensely persecuted those of the church or assembly of God and tried to destroy it. Were these christian churches? This would have been within 10 years of Jesus's death, if he actually lived and died as reported in the first 4 books of the New Testament, which were written decades after this book. Or were they just Jewish meet up groups that followed the teachings of a particular rabbi? There are no christian writings preserved from those early days before Paul. Paul believed he was specially appointed by God to preach to the Gentiles (non jews) about the revelation he recieved about god's son. He emphasizes that he didn't consult anyone else, especially any of the apostles  in Jerusalem, after he recieved his revelation, but went straight to Arabia, then later returned to Damascus. The apostles in Jerusalem would have been much more knowledgable about Jesus and his teachings, but Paul seems to think it is important to show that he was not influenced by them. In the next couple of posts we will compare all the accounts of the event of Paul's special revelation.

* Verses 18-24: We are not told here how long Paul was in Arabia or what he did there. Three years after he returned to Damascus, he went to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter. The only other apostle he saw was James, who he calls "the lord's brother." Was this James one of the original twelve disciples or an actual sibling of Jesus? No one can say for sure. After meeting with Peter and James, Paul went to Syria and Cilicia. For some reason Paul thinks it is important to stress how few people in Judea had ever met him.  All they knew about him was he was once persecuting them, now he was preaching the faith.

Galatians chapter 1 part 2

*Verses 3-5 show us that Paul believed the messiah Jesus gave himself for the sins of the people to rescue them from the "present evil age." What were the sins of the people? What was different about that age that made it so evil? Nothing really, except that Paul was living in it and experiencing it first hand. The world for humans was carrying on pretty much the same it always had been for thousands of years, life and death, peace and war, conquest and revolution. Paul lived during the Pax Romana which was broken by the first Jewish-Roman war, aka the fall of Jerusalem, after he died. Of course, the Jews were uneasy under the yoke of Rome. Plus the Romans.were pagans and worshipped many other gods instead of yahweh. The Jews, and the newer christ followers, should have been used to that, having been surrounded by polytheists most of their existence.

(Many people, especially christians, consider this an especially evil age, maybe the most evil age ever, because they are so focused on the rise of secular society and the reduction of christian influence.)

*Verses 6-9 talk about "the gospel of Christ" without actually saying what that gospel is. Presumably the Galatians know what Paul is talking about because he also says he preached this gospel to them.  The word gospel carries the connotation of a message or proclamation of good news. Paul is very concerned that the gospel he preached is being undermined and perverted, throwing the receivers of his message into confusion. Remember that this  book is supposed to have been written between 47 and 60 C.E. That means that as little as 14-27 years after Jesus's estimated death (a very problematic 33C.E.)  there were divisions among the believers or proponents of a gospel based on Jesus the messiah. Paul says the gospel he originally preached is the one and only true gospel and if anyone else, including himself, dares to change the message they will be eternally condemned, twice!

*In verse 10, Paul offers as proof of his sincerity, the fact that he is trying to please God, not men, otherwise he wouldn't be a servant of Jesus. The problem is all the sincerity in the world doesn't prove something is true.

Galatians chapter 1 part 1

After reading chapter 1:

*The first five verses are the letter's greeting, telling who it is from and to whom it is written. Paul describes himself as an apostle, sent not from man nor by men but by Jesus christ and God the father. An apostle is someone who is sent, or a messenger, basically a missionary. Who sent Paul? He claims Jesus and God sent him. Let's be clear though, he is not talking about the living physical man Jesus. As far as the bible shows,  Paul never encountered him. Paul is talking of a Christ (messiah) named Jesus (literally Joshua) who he believes is resurrected from the dead. How did he recieve this commission from a formerly dead person? We will find out later in this book.

*A common mistake some modern christians make is to assume that this kind of resurrected messiah talk was unusual  in the first century. The truth is the Jews had and still have multiple messianic teachings, and arguments for and against them.. Plus, Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead.
Messiah ben Joseph (son of Joseph) 
Messiah in Judaism
Menahem ben Hezekiah
Jewish Eschatology (scroll down to "messianism")

*From reading the above articles we can see that the idea of a messiah was multifaceted and complicated, with many schools of thought. The Old Testament prophetic writings were sometimes read as a code that needed to be deciphered, just as many christians treat the book of Revelation today. There was no overarching consensus about the who, how, where, and when of this messiah. Paul as a first century educated Pharisee, before the fall of Jerusalem, would have been steeped in the traditions, arguments,and teachings of his day. They were not confined to the biblical literature we now call scripture. There were intertestamental writings and the Jews had a rich oral tradition. These people weren't just looking for a messiah. They were willing to see it anywhere, just like  christians of today who see the end times and parallels with Revelation in modern events, even stretching facts to make them fit.

*We can see that Paul lived in a world and among a people that expected a leader, one whose name might be recognized as one of the great Israelite heroes, a Moses, an Elijah, a Joseph, a David, or maybe even a Joshua? Maybe that person would be a reincarnation or resurrection of that hero of old. Maybe he would perform similar acts, in reality or symbolically. Paul also lived in a world that was familiar with Hellenic philosophy. He could have been aware of or influenced by the Platonists, the Stoics, the Epicureans, and more, including Hellenistic Jews like Philo of Alexandria. I included all this information because I think it is very important to remember that Paul did not live in a "biblical" bubble as we continue on.

Introduction to Galatians

First read about the letter to the Galatians here.

Read about the land where the Galatians lived here. Pay attention to what the article says about Galatia as a Roman province.

Notice that there are no originals of this letter and the oldest copies are from around 200 B.C.E. The date of writing is thought to be in the general range of 47 to 60 B.C., after Paul's first or second missionary journey as described in Acts, depending on which theories you ascribe to. This is before the fall of Jerusalem. Not many people dispute that the letter is actually from Paul as described in the letter.

There is a possibility that this is the earliest of Paul's letters in existence. Others think the earliest may  be 1 Thessalonians. I chose Galatians because in it Paul gives a mini history of himself and pours out a lot of his personal doctrine, much of which is foundational in modern christianity. There is a lot of stuff to cover in  the six short chapters of this book. Not only will we look at what Paul says, but what he doesn't say, especially about Jesus.

James- wrap up

*After reading the book of James, I've come to the personal conclusion that it is a book by a Jew, possibly of the Pharisee sect, for Jews, possibly those in jewish communities scattered around the world after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. The first verse clearly gives that impression. Succeeding verses are addressed to "brothers" referring back to that first mention of the twelve tribes scattered among the nations. Also, we have no idea who this James is, and it is not likely that he was one of the Jameses mentioned in the gospel accounts. Significantly, his name is actually Jacob, the name of the founder of the 12 Israelite tribes. James does not claim to be writing the words of God or to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

*There is nothing said in this book which would contradict a Jewish identity, except the two phrases mentioning the lord Jesus Christ, which easily could have been added. There is nothing in this book which would identify it as specifically christian, except those two phrases. There is no mention of Jesus as a person, his birth, life, ministry, words, death, or resurrection. There is no mention of any other New Testament characters. There is a mention of demons, but not Angels. There is a suggestion of eternal reward and punishment, but it is not specific. There is no hint of a trinitarian doctrine. There is a reference to the Jewish Shema that says the lord our God is one. There is a reference to meetings in a synagogue. There are multiple references to Old Testament people and scripture. There is no mention of a gospel or good news of salvation from sins, once and for all by a sacrifice of the life of a man/God. There is a reference about waiting for a messaiah. However, it does not indicate that the messiah has been here already and will return. The Jews of that day were waiting for a messiah. There is no reference to baptism. Sins are forgiven through prayer.

*In chapter 3 of the English NIV translation, the text mentions heaven, hell, and the devil. The phrase in greek translated "from heaven" is literally "from above." The phrase translated "of the devil" literally means "demonic," not referring to a specific being. It has the same root as the demons that shudder in James 2:19. The word hell is translated from gehenna.

