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VIEWPOINT
It seems that the
article deliberately articulated by a person who
anxious for fame and reprimand the Gospel and
Ethiopians as well, however, it is also a timing bomb
to destroy the facts on the Holy Bible. For
Christians, it doesn’t matter you are “modern reader”
or “old reader”, the Holy Bible was the same Then and
is same Now and will be the same in the Future and it
is the word of God forever. Hence, the word of God
should be the same forever and ever. Nobody has the
right to alter or to modify. (I’ll come to this point
later.)
It is a well-known fact that the Holy Bible was not
first written in the Western Society, so that all
“modern” English language Holy Bible editions are
translated. This creates a big room for
misunderstanding. I am wondering how many editions of
English Bible exist in the Western Society. As a
result, I don’t expect people like Mr. Dawson to
understand the facts on the Holy Bible. It is
undeniable fact that the Holy Bible is a perfect way
of eternal life and the true believers should accept
the word of God AS IT IS. There is no perfect in this
world other than word of God.
To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Dawson, it is better
to understand the concept of time, place and situation
at that time when the Holy Bible written, rather than
rushing to senile judgment.
I have never read such kind of bewildered article that
hold neither biblically nor historically supported
evidences. The reverend must lost his mind and his
hocus-pocus theory of evangelism is totally ridiculous
and weird.
Let’s see some of the hodge-podge “discoveries” of Mr.
Dawson:
1. ….at this time in history books, or rather scrolls,
were incredibly expensive…. a non-Jew could get hold
of a scroll of Isaiah is highly improbable to the
point that it is practically impossible.
2. We don't have a name for the official, which is
surprising if the story is true
3. The writer of Acts was not either Jewish or from
Israel.
4. that eunuchs could not be accepted into Judaism.
Read Deuteronomy 23:1, and you will have no doubts on
the subject.
5. One is that later copies of the Acts of the
Apostles added a verse for the moment when Philip asks
the Ethiopian if he understands what he has been
saying.
6. When the Ethiopian asks for baptism the intended
first readers and listeners of the book would know
that he had become a believer and had experienced a
conversion. It is unlikely that this is a true story….
I’ll go over Mr. Dawson’s hodge-podge “discoveries”
and if you don’t mind I’ll also give you the least 101
lessons on Ethiopian History, Holy Bible and Jews
cultural History.
Mr. Dawson said: “For modern readers of the Acts of the
Apostles it seems somewhat bizarre that a foreign high
official.”
Well, what is bizarre is the reverend’s knowledge of
Holy Bible that is very limited or he has a good
knowledge but doesn’t want to use for good. The eunuch
was not the first Ethiopian official to visit
Jerusalem. You need to read more on, for example, 1Kgs
and 2Chr.about Queen Sheba and King Solomon and the
close tie between Ethiopia and Jerusalem.
Ethiopian History lesson 101: When the queen of Sheba
heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of
the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train,
with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and
precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she
communed with him of all that was in her heart. … And
king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her
desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which
Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned
and went to her own country, she and her servants.
This shows that, what King Solomon gave to her could
be precious and incredibly expensive items, could be
gold or books or anything that is not mentioned on the
Holy Book. Maybe, King Menelik the son of Sheba
brought very precious material from Jerusalem. So, the
eunuch might got this …. incredibly expensive item.
Who knows? Mr. Dawson, I’ll leave you here … do
reasonable research and fill the incomplete
“discoveries” for you thirsty….
Mr. Dawson, you don’t have to rush to narrow-minded
conclusion “We don't have a name for the official,
which is surprising if the story is true.”
Let me ask you a question. Do you know the name of. a
certain ruler on Matt 9:18, or a woman, which was
diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years on
Matt 9:20, or the two blind men followed Jesus on Matt
9:27, or a dumb man possessed with a devil on Matt
9:32.
A braggart person like Mr. Dawson “put himself in the
position of Lord” is capable of answering this simple
“if the story is true” question. Isn’t it?
Mr. Dawson said: ”The writer of Acts was not either
Jewish or from Israel…..”
You don’t know who wrote book of Acts or just
confusing the readers.
Holy Bible lesson 101: Who wrote the book of Acts?
The book of Acts and Luke’s Gospel were written by
Luke the evangelist.