*James's focus seemed to be on the Jews in the diaspora maintaining their faith and identity, and especially how they treated each other as a community. He stressed treating the poor among them with respect and dignity, in word and action. This was done by suggesting that the poor have an advantage over the wealthy in the virtue of faith. He stressed good deeds, self control of the tongue, and humility. He denigrated the desire for wealth. He vehemently denied that faith is enough to maintain a right standing with God.

*Next, I think I will tackle the book of Galatians as our introduction to Paul and his letters. We will probably compare and contrast the Paul in the epistles to the one in Acts. The epistles were most likely written before the gospels and the book of Acts. For now, I will leave you with an existential thought from James 4:14--"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes."

James chapter 5 part 2

*The rest of the chapter addresses prayer in times of trouble and sickness. James claims that prayer plus faith equals forgiveness of sins and physical healing. Here we see the ancient assumption that illness is associated with, or a result of, "sin." Illness was once considered a spiritual condition manifesting itself in physical symptoms. Some of this thinking persists today, in spite of advances in medical knowledge.

* James says a sick person should have the elders of the church pray over them and anoint  them with oil. I don't know that the oil was any more effective than the prayer, depending on the physical cause of the illness. I guess it served the same purpose by making them feel like they were doing something to help.  You might look at the word church here and say it is proof that this was a christian letter. However, the greek word is ecclesia which means "called out." It is a greek word for an assembly and did not originally refer to the christian church, though it eventually came to mean that.  In fact, in Matthew 18:17, Jesus refers to "the church." Presuming Jesus actually said that, he was speaking to Jews about Jews. He would have been speaking about a Jewish assembly, perhaps in a synagogue. There was no christian church at the time.

*Elijah is given as an example of a righteous man who prayed and got exactly what he asked for. Notice that all the human examples and role models in this book are from the Old Testament. We have had Abraham, Rahab, Job, and now Elijah. There is no mention of the actions of Jesus or the disciples.

*Last of all, James encourages his fellow Jews in the diaspora to bring back anyone who has "wandered from the truth" in order to save them from death. Which truth? Judaism or Christianity?

James chapter 5 part 1

After reading chapter 5:

*Verses 1-6 are a warning to the rich. They will be sorry. Horrible things have happened to their wealth and possessions. The destruction  will be a testimony against them, because they oppressed the poor and didn't pay the wages of those they hired. They lived in luxury and self indulgence. They condemned innocent people who were not opposing them.  Sounds like Donald Trump. This passage says the cries of the oppressed have reached the ears of the lord. I'm guessing rich oppressors don't actually believe that or they wouldn't do what they do. Very rarely do they have to pay for the full extent of their crimes in this life, and never afterward. Job recognized that. Threats of eternal destruction slip off them like water off a duck's back. I'm not saying every rich person is an oppressor, but when the shoe fits...

*After the rant of the last few verses, James changes his tone. In fact, reading back over the text, the apocalyptic style rant seems out of place, and the continuity of the text would not be broken if it was removed. It would actually make more sense. Now James tells his fellow Jews to be patient until the lord's coming. Christians believe he is talking about the return of Jesus, but he very well could be talking about the Jewish expectation of the appearance of a messiah. James tells them to wait without grumbling against each other or judging each other. They are to take the example of the prophets' patience and Job's perserverence. Look what Job got after he persevered, everything that he had lost and more. That would certainly speak to displaced Jews.

*Verse 12 is another piece that feels out of place in the text. It is about taking oaths, swearing  by heaven, earth, or anything else. They will be condemned if they do. This is one passage that gets ignored by many christians. Some, like the Quakers,  have made a point of  following it. One thing that makes this passage strange is that there was plenty of swearing in the Old Testament that was not condemned. Another thing is the phrase "above all." Surely James did not think this was the most important thing in his letter!"

James 4 part 2

*From verses 13 on, James addresses boasting about the future. He says that saying you are going to do certain things in the future without the caveat "if it is the lord's will" is boasting or bragging.  On the surface it may sound kind of silly to have to repeat that phrase every single time you mention something you plan to do on a day that is not today. "Tomorrow we will do the laundry, if it is the lord's will." "Tomorrow I will clean toilets, if it is the lord's will." However, if James is addressing a known problem with this letter, I don't think it is everyday plans he is concerned about.

*In verse 13 he mentions people saying "we will go to this city or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." This is the kind of talk James finds offensive. Why? Because this is something a talented or well educated and wealthy, or a person who wants to be wealthy, might say. James has already told us the poor are special because of their richness of faith and the well off need to humbly recognize that. Openly speaking of personal plans to do things a poor person may never hope to do is boasting and bragging, which James thinks is evil. It certainly isn't considerate.  Saying "if we live and it is the lord's will" softens the blow to the poor persons psyche. Of course, everything is god's will to the true believer, even the states of poverty and wealth. The richness of the poor person's faith may exceed that of the wealthy, but James thinks  everyone needs to be reminded of god's will.

*The last verse says "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." This one passage has given centuries of christians reason to be afraid. There are millions of good things that could be done every day, but most people pick and choose. It is impossible to do all the good things that ought to be done. People have personal priorities and they know it. The conclusion: sins of omission are inescapable. So, christianity came up with the idea to pray for forgiveness for their sins of omission, then they are covered. Except some of them still feel guilty and torture themselves over it. But was James  actually talking bout every single good thing that hasn't been done? Or was he talking about the preceding topic of saying "if it is the lord's will?" He also could be referring to what  follows in chapter five, which addresses the way the rich treat the poor. There were no chapter and verse breaks in the manuscripts from which we get the book of James. Those are a much later addition.

*Just to be clear, for an atheist, there is no "will" that is deciding  the life paths of individuals. People make decisions based on the cards life has dealt them. Sometimes life gives you a bad hand. Some people are much luckier than others. Poverty is not a virtue, neither is wealth. Different from a card game, the winner is not the one who had the best hand at the end of the game. That only passes his cards on to his heirs.  The  end of the game is the same for everyone, death.  The wealthy have a human obligation to consider how to help those who have not been as lucky they have. It is right because it is a good thing to  relieve human suffering, not because a god or the bible says so.

James chapter 4 Part 1

After reading chapter 4:

*There must have been fights and quarrels happening among the Jews in the diaspora, because James feels the need to address them. He says they happen when people don't get what they want.but that is their own fault, says James. First, they didn't ask God. Second, if they did ask god, it was with the wrong motive-- personal pleasure. Isn't most of what we want for our personal pleasure? Maybe that's why the number of unanswered prayers far outnumbers the answered ones? Surely it can't mean there is no actual God who is listening with invisible and immaterial ears?

*Next James rebukes the readers for trying to be friends of the world (adulterous people, a term used for those unfaithful to the religion, adulteresses in the literal greek translation) which would make them an enemy of God. This echoes the sentiment in James 1:27 that they need to keep themselves from being polluted by the world.

*Verse 5 is strange. It says, "Or do you think scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?" (NIV) A foot note has two other possible wordings for that sentence. Plus, there doesn't appear to be an old or New Testament scripture that actually says that. In the different versions there doesn't appear to be a consensus as to who is doing the yearning, our spirit or God. If it is God, he is longing jealously for our spirit. If it is our spirit, it longs jealously but who knows for what.

*But it's all okay if the readers are humble and not proud. Then comes ten commands: 1. Submit to God. 2. Resist the devil. 4.Come near to God. 5. Wash your hands. 6. Purify your hearts 7. Grieve, mourn and wail. 8. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. (Cheerful lot, eh?)  9. Humble yourselves before the lord. 10. Do not slander a brother (fellow Jew).

*The last few verses expand the theme of slander and speak about those who would judge their brothers ( other jews). They are told only God has the right to be lawgiver and judge, so they need to back off. I'm guessing that was also a problem or James would not have mentioned it.

I am more than ever convinced that this book was written by a Pharisee. Read a Jewish description of Pharisees and their teachings. Jesus is only mentioned twice, and  is not even necessary, except to try to establish this letter as christian. The teachings of the first century Pharisees are fully compatible with the teachings of James.

James chapter 3

After reading chapter 3:

*The first section of this chapter is about the destructive power of the tongue. In other words, words can hurt ourselves and others. You don't have to be religious to recognize this is a universal truism. James advocates self control when speaking, to keep ourselves out of trouble, earthly and eternal. Earthly trouble can be quite enough.

*James says that no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (Like a serpent) That is just one of the many metaphors he uses to describe how destructive words can be. The three things he faults the tongue for are: teaching wrong things, great boasts, and cursing other people. James says this is wrong because people are made in the image of the same God whom they praise.

*Suppose we are not made in the image of a god. For what reasons would we wish to refrain from using our words unwisely or hurtfully? One reason is consequences. People don't like liars, braggarts, and insulting people.  They often retaliate in kind or terminate the relationship. If you truly value relationships, you refrain from using your words in this way. If you value your job or your place in society, you learn to curb your tongue to continue recieving  the benefits you derive from them. It is in your  self interest. Another reason might be because you are truly interested in the welfare of all humanity because you are a human too. You want to be the kind of person who is thoughtful and empathetic. You wish others to treat you as you treat them, so you treat them well. In spite of what James says, the tongue can  be tamed but it takes desire and conscious effort.

*The second section, starting in verse 13 compares and contrasts "earthly wisdom" with "heavenly wisdom." James says earthly wisdom is comprised of envy and selfish ambition. It is unspiritual, evil, from the devil, and brings about disorder. He says heavenly wisdom is comprised of the qualities of a peacemaker: pureness, consideration, submissiveness, mercy, and sincerity. What is James trying to say? Don't rock the boat? Sit down and shut up? It seems to me that these descriptions could be looked at from different perspectives. A jealous person could see someone  who is a go-getter and financially successful as fundamentally selfish, when it might not necessarily be so. Likewise, a person who appears considerate and submissive could be harboring the vilest thoughts. It's hard to see past a façade.

*James's descriptions of wisdom appear to be based on actions and visible qualities, which is not surprising. He is very focussed on deeds. Actions speak louder than words for him and he judges people by what they do and say. If what people do and say doesn't fit James's idea of what is right, then it must be wrong. He's also not too keen on people who have achieved financial prominence in society.

*We all know that the stereotype of the greedy rich person still persists today. How many people pay attention when a poor person is greedy and selfish? Likewise how many people celebrate the kindness and generosity of a rich person? I'm not saying stereotypes are never remotely true, but motives are very hard to accurately judge. "People are people wherever you go." Isn't it better to assume everyone has good intentions until proven otherwise? Wouldn't you want that done for you?

Remember, all generalizations are false.

James 2 part 2

Before we continue, we need to acknowledge that the first followers of Jesus were clearly Jews and probably did not intend to leave Judaism and create a distinct religion. Nowhere in the stories of Jesus's life does he seem to expect them to do that.  The teachings ascribed to Jesus were actually not that different from those that history outside the New Testament  ascribes to the pharisees, even though the gospel accounts and modern christianity would have you believe otherwise. The Pharisees were not literalists and believed in a liberal interpretation of scripture using oral tradition. They believed in resurrection and an afterlife. They were populists not elitists. This man James strikes me as possibly being a Pharisee who lived after the destruction of Jerusalem.

*Moving on. The next section, beginning in verse 14 contrasts faith and deeds. Again James addresses "my brothers, " fellow Jews. James asks,"what good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?" This is a question which has plagued christians since the reformation.  James says faith not accompanied by action is dead. How do you prove you have faith if you don't do anything to show it. Intellectual and verbal assent that there is one God means nothing, even the demons acknowledge that. The phrase "one God" (NIV) is a reference to the Shema, a Jewish mantra that says " the lord our God is one." In fact other english translations of verse James 2:19 say "God is one." This is problematic for trinitarians who say that God is three in one.

*Verses 20-24 give the example of Abraham as evidence that faith and deeds go together. Abraham showed true faith by offering his son Isaac on the altar (Genesis 15). That is what real faith does. It makes people willing to do crazy things that they otherwise would not have done. We see it happening in the world today. We also hear people say that they would kill their own children if God asked them to, as proof of the sincerity of their faith. A close relative of mine said this to me. True faith is scary stuff.

*James says this proves a person is justified by what he does, not by faith alone. Then he gives another example, Rahab the prostitute who helped the Hebrew spies in Jericho.(Joshua 2). She was considered righteous for what she did, in spite of her occupation. "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." I'm guessing Rahab would have been dead if she hadn't helped the spies. Is an active faith the same thing as self preservation? What if I do all the deeds without faith, can I get by? Who will know? No one that's who. People think you are a wonderful christian if you do all the good stuff and keep your mouth shut about what you really believe. Ask me how I know.

James chapter 2 part 1

Afte reading chapter 2:

*Chapter 2 begins "my brothers" - remember the greeting in chapter 1.  James is writing an open letter to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations- Jews in the diaspora, if we take it literally. Next, set off by commas, is the phrase "as believers in our glorious lord Jesus Christ." Reading through the rest of the chapter, I'm personally leaning toward a conviction that the phrases mentioning Jesus may have been added to this letter after it was circulating, by Jews who became christians or possibly christians trying to influence Jews. This is my own idea, I have not read that anywhere else, though others may have considered it.

*Next, we have the theme of the first section, "Don't show favoritism, " specifically favoritism to the rich. So, favoritism must have been a problem. Where was this favoritism taking place? Well, if you are reading this passage in English, it will say "in your assembly" or "in your meeting." The literal translation from the greek is "in your synagogue." In fact this phrase is translated synagogue  in other books of the New Testament, but not in James. Very interesting.

*Getting back to favoritism, it seems the rich jews were being given special privileges and treated better than the poor. James says this is insulting to the poor. Why? Because they are human beings worthy of the respect that all humans should accord each other just by virtue of having humanity in common? Nope. Because God has "chosen" the poor to be "rich in faith." Why are they rich in faith? Probably because they've got nothing to lose. By exploiting the poor, the rich are slandering the noble name of him to whom the readers (Jews in the diaspora) belong. The noble name of whom? It is generally assumed to be christ, but it could just as well be Yahweh, the god of the Jews.

*James then says if they keep the royal law, "love your neighbor as yourself" (lev. 19:18), they are doing right. Favoritism is a sin, presumably because the poor Jews are their neighbors just as much as the rich. If they show favoritism among themselves, they are breaking the law. What law? The law of Moses, of course. James goes on to say that breaking the law in one area makes you a lawbreaker, even if you keep the rest of the law well. Their actions need to be governed by the "law that gives freedom." Again, there no reason to believe he is talking about anything other than the law of moses.
What freedom, you may ask. Well, many people find freedom in knowing exactly what they are supposed to do, without having to think about it. A clearly defined path can reduce stress, especially when the world around you is in turmoil.

*The last verse of this chapter is one of the many paradoxes found in the bible. The readers are told to speak and act as though they will be judged because "Judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who is not merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement." Huh? The only sense I can make of it is that people are required to be merciful but God is not. (?)

James 1 part 2

*Verse 19 gives us the theme for the rest of the chapter, be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to be angry. Anger is addressed first. In place of anger, the readers are encouraged to accept the word planted in them, which can save them. I think we can assume that many Jews were angry and felt the need to be saved. James says don't be angry, instead listen to "the word" and do what it says.  What is the word? Well it is not the  New Testament. That didn't exist when James was writing this letter. It can't be the supposed words of Jesus, they were probably not written down yet, and Jews scattered among the nations might not be familiar with them. It is most likely what christians would call the Old Testament.