Now Mr. Dawson have a strong doubt in the book of
Acts, and when he finds out that the book of Luke
written by the same person, then his doubts on the
book of Luke will grow. Oh, yes here you go. “The
author of Luke, in his gospel, puts the same chapter
of Isaiah into Jesus' mouth so that Jesus can say the
same of himself.”
I think you are putting things in a mess properly.
Cool, so you know that Isaias was mentioned on all
four Gospels.
You said: “The point is that the author of Acts is
anxious….” “The author is setting out his stall ... “
Well, the author of Acts said on:
Acts.1:1 “The former treatise have I made, O
Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and
teach,”.
The author of Acts never anxious at all. The author of
Acts knows what he was writing, and he was not writing
a modern fiction as you assumed, he was neither in a
state of illusion. The author of Acts just recorded
what happened at that time. It is up to you guys to
accept or deny this solid fact. What a laughable
ruthless and philosophical approach!
In the first place, if you have doubt on the Holy
Bible or word of God, how do you get your title
‘reverend’ or is that just part of your name. It is
really very questionable!
No wonder when the Bible mention about the false
accusers on 2 Timothy
2Tim.3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.
Mr. Dawson said: “that eunuchs could not be accepted
into Judaism. Read Deuteronomy 23:1, and you will have
no doubts on the subject”
Holy Bible lesson 101: Moses was doing the Law for the
purpose of healthy in the Jews social life. If things
are not healthy for social life, then Moses crafted or
put on as a Law. By the same token, when we read
Deuteronomy, we find same social Law.
Deut.23:1 “He that is wounded in the stones, or hath
his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the
congregation of the LORD”.
When it says wounded or cut off, those are related to
any kind of damage or accident. Those who wounded or
cut off might not capable of controlling their waste
in the congregation of the LORD.
Even on Leviticus we can read the following:
Lev.15:2-3 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of
his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. And
this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether
his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped
from his issue, it is his uncleanness.”
Any man or woman hath a running issue out of his
flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. That means
small wounded on your leg, or face or women’s
menstruation considered as unclean. In general, those
Laws were concerning the cleanness of the
congregation.
In the New Testament, let’s see to the point you
raised the eunuch issue:
Matt: 19:12 “For there are some eunuchs, which were so
born from their mother's womb: and there are some
eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be
eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the
kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive
it, let him receive it.”
Accordingly, there are three categories for eunuchs:
Those born from their mother’s womb, those made
eunuchs of men and those which have made themselves
eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.
Mr. Dawson said: “The chance that this man was the
Ethiopian Chancellor of the Exchequer is remote.”
I am not surprised that the chance of your seeing of
the fact on the Holy Bible is remote. To continue on
the least history lesson of Ethiopia 101, any Queen
had eunuch servants. The history of Ethiopia is the
history of Kingdom. Eunuch servants are very
respected, the most believed servants, by the King,
the Queen and the people. Even the late Ethiopian
Emperor Haile Selassie’s wife, Queen Menen, had eunuch
servants. One of the eunuch servants, resided in the
US.
In this sense, the Ethiopian eunuch on verse Acts.
8:27 proves that eunuchs are capable of being a great
authority and in charge of all treasure. So, this
Ethiopian eunuch could be natural and born from their
mother's womb. Therefore, there is absolutely no
problem with being a great authority and in charge of
all treasure or that eunuchs could be accepted into
Judaism.
See the following verse,
Jeremiah 38:7 “Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one
of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard
that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king
then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;”
How Ebedmelech came in to the king’s house? Doesn’t
this tell you something that the eunuchs are capable
of being a great authority in the King’s house? Oh!
The vagabond reverend knows everything….
Let’s see one step further ahead and see verse from
Isaiah
Isa.56:4-5 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs
that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that
please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto
them will I give in mine house and within my walls a
place and a name better than of sons and of daughters:
I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not
be cut off.
The word of God proved that Eunuchs have given
everlasting name.
Next point,
Mr. Dawson: “….One is that later copies of the Acts of
the Apostles added a verse…” and “When the Ethiopian
asks for baptism the intended first readers and
listeners of the book would know that he had become a
believer and had experienced a conversion. It is
unlikely that this is a true story”
A proverb that goes: “Poison is poison though it comes
in a golden cup” will fit to your effort. However, in
one of the oldest “Geez” Holy Book we can read the
same verse
Acts. 8:37-38 “And Philip said, If thou believest with
all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they
went down both into the water, both Philip and the
eunuch; and he baptized him.”