*James says, "Do not merely listen to the word...do what it says." Jews scattered around the world would have listened to the Torah being read in synagogues. They would not have had personal copies of the scriptures in their homes. He calls what they are listening to, "the perfect law that gives freedom." What else could this be to Jews but the law of Moses? If it wasn't, how would the general Jewish reader know without an explanation? If we take the simplest most obvious explanation, James is encouraging fellow Jews in the diaspora to continue to follow the law of Moses in order to be blessed.

*Lastly, James says a religious person exercises great verbal self control, otherwise his religion is worthless. Then he makes a statement that is very near and dear to more liberal christians,"Religion that is pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. " In the diaspora there would have been many Jewish widows and orphans who needed support and many Jews would have been tempted to leave their faith in order to fit into the societies in which they found themselves.

*So, as I read the first chapter, a man with the same name as the father of the tribe of Israel, Jacob (translated James), is telling Jews in the diaspora to learn to be joyful in their poverty and trials, don't doubt, don't look for ways to get rich,  don't blame God, don't get angry, follow the law of Moses, and take care of other Israelites who are unable to take care of themselves. If the phrase "and of the lord Jesus Christ" was not in the first verse, would we think of this as a christian document?

James chapter 1 part 1

After reading chapter 1:

*Verse one is the greeting of the letter, from James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is this James? He could be any learned jewish man named James or he could be one of the
James mentioned in other parts of the New Testament.
1. James the brother of Jesus
2. James the son of Alpheus (possibly the same as James no. 1, but cousin instead of brother)
3. James the less (possibly the same James as no. 2.)
4. James the son of Zebedee

One problem with these particular Jameses is that they were probably common laborers or fishermen, not highly educated enough to produce this well written text in greek.

At any rate, there were two apostles named James. One the son of Zebedee, the other the son of Alpheus, who could also have been Jesus's cousin or brother. Clear as mud? We are not told which specific James wrote this letter, but lots of people like to believe it was the literal brother of Jesus. Another interesting tidbit, all of the "Jameses"are actually "Jacobs"  in the original greek- iakobos.
Jesus's name in greek appears to be synonymous with Joshua.

The letter is written to "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations." Literal greek- the twelve tribes in the diaspora. Is this a reason to think the letter may have been written after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.? It was obviously written to Jews, not a group that had separated themselves from the Jewish faith. James seems to have believed that Jesus was the Jewish messiah or "christ." There are jews today that believe certain rabbis were the messiah. More about the messiah in Judaism.

Verse two says consider it pure joy brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds. Those "brothers and sisters" were Jews, as clearly shown in the greeting. James tells them in the first few verses that they should be glad they are having troubles. It is making them mature and complete, and producing perserverence. James appears to be trying to put a positive spin on a life which must have been pretty troublesome. This first section is packed with thoughts that many christians take very seriously:
1. God will give you wisdom if you ask for it.
2. When you ask of God, you must believe in order  to receive.
3. The poor are in a higher spiritual position than the rich and should be proud of their poverty.
4. Endurance under trial gets you the grand prize, a crown of life promised by Jesus to those who love him.
5. God doesn't tempt people, their own evil desires do that. Desire leads to sin, sin leads to death.
6. All good things come from God.
7. God doesn't change.
8. We (the Jews or followers of Jesus?) are the first fruits of all God created.

It seems clear that James is trying to convince his readers that no matter how bad things get, they are really well off because of their special status by virtue of being poor and having a hard life. Wisdom and endurance may be very helpful, but I don't see any virtue in poverty. Anyone can be poor. It takes no effort. When you desire to not be poor, but you are because of circumstances beyond your control, James appears to be implying that  that desire  may be evil which will lead you to sin and ultimately death. But we are all going to die anyway, aren't we? What exactly is a crown of life?

Introduction to James

Hello folks, life and my mental state have kept me from posting recently, but I hope to get back into the regular swing of things. I decided the books of Samuel are more than I want to chew right now, so I've put that on the back burner. We are going to leap forward into the New Testament and look at the earliest  written books of the christian Bible. I tried to find a definitive list of the order in which the New Testament books were written and found at least half a dozen wildly different lists that claimed to be what scholars agreed on. Wikipedia has the letters to the Thessalonians, accredited to Paul, as being first. That seems to be the consensus of  liberal christian and secular scholars. Conservatives are the ones that can't seem to make up their minds. Here are some lists:

http://ichthys.com/mail-Bible%20chrono.htm
http://www.biblestudytools.com/resources/guide-to-bible-study/order-books-new-testament.html
http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA176/when-were-the-bible-books-written

I am going to start with the book of James because it is unique and stands alone in its style and content. Plus, some lists have it as being the earliest book of the New Testament. Read about the book of James here.

The book claims to be a letter written by James, we will look at who that might be later, because it is unclear. There are a few possibilities concerning authenticity of authorship, either the book really was written by a James, or it is a fake, or it is a reworked version of a James's original letter. The point is that know one can know for sure.

There are various theories concerning the date of the letter's composition, all between the second half of the first century and the first half of the second century. Some scholars believe it is one of the very earliest christian writings. The earliest existing physical manuscripts of James are dated between the mid to late third century. Again, there is a general range but it is impossible to pin down a definitive date for original composition.

The book's place in the New Testament canon was disputed at different times throughout history.

Job wrap up

*Job is written by an unknown author, probably more than one because it appears to have been added to in a couple of places, based on a few variations in style and format. The book makes no claims about its divine inspiration or authorship. The date of the original writing is unknown. It may not have started out as hebrew literature, but as canaanite. Evidence of this is seen in the use of el, the name of the canaanite chief God in the poetic sections. The prose sections speak of Yahweh. The poetic main body is quite beautiful in spots, and often highly metaphorical. The end pieces are prose, written in a more concrete style. There is no evidence or reason to believe this story actually happened in real time. It reads like an extended parable.

*Yahweh/El is described in conflicting ways by the various speakers. Job's friends insist he is just, meting out discipline to the wicked and favoring the obedient. Job insists that there is evidence that this God is disinterested in the goodness or badness of people because the punishments and rewards appear random to him. Plus, everyone goes to the same place when they die, death and the grave. They all agree that this God is the creator, mighty and fearsome. At the end of the book, Yahweh/El appears very similar to an ancient storm God that was common in many cultures.

*In the first part of the book we encounter "sons of God" which are either Angels or demigods. Satan happens to be one and his job is to be a kind of prosecutor for the state, bringing charges against humans to the attention of Yahweh. We never see him again after his initial discussion of Job with Yahweh. Heaven is somewhere in the sky. There is no hell, unless you count the underground world of sheol. There is no eternal life or eternal damnation. In parts of the book, Sheol appears to have an addition called Abaddon, which is either a pit for the especially bad people or an angel of destruction in some leading capacity in the land of the dead.

*There is no hint of a savior or messiah or judgement day, no miracles, and no demons or bad spirits. There are very few religious rituals. Sacrifice and prayer are all that I remember. There are no priests, no ark of the covenant, no tabernacle. Job's sacrifices are made on a personal altar, which was forbidden after the exodus. The story takes place in a vague location east of the Jordan River and seems to be unconnected to the story arc of Genesis through Judges. As in the story of Ruth, there is a conspicuous lack of violence and prejudice against other people groups. Job could represent any ancient man who was fervent about serving his God.

*The main lesson depends on where you think the story ends. If it ends when the poetry is done, then it is clear that Job has learned that he is puny and inconsequential  and shouldn't question the almighty God. If the prose section ends the book, then the lesson is about perserverence so that your God will one day reward you for sticking to your guns.

Next up: First Samuel.

Job 41 and 42

After reading chapter 41:

*Yahweh is still poetically boasting to Job. This whole chapter is about his magnificent creature creation, the leviathan. This leviathan sounds exactly like a big ol' crocodile. If Job can't hope to subdue a leviathan, how does he have any claim against Yahweh? Everything under heaven belongs to him.

After reading chapter 42:

*Verses 1-6 are the last of the poetry. Job replies to Yahweh. He seems humbled, saying he knows Yahweh can do all things. He spoke of things he did not understand. Before, he had heard of Yahweh, now his eyes have seen him. Wait. What?! I thought nobody had seen him. Job is joining a long list of nobodies who have seen the God of the bible. As a result, Job now despises himself and repents in dust and ashes. Yep that's pretty much what it feels like to be a true believer.

*Verses 7 through the rest of the chapter revert to prose, just like the first section of the book, leading me to think it may be another possible addition to the original saga, maybe by the same person that wrote the first bit of prose. If the book had ended at verse 6, Job's friends would have been justified and Job thoroughly humiliated. But the story continues. Yahweh tells Job's friends he is angry with them. They didn't speak what was right about Yahweh, Job did. Huh? Now they have to go get seven bulls and sacrifice them as a burnt offering (Barbeque!) for themselves and Job will pray for them, so they will not be punished.

*Job prayed for his friends. Then Yahweh gave him twice as much stuff as he had before. His relatives associated with him again and gave him gifts. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble Yahweh had brought upon him. Where had they been when he was in trouble? Job ended his life as a very rich man. He now had exactly twice as many sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys as he had started. Plus, he again had seven sons (the perfect number)and three daughters, to replace the previous seven sons and three daughters that Yahweh had caused to be killed. That must have made everything okay. (Sarcasm, in case you didn't guess.) I wonder if he had the same wife?

*For some unknown reason we are told the names of Job's three daughters. Plus, we are informed that they were extraordinarily beautiful and that they recieved an inheritance from Job, along with his sons. Also, Satan, the accuser, is not mentioned again.

*I wonder how old Job was. The first set of 10 children would have taken at least 20 years to produce. At the beginning of the story, the children were all grown. That would have taken another 15 years at least. We are not told how long his trials took. Then another 20 years would be needed to produce another 10 children, making Job at least 75 when the last child would have been born. How old was his wife? In verse 16 we are told Job lived to 140 years and saw his children and their descendants to the fourth generation! That might just barely work if there was a new generation every twenty years. A true patriarch.

The End (Yay!)

Job 40

After reading chapter 40:

*Yahweh pauses in his speaking to call out Job. Job answers by saying he is unworthy to reply. Some translations say he is vile. Job is not going to say anything else. So, Yahweh continues speaking to Job "out of the storm." Again, Yahweh tells Job to brace himself like a man, because he's going to ask Job some more highly rhetorical questions that will prove just how mighty he is. Plus, he will do it in a very poetic way. Yahweh asks Job four questions in quick succession. Would Job discredit Yahweh's Justice? (Yes) Would Job condemn yahweh, to justify himself? (Yes)Does Job have an arm like a god's? (Gods have arms?) Can Job 's voice thunder like a god's? (Obviously not.)
Then Job should act like a god and do things like crush wicked people into the dust. Then, and only then, Yahweh would admit that Job can save himself.

*Verses 15-24 are a poetic praise of a peculiar animal called a behemoth. Assuming it is a real animal, it is likely to be an elephant, hippopotamus, or water buffalo. Young earth creationists would have us believe it is a dinosaur, proof that dinosaurs coexisted with people . This claim is very easily proven to be false.

Job 38 and 39

After reading chapter 38:

*The last chapter ended with a kind of hymn of praise to God (el) the almighty (el shaddai). This chapter suddenly switches gears. The lord (Yahweh) suddenly speaks to Job out of the storm. To me, it looks like this portion is tacked on and trying to appear to have continuity with the previous chapter.  Yahweh is clearly blustering, asking Job who he thinks he is. He's the one who is going to ask the questions. Job better take it like a man. Then Yahweh proceeds to go into a poetic, boastful rant about all his magnificent accomplishments, daring Job to compare his own knowledge and accomplishments. Yahweh is clearly sarcastic as he questions Job. "Have you journeyed to the springs of the deep?" "Have you entered the storehouses of snow?" "Do you send the lightening bolts?" Again, most of the things yahweh boasts about are phenomena of nature, especially weather related. The implication is that Job is puny and impotent compared to Yahweh's strength and abilities.

After reading chapter 39:

*Yahweh continues his poetic boast, all the while questioning if Job is capable of doing or knowing any of a number of things for which Yahweh is presumably responsible and knowledgeable. This chapter focuses on animals, their natural habits and habitats. Again the implication is that, compared to Yahweh, Job is ignorant and powerless. I think these chapters are trying to negate Job's previous implications that we can't really tell if the guy in charge is paying attention, because good fortune and bad seem so randomly distributed. Plus,  everyone dies and goes to the same place anyway, so what's the point. Here, the point is that Yahweh's in charge of it all. Humans don't get a say in how things are done. They are too ignorant.

Job 37

After reading chapter 37:

*Elihu is still speaking. This chapter is a continuation of the poetic description of God (el)as a weather God. His voice is the thunder. He sends the lightening. He tells the snow and the rain what to do. His breath produces ice. He directs the swirling of the clouds and uses them to punish men or show his love by watering the earth. Elihu then asks Job if he knows how God does all these things. Job would not have known, but today we do know how and why weather phenomena occur. Plus, we have satellites that are far above the weather looking down at earth. They can show us the weather as it is happening. They've never shown us any gods messing with the clouds.

*The last few verses compare or equate God to the sun. He comes in golden splendor and awesome majesty, beyond our reach, exalted in power, just and righteous. He does not oppress, therefore men revere him.  This God seems very much like other ancient gods. Natural events are ascribed to him. Reasons for those events are assumed to exist in the nature of the God, who is assumed to be just. What we have is a picture of ancient man trying to make some sense out of what was clearly confusing, because he was ignorant of the mechanisms of nature. I feel sorry for those people who believed, and those who still believe, they were being punished when there were droughts or floods.
It would seem to be impossible to keep a weather God happy.

*As hurricane Matthew approaches the eastern seaboard of the United States, how many people do you suppose will be praying to the God of the Bible to protect them from its power? How many people will thank  God after it passes them, for sparing them (not necessarily their neighbors) a worse fate than what they recieved? How many will add bread, water, and flash light batteries to their prayers, trusting God to provide them if they need them? How many will evacuate from their homes because "God", not fear of natural consequences or the authorities, is prompting them? I wonder who they will say their God has punished with this hurricane.

Job 36

After reading chapter 36:

*Elihu is still speaking. He asks Job to bear with him a little longer, he's going to speak in god's behalf (because God isn't speaking on his own behalf). Every word Elihu speaks is true; he says so.
God knows what he is doing. He takes good care of the afflicted and the righteous. When people experience afflictions, he tells them why he is correcting them. They can then obey and live in prosperity, or ignore him and perish by the sword and die without knowledge.

*Verses 13-14 are about atheists, "the godless in heart." (Me) Apparently we harbor resentment in our hearts and when God chains us, we do not cry for help. So, we are supposed to ask for help from the being who is causing us to suffer? God needs a psychiatrist. Not only that, we will die in our youth, among male prostitutes at temple shrines. This must have been the author's idea of the worst possible death. However, I don't think the author ever considered that a woman might someday be reading these words. I'm pretty sure most of the books of the Bible weren't written for women.

*God speaks to those in their affliction~ which he caused~ to woo them from the jaws of distress to a place of freedom and comfort. In case you didn't get the imagery, he's the master, we are the slaves. Slaves do not talk back, they do not question the way things are, they obey if they want to be fed well and get priveledges. Job is not sufficiently slave-like. He's not grovelling and agreeing with the master, whose every judgement is just, because he's the master.  Job assumes some sort of autonomy and complains about his afflictions. How wicked can you get?

*Verses 22-33 are a description of god's awesome power. No one tells him what to do. God is so great  that people don't understand him. He's been around so long no one even knows how old he is. He is a God of the weather, bringing rain clouds, thunder, and lightening. He throws the lightening bolts himself. This is how he governs the nations. Rain means food. No rain no food. We all know what happens when there is no food.