The Ethiopian eunuch answered I believe that “Jesus
Christ is the Son of God” and Baptized by Philip.
Mr. Dawson, to continue on a history lesson on
Ethiopia 101. This indicates that Ethiopians started
to believe in Jesus right away around 32 AD. Besides,
the Ethiopian tradition also maintains that the
Apostle Matthew evangelized Ethiopia, and there was
most certainly a very early Christian presence in
Ethiopia from the first century AD.
Ethiopians have had a close relationship to Jerusalem
even the wife of Moses is said to have been an
Ethiopian. From the Holy Bible we can also learn that
the worship of the true God was officially announced
and established by Queen Sheba on her return from her
historic visit to King Solomon at Jerusalem. The Queen
was then converted to the worship of the true God. Her
conversion was the light she found in King Solomon's
wisdom - the light who is God and therefore, greater
than Solomon. This shows that Ethiopians were
following the Old Testament law like circumcision for
a long time in generations.
One more verse:
Amos 9:7 “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians
unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have
not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and
the Philistines from caphtor, and the Syrians from
Kir?”
In Ethiopia Circumcision, after substituted by
Baptism, is a part of Ethiopian Culture. The Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church believes that Baptism is born
again.
To be frank, the only problem with the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahedo Church is that the lack teaching of
the difference between Dogma and Cannon of the church.
The church keep a clear Dogma and Cannon for
centuries. Other than lack of teaching, the church
follows the true Gospel for the last two thousand
years. The Dogma of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo
Church never mixed up with hodge-podge western
philosophy. That is why the western business oriented
churches who trades “in the name of Jesus”,
continuously attacking the Orthodox Church for the
last centuries.
From the day one, Jesus Christ was never accepted by
the world. Jesus’s mission never understood by the
Jews and now by world, it is not totally surprising,
in this ‘modern’ world, the way or tactic of attacking
of Jesus Christ is changed from day-to-day and
time-to-time. It is obvious on Luke 4, devil quoted
from the Holy Bible to cheat Jesus Christ.
Let’s see an example, what people were saying:
John 6:41-43 The Jews then murmured at him, because he
said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And
they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose
father and mother we know? how is it then that he
saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore
answered and said unto them, Murmur not among
yourselves.....
Mr. Dawson, don’t murmur rather listen what the Lord
said:
John.5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
The Modern Business world has great respect for MONEY
than Jesus Christ. One of the writer said: “Religion
was life in Jerusalem, but is System in modern Europe
and Business in the US.” The US Business oriented
churches are selling the name of Jesus for Money. That
is the reason, business minded churches choose
splitting and creating groups and denominations in the
name of Jesus, instead of, uniting and becoming one.
Eph. 4:3-6 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and
one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and
in you all.
What a business minded world!
Another point, Mr. Dawson said: “James, the “Lord's
brother”?” If you are referring to the Lord in the
Holy Bible, this is very misleading concept!
To talk about the future you need to know the past.
Based on this, I assume you believe in history since
you mentioned about your own history “Some of my
family were workers on the railway in England....”
Jews cultural History 101: In Jews cultural society,
the usage of “brother” or “sister” has its own
history. Jews are very close each other. In fact,
whenever a Jew introduced somebody to other, they used
to call “brother” or “sister”. It includes, their
“cousin”, “half brother or sister”, and even
“relatives” and “country person” too, used to call
“brother” or “sister”. The point is that in this
concept “brother” or “sister” doesn’t necessarily mean
they have the same parent.
On the other side, in Western culture (Europe and US),
when one European or American call “brother” or
“sister” they must born from the same parent, and
“half brother or sister” born from father or mother.
There is only one straight meaning.
Anyway, my point is Jesus Christ didn’t have any
brother or sister by blood. Mary was: virgin before
Jesus was born, virgin when Jesus was born, and virgin
after Jesus was born. When James testified, he said
that he is a servant but not the brother of Jesus
Christ.
Jas.1:1 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered
abroad, greeting.”
Jude also testified that he is the servant of Jesus,
and a brother of James
Jude.1:1 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and
brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God
the Father,”
Another verses;
Luk 6:16 “And Judas the brother of James, and Judas
Iscariot, which also was the traitor.”