Job 34 And 35

After reading chapter 34:

*Elihu is speaking. He's going to set everyone straight. Job says he's innocent, but he's really in league with the wicked because he claims that there is no profit from trying to please God. It is unthinkable that God would do anything wrong or pervert Justice. He's the head guy, the one who is in charge of everything. He brought the earth into existence, he can take it out. God is the Just and Mighty One. He shows no partiality to the rich and powerful over the poor. He will snuff out any one of them in an instant. He can see everything everyone is doing(Mass surveillance). No one can hide from him. He's quite capable of punishing the wicked and the oppressors. On the other hand, if he wants to stay silent or hide his face, who can condemn him? It's his prerogative as ruler over man and nation. God's government is totalitarian.

*Elihu goes on: Suppose someone says, "Okay, I must have messed up. Tell me what I did wrong and I won't do it again." Is that real repentance?  Should Job get a prize for saying that? A few people who are pretty smart told Elihu that Job's speech was ignorant and shallow. Job needs to be tested even more for talking like a wicked man, and for the sin of rebellion against God by being scornful to his friends, who were only trying to get him to see the truth.

After reading chapter 35:

*Elihu continues. He accuses Job of saying he will be cleared by God and at the same time asking what he will gain by not sinning. Elihu asks Job to gaze way up into the sky, presumably where God is. How does Job's righteousness or sinfulness affect God? What does God get out of it? According to Elihu, the only ones it has a direct effect on are humans. No one says,"Where is God, my maker?" (Except Job). God doesn't answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked. He doesn't pay attention to their empty pleas. Of course he's not going to listen to Job when he says he cannot see God, and that he's waiting for an answer to his case, and that God doesn't punish the wicked, but ignores them. That's just foolish talk.

Job 33

After reading Job 33:

*Elihu is speaking. In verses 1-7 he prepares us for his awesome words. They are on the tip of his tongue. Get ready, because he is about to lay it on the line. First, Elihu heard Job say that he was without sin,  yet  God (El) has found fault with him. That's just not right. Who is Job to complain that God doesn't answer men's words? God is greater than men. Besides, God does speak in various ways, people just might not recognize it when it happens. He can speak in dreams, visions, little whispers of conscience, even pain and near death experiences. Here you go folks, the classic "god works in mysterious ways" apologetic argument.

*If a man ...women seem to be mostly absent from social consideration in the book of Job...if a man who is being chastised by God is lucky, he gets an angel to mediate for him. Then he will be spared and restored. After that, he goes to other men and tells them that he was a sinner after all, and thankfully he didn't get what he deserved, presumably  death. He gets to live a little longer. And by the way, this kind of thing might happen to a man two or three times in his life. That's to "turn back his soul from the pit that the light of life might shine upon him." My study bible seems to think this is a reference to resurrection and eternal life. I think that is a stretch.

*In the last three verses, Elihu tells Job to be quiet and listen, or speak up if he has anything to say, or listen and be silent. Elihu is there to teach Job wisdom.

Job 31 and 32

After reading chapter 31:

*Job is still speaking. This chapter recounts all the wicked things Job has Not done, with poetic embellishments. He hasn't looked lustfully at a girl. He hasn't been decietful, or been enticed by a woman, or denied Justice to his servants, or denied the desires of the poor, or put his trust in gold, or been unfaithful to God, or rejoiced at his enemies' misfortune, or concealed secret sin, or misused his land. If he has done these things, he calls down particular curses upon his head for each offence. Now he signs his defense.  Let his accuser  put his indictment in writing. "The words of Job are ended." He's done talking. He lets his case rest. If only we were done with the book of Job.

After reading chapter 32:

*Now Job's "friends" are angry because Job justified himself, not God. Job is angry with his friends for continuing to condemn him, despite being unable to refute him. Elihu, the youngest of the men, angrily spoke up. He told how he had waited till everyone else was done talking, out of respect for their age. However, says he, not only the old are wise and understanding. Therefore, it is his turn to give them an earful. He has listened and has seen that no one was able to refute Job. Well he's got something to say and cannot be contained. He's going to speak without partiality or flattery. So there.
Stay tuned.

Job 29 and 30

After reading chapter 29:

*Job is still talking. He is poetically remembering the good old days when his "path was drenched with cream." He was god's friend then. He was well respected by other people. He performed many acts of benevolence for the needy. He fought against the wicked. He was sooo good. People were awed by his wisdom. He believed his life would continue along this vein until he died of old age peacefully in his own home. He was kind of like a king.

After reading chapter 30:

*Job continues. Now he talks of the present and the changes in his life. He says young men from worthless, indigent  fathers are disrespectful to him. They mock him, spit in his face, they lay siege against him. Now Job lives in fear and pain. He has no more dignity or safety. He says God has used his great power to take hold of Job, throw him in the mud, then ruthlessly attack him. God will take him down to death, the place appointed for all the living. (See, everyone goes to the same place.)

*Verses 24-31 are a poetic list of Job's current ailments and emotional state. They emphasize his bodily suffering, despair, and isolation. In verse 24 he says,"Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress."

*As usual, a close parallel comparison of different versions gives you different interpretations of these chapters. Some are more confusing than others. Two things I found interesting: In verse 27 of chapter 30, the KJV says Job's bowels were boiling, which is a more vivid alliterative description than what the NIV calls churning insides.  Plus, in verse 29, Job is either a brother of jackals or dragons, and a companion of ostriches or owls, depending upon which version you prefer.



Edited for mistakes which I should have caught before I hit the publish button.

Job 27 and 28

After reading chapter 27:

*Job continues talking to his friends. He continues to deny any wrong doing and insists he has a clear conscience. Then he goes on a rant about the fate of his enemies, may it be like the fate of the wicked. Verses 13-23 are a poetic description of the horrid things that will happen to the wicked and their descendents. It makes no sense to me, because in previous chapters Job has made a point that bad things don't always happen to the wicked. In fact they often prosper. Now he seems to be saying the same kinds of things his friends have said, the things they used as evidence against him.

After reading 28:

*Supposedly Job is still talking. However, this next passage has a very different feel to it. It's like something you might find in the book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes,  and seems to haven nothing to do with Job's current situation. The theme starts with the hidden qualities of wisdom, using the extended metaphor of a mine. We are told of the toil of men who tunnel through rock and lay bare the roots of mountains to uncover the hidden treasures that cannot be seen from above. Silver, gold, copper, iron, and sapphires are brought to light, but where can wisdom be found?

*The next theme is the worth of wisdom and man's inability to understand its value because it is so rare. It can't be found in the land or the sea. Its price cannot be compared to gold, silver, onyx, sapphires, crystal, coral, jasper, rubies, and topaz.

* Verse 21 repeats verse 12 like a refrain, giving this passage a more poetic quality. Verse 22 repeats a sentiment from verse 7. They introduce another stanza. Now we are told even "Destruction (abaddon) and Death" have only heard rumors of wisdom. God, however, is the only one who knows where to find it, because he sees everything. He looked at wisdom and tested it, then he said, "the fear of The lord (Adonai) is wisdom. To shun evil is understanding."

*This is one of the times lord is translated from the word Adonai, not Yahweh.  Now I am officially confused. Apparently When Yahweh is translated LORD it is in all capital letters, when Adonai is translated Lord, just the first letter is capitalized. Adonai is not an official name of God it is a regal title that is applied to him. It is another plural used as a singular and originally meant "my lords." You can read more about it and the other supposed names of God here. I learned something new today.

*The unusual way this passage seems to digress from the surrounding text, leads me to wonder if it was a later insertion. I personally think it has beautiful imagery and is a nice change from all the moaning and whining, even if it isn't true. Wisdom comes from acquiring a wide base of knowledge and experience and applying it to become your best self and a teacher of others.

Job 26

After reading chapter 26:

*Job replies to Bildad. The first few verses are very sarcastic. Job declares Bildad to be so helpful and wise (not). The dead are still dead.

*Starting in verse 6, things get interesting. First we see "death is naked before God." Death here is the hebrew sheol. Then we see "destruction lies uncovered." Destruction here is abaddon. This is the first time we have encountered Abaddon. Sheol and Abaddon are somehow connected. According  to references, Abaddon is a deep pit in or near sheol, or the name of the angel in charge of the pit of destruction. What is Abaddon's purpose? Who knows. What is worse than being dead, being really, really dead? Is this passage figurative or literal? Does Abaddon actually exist?

*The passage goes on to tell how God is responsible for the sky, the suspension of the earth over nothing, the clouds, the horizon, earthquakes, tsunamis, and fair weather. It is the epitome of the "look at the trees" argument, but more poetic. I've heard these verses used as proof that religion and science are compatible because these things are true: the earth does appear to be suspended over nothing, water is stored in clouds. It's science!

*There is a huge difference between what a scientist would say about these natural phenomena and what Job says. He says,"God does it." He says God "spreads" the sky. God "suspends" the earth. He "wraps up" water in clouds. He "covers" the face of the moon by "spreading" clouds over it. He "marks out" the horizon. He "churns up" the sea. His rebuke shakes the earth. (How many times have we heard that earthquakes are punishment from God?) His breath makes the skies fair. This is not science. It is poetry. Science never takes invisible, unquantifiable beings into account when making statements about how nature works.

*Lets look at verse 12:
NIV- he churned up the sea
KJV- he divideth the sea
NAS-he quieted the sea
JPS- he stilled the sea
Those are all quite different, aren't they? Not to mention that the sea in this verse is yam, which happens to be the name of the canaanite sea God. In this same verse god also cuts Rahab to pieces. Apparently this word Rahab is a Jewish mythological sea monster that also symbolically represents Egypt. So it would make sense if the author was referring to the exodus, parting the sea and killing Egyptians. Verse 13 says god's hand pierced the gliding serpent. Is this serpent referring to Rahab the sea monster?

*Last, Bildad is told these things are just whispers and fringes of god's works. Who can understand the full extent of his power?

Job 24 And 25

After reading chapter 24:

*Job is still speaking.He talks of the wicked who don't recieve their just deserts. They steal and oppress the poor and needy in various ways. In spite of that God doesn't set a day of judgement for them nor charges them with wrongdoing. (No judgement day???) Job talks about people who take advantage of the cover of darkness to do wicked or shameful things. He calls them friends of darkness, rebels against the light, figuratively and literally. In the end, the sinners  will die too. No one will remember them. They may feel secure and attain reknown while alive, but they will be brought low and gathered in by the grim reaper, just like all the rest. Who can prove Job is wrong? Not I.

*After reading chapter 25:

Bildad replies. He says no person can be righteous or pure before God. Even the moon and stars don't measure up. We are just worms and maggots. Speak for yourself, Bildad!

It's a good thing I am not feeling depressed right now. I once bought into the worm theory of human existence. It did wonders for my self esteem.


Edited for spelling

Job chapter 22 and 23

After reading chapter 22:

*Eliphaz speaks. He asks what benefit is a man to God, even a wise man. (Good question.) Is Job being rebuked for his piety? Or maybe it's because he was wicked, selfish, unsympathetic and ruthless. That's why terrible things are happening to him. Isn't God looking down from the vaulted heavens? Does Job think god's view is obscured by the clouds? Then Eliphaz tells Job to submit to God so he will have peace and prosperity. Then surely God will hear his prayers and Job will be so tight with God that even the guilty will be delivered when Job asks for it.

After reading chapter 23:

*Job replies, of course. He's complaining bitterly. If he could find God, he would plead his case. However, Job hasn't found God in the east, west, north or south. But he believes God still knows about Job and how Job has kept God's commands. Even so, God does whatever he pleases and has plans, which is why Job is terrified. The darkness is not going to silence Job though.

Job chapter 20 and 21

After reading chapter 20:

*Now Zophar speaks. He is greatly disturbed by hearing a rebuke that dishonors him. His understanding causes him to reply. His reply is another poetic tirade of all the bad things that will happen to the wicked. That man's guilt will be exposed by the fate that God allots to the wicked.

After reading chapter 21:

*Job replies. He asks his " friends" to listen to his words, at least that would be some consolation. His complaint is not directed to men, presumably to God. In poetic language he asks why the wicked prosper, in his experience,  even if they ignore God. This is in contrast to his friends' assertions that the wicked recieve what they deserve in this life. How often do they actually reap god's anger that has been said to be their fate?

*Then Job reminds them of a saying,"God stores up a man's punishment for his sons." Why doesn't he punish the man himself? God has the knowledge and the power to judge, but one man dies in ease, another dies in bitterness. They both end up the same place, in the grave.

*Next Job says he knows what they are thinking and they are wrong. They want to know where these wicked men who prosper live. He tells them to ask the people who travel through. Travellers will tell stories of evil men who are spared divine retribution and have numerous followers. So Job's friends' words are nonsense and falsehoods.

Job chapter 18 and 19

After reading chapter 18:

*Bildad is talking. He berates Job for his speech making and for insinuating his friends are stupid. Is Job a special snowflake? Then in verses he goes on to poetically describe horrible things that happen to a wicked person. He gets what he  deserves. Presumably, he is referring to Job as well.

After reading chapter 19

*Job replies. He says he is being tormented and attacked by words. Then he notes that if he has gone astray, that's his business, not anyone else's. Before they keep thinking they are so high and mighty, he wants to say that God has mistreated him. Even though he cries out to God that he has been wronged, he gets no answer. He feels god's anger through the things that are happening to him, but he is powerless to do anything about it.

*Next Job talks about how he has been deserted and detested by the people closest to him, his relatives, guests, servants, wife and friends. He asks for nothing but pity. Why should they pursue him the way God currently is?

*Verses 23-27 have a different feel than the surrounding passages. I'm no expert but they seem to be inserted into the text. I say this because verse 28 naturally appears to continue where 22 left off, with the the idea of Job's friend pursuing him. (In some translations it is  persecute not pursue.) then Job ends with a warning that they may get divine payback themselves.

*I can tell you it is a relief to know that no invisible person has any responsibility for any of the bad things that happen in my life. It's either consequences of living in nature, my own actions, or the actions of others acting in nature. Sometimes stuff just happens and there is nothing anyone can do about it. It is human to want to assign blame somewhere. We rarely look at catastrophic and life changing events as morally neutral, but very often they are. Natural disasters and disease don't care how good a person is.

*Now let us look at those odd verses that appear to be added to the text. They say, "Oh that my words were recorded." Looky there, Job's wish came true! We are supposedly reading his recorded words right now. Next, Job says, "I know that my redeemer lives." This is a statement that has been coopted by christians and used to refer to Jesus. A redeemer would be someone who  might pay another's debt to release that person from bondage, usually a relative. However, this passage sounds suspiciously like the concept of a spiritual redeemer, which we have not encountered before in the Old Testament writings. Then Job supposedly goes on to talk hopefully of being restored to his body and seeing God with his own eyes! This is definitely not a concept that has occurred in our previous readings. In fact Job has been quite pessimistic about his own death and eternal sleep in the grave.

Job chapter 17

After reading chapter 17:

*Job is still talking. We get more "woe is me" stuff. He is surrounded by mockers, people spit in his face, and he is overcome by grief. Where is his hope? Will they (him and his hope) die together?

*One interesting thing: Verse 13 says, " If the only home I hope for is the grave..." Grave here is translated from the hebrew word sheol. Verse 16 says, "will it go down to the gates of death?" Death here is also translated from the word sheol. The KJV calls sheol " the pit" in verse 16. This same Sheol will be translated into "hell" in later books of the KJV.