Acts.1:13 “And when they were come in, they went up
into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James,
and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew,
and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.”
For James and Juda, it would have been a blessing, big
respect and fortunate to say: “we are a brother of
Jesus Christ.” However, they testified that they are
the servants of Jesus Christ. However, James and Juda
never claimed they are Jesus’s brothers. It is crafted
by Mr. Watson’s mad Evangelism theory.
Besides, what I understand from your article is either
you have a problem with understanding or ... a Holy
Bible or your gut feelings tell you to hate Ethiopia.
Then Hate leads you to another grave mistake and now
to write this article.
There is a quotation on the big wall outside, not far
from the place where I leave. The quotation goes:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do
that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do
that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies
violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a
descending spiral of destruction...The chain reaction
of evil-hate begetting hate, wars producing more
wars-must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the
dark abyss of annihilation.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Isn’t that beautiful quotation.
Mr. Dawson said: “I don't personally believe that
Jesus did think that he was the fulfillment of the
Scriptures in the way.” It is weird! What do you know
what Jesus think? Do you just put yourself in the
position of Lord? Wow, a reverend who accuses the
Scripture but put him self in the position of Lord as
stated: on Matt.9:4 “And Jesus knowing their thoughts
said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?”
The other issue Mr. Dawson raised was that: “Jeremiah
says "Can the Nubian change his skin?"” How can you
make such kind of silly mistake? Let me borrow a word
from your follower, it doesn’t make a sense.
Let’s look what the Bible said:
Jer.13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the
leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are
accustomed to do evil.
This verse teach me that you guys are capable of
changing word of God from the Holy Bible to suit to
your own business benefit.
On the following editions of Bible Jer.13:23 Can the
Ethiopian change his skin. KJV, NKJV, NLT, NASB, RSV,
Webster’s, Derby’s, and HNV. The original version says
Cushite or Kushite that means Ethiopian.
Mr. Dawson, I doubt your position of whole heartedly
believing in Holy Bible. The only enemy of the Holy
Bible as far as I heard is the Devil. Unfortunately,
Devil also believes in Jesus.
Jas 2 [19] “Thou believest that there is one God; thou
doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
It is understandable that there is really a big secret
mission behind “Evangelism then and now” article.
Jesus Christ was never accepted by the world. Even
nowadays, the tactics of devil in attacking of Jesus
is changed from time to time. Devil never ever sleeps
to despoil Jesus’s name by taking very little true
from the Holy Bible. In fact, in this damn new
“modern” world, with the guide of Lucifer, the meaning
of the Holy Bible altered.
Let me tell you a story, a story you might know very
well, a story of a master teacher who was known in
modifying the Holy Bible, a teacher of “modern”
theology who open the door for multiplication of
sects....
Once upon a time in the 16th century, there was an
evil person in Germany. After he studied philosophy,
one day he was on his way back to Erfurt from parents'
house, is caught in ‘a bad thunderstorm’. He was in
love with “Sola” like “Sola Fide” and “Sola
Scripture”. “Sola” means “alone” or “only”. So, when
he formulated his own Doctrine – “Justification by
faith only”, he added “allein” in the Holy Bible of
German translation that doesn’t exist in original
versions. The German word “allein” means “alone” or
“only” in English. After he caught in ‘a bad
thunderstorm’, he widened the door to ‘a bad
thunderstorm’ to the interpretation of the Holy
Bible.... The name of the master was Martin Luther.
Here is the evidence,
Rome 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
The translation in German:
Roemers 3:28 “So halten wir es nun, daß der Mensch
gerecht werde ohne des Gesetzes Werke, allein durch
den Glauben. “
Please note that: “Allein” is the word added by Martin
Luther.
As a result, Mr. Dawson, reverend who anxious for
fame, by following the footstep of Martin Luther of
Germany, who would like to produce another special
Holy Bible by excluding eunuch and Ethiopia to satisfy
his denomination “change it for the better” is totally
a devil idea. There is a Russian proverb that goes "if
you sleep with the dogs you have to stand the fleas"
that applies to Mr. Dawson too.
In concluding, what I say is Evangelism Then was
strong, pure, life and true than Now.
Adios!!!
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