Job chapter 16

After reading chapter 16:

*Job replies to Eliphaz. He says his friends make miserable comforters. When will their long winded speeches end? What is the matter with them anyway that they insist on continuing to argue? If Job was in their position, he could make speeches against them, but he would try to be encouraging instead. His own talking is not giving him any relief from his pain.

* Next Job uses uses lots poetic imagery to say God (el) is acting like his enemy. He has made Job his target for abuse. Job is mourning  with sack cloth and tears, even though he has not committed any violence and his prayer is pure. He says that an intercessor between him and God is his true friend, in contrast to the ones calling themselves his friends. If we recall, Job was constantly interceding with God on behalf of his own children. Job is hinting at what he wants from his friends. Will they listen now? There are only a few years until he goes on a journey of no return, obviously death.

At least that's what I get from the NIV. The KJV, interlinear, and Jewish bibles are so different  that it  can be confusing. Will the real words of Job please stand up.

One example is the first part of verse 8:
NIV-  You have bound me and it has become a witness
Interlinear- You have filled me with wrath which is a witness
KJV- Thou hast filled me with wrinkles which is a witness against me
JPS-You have shriveled me, my gauntness serves as a witness.

So which is the correct translation,  and how is the average english speaker supposed to know? Not to mention, there are hundreds of similar confusions between translations like this. What if someone's salvation depended on being correct? (Thank goodness it doesn't)

Job chapter 15

After reading chapter 15:

*It's Eliphaz's turn to speak. He slams Job with insults from verse 1-13, insinuating that he is unwise, argumentative, a liar, crafty, conceited, ungrateful for god's consolations, and full of rage. He says that the old wise people are on the side of Job's "friends." They know just as much, if not more, than Job.

*Verses 14-16 are are basically a repetition of what Eliphaz said back in 4:17-19. Then he says,"let me 'splain." All his explaining in the rest of the chapter adds up to "everyone knows bad things happen to bad people." Thereby implying that maybe Job deserves his current predicament.

Job chapter 14

After reading chapter 14:

*Job is still talking. The first few verses are well known."Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble." Job is saying people have short little lives, why does a god need to focus his attention on them. Just leave them alone, so they can put in their time. Trees that are cut down can sprout again from the roots, but when people die, that's it for them. "So man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep." So... No resurrection, reincarnation, or afterlife.

*In verse 13, Job seems to wish that some kind of resurrection would take place in a time when the God would not keep track of his sins. However, he says this God destroys man's hope in verse 19. Man is overpowered and sent away for good. He never gets a chance to know how his children's lives turn out.

*My study bible says this passage doesn't really mean Job is actually pessimistic about resurrection, he's just focusing on his present predicament. I don't see it. It seems quite clear that the author has no idea of any  possibility of an afterlife.

Job chapter 13

After reading chapter 13:

*Job is still talking. He says he knows everything his friends know. He is not inferior to them. However, he wants to argue his case with God (el). His friends smear him with lies. If they would shut up, that would be wisdom. Are they going to speak deceitfully for God? Would they be able to take god's cross examination of their lives? Wouldn't they be afraid that all their fancy words wouldn't matter?

*Job tells them again to be quiet and let him speak. No matter what, he is going to defend himself. If anyone can bring a real charge against him, then he will be silent and die. Then he asks God to leave him alone and stop terrorizing him. Why is god treating him like an enemy? Is he holding him accountable for sins committed when he was young? God has fastened his feet in shackles - made him a slave.

This is getting very repetitious and tiresome.

Job chapter 12

After reading chapter 12:

* Job replies sarcastically to Zophar, telling him "doubtless you are the people and wisdom will die with you." In other words, you think you know it all. Ouch. He goes on to say that his mind still works as good as anyone else's and he knows whether or not he has called on God, and whether or not he is blameless. People who have an easy life often have contempt for those that experience misfortune. So true. But, there are those who provoke God, like robbers, yet they are secure in their belongings.

*Verses 7-10 tell us that the animal kingdom can teach us a lesson about the control Yahweh has over every living thing. This is the only place in these dialogs that Yahweh is mentioned. Next Job states that wisdom should come with age, possibly a dig at his friends who think they are wise.

*The rest of the chapter poetically outlines many negative aspects of god's power, especially over those who once had places of social prominence. When this chapter is read from the Jewish study bible (JPS), I get the idea that it could be referring to the history of the Israelites.

*Since the KJV turned out to be quite different in translation from the NIV, while reading Job, today I decided to check out the JPS. After all, we are reading a Jewish text, wouldn't a Jewish translation be helpful. It is also worded differently in many instances and seems very close to the KJV.

More about the JPS here. We are reminded that all the English versions of the bible are interpretations by individuals with their own biases. The Jewish translators were obviously worried about christological  interpretations of Jewish texts. Those kinds of interpretations are clearly present in the NIV. There also appears to be a new JPS which is significantly different. You can find the searchable text here. I will also put a link in my link sidebar.

Job 11

After reading chapter 11:

*The next speaker is Zophar the Naamathite. He blasts Job's "idle talk" and implies that Job needs rebuking. He also implies that Job thinks too highly of himself. Zophar wishes that God (elowah) would speak up against Job and teach him a lesson. In more poetic terms, Zophar asks Job if he thinks he knows more or can do more than God.

*Then Zophar assures Job that God knows when people are deceitful or wise. No one's heart is hidden. If Job would put away his own sin, all his troubles would vanish and a bright new day would dawn. Then Job would be safe and secure. But... Escape will elude the wicked, and their hope will become a dying gasp. (He's talking about you, Job.)

Gee, thanks for the kind words Zophar.

Job chapter 10

After reading chapter 10:

*More of Job's laments. He hates his life and is going to complain all he wants. Also, he wants an explanation from God (elowah). What has he got against Job? Is he having fun playing with people's lives? Does God have physical eyes to see people? Good question. Is finding fault with Job a good use of god's time? Didn't God make Job and give him the life that he had once enjoyed? Even if Job is innocent, he is ashamed and overwhelmed by god's power against him. God keeps  bringing new witnesses against him and god's forces come against Job, wave upon wave. This sounds like gaslighting to me.

*Job wishes he had never existed. He wants God to leave him alone so he can have a moment's joy before he goes to the place of no return, "the land of deepest night" or death. No heaven or hell here.

Job chapter 9

After reading chapter 9:

*Now we have Job's reply to Bildad. He acknowledges the truth of Bildad's statements then says how could any human be considered righteous before god (El). No one can argue with such wisdom and power, even if they wanted to. This God can move mountains, cause earthquakes, put out the light of the sun and stars. Only he spreads out the heavens and walks on water. He makes all the constellations and many other miracles and wonders that cannot be understood.

*This God is invisible to Job. (Then how does he know he exists?) He is also unstoppable and answers to no one. God (elowah) does not hold back his anger, even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. Who is Rahab? In this passage, it possibly represents Egypt and is not the same root as Rahab in The book of Joshua. How could Job argue with this God who could crush him and make him worse off than he is. Who can even beg him for mercy or justice?

*Job goes on to say that even though he is blameless, he doesn't care to go on living. That is why he says this God destroys both the blameless and the wicked with various  impartial acts of detriment to humanity. If God is not doing it, who is? Interesting. Do you suppose the first two Yahweh chapters were added to answer that question, thereby letting God off the hook?

*Job says time is passing very swiftly without any joy. Even if he tries to smile he still dreads his sufferings because he knows he will not be held innocent. If He's been judged guilty already, why should he put up a fight? Even if he metaphorically cleanses himself, he would be plunged into a slime pit. If only there was a mediator between him and this God, someone who could stop this disciplinary action so that he wouldn't be afraid to speak up for himself. But right now he can't.

Again, if you want to see a different, and sometimes more literal translation of this passage, read it in the KJ version as well. ( I never thought I would say that.)

Right now it seems that Job is saying all the good stuff and all the bad stuff of life is wrought by the same entity who dishes it out impersonally, without regard for innocence and guilt. Humans have no way to appeal.