No People
The following verse should arrest the attention of the serious bible student.
Rom:3:5: But if our
unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous
who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
At this point in Paul’s writings he categorizes what he is saying as that like a man. Most would assume that he was speaking as a man in all that he wrote and there is no need for him to point it out. Why then did he make the point that he was speaking as a man? The answer begs the question: in the rest of his writings what is he speaking as?
KJV Romans 3:5 But <1161> if
<1487> our <2257> unrighteousness <93> commend <4921>
(5719) the righteousness <1343> of God <2316>, what <5101>
shall we say <2046> (5692)? <3361> Is God <2316> unrighteous <94> who taketh
<2018> (5723) vengeance <3709>? (I speak <3004> (5719) as
<2596> a man <444>)
This is the definition of the Greek word “man” from “Strong’s Concordance”
444 a;nqrwpoj anthropos
{anth'-ro-pos}
Meaning:
1) a human being, whether male or female 1a) generically, to
include all human individuals 1b) to distinguish man from beings of a different
race or order 1b1) of animals and plants 1b2) of from God and Christ 1b3) of
the angels 1c) with the added notion of weakness, by which man is led into a
mistake or prompted to sin 1d) with the adjunct notion of contempt or
disdainful pity 1e) with reference to two fold nature of man, body and soul 1f)
with reference to the two fold nature of man, the corrupt and the truly
Christian man, conformed to the nature of God 1g) with reference to sex, a male
2) indefinitely, someone, a man, one 3) in the plural, people 4) joined with
other words, merchantman
Origin:
from 435 and ops (the countenance, from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a
human being; TDNT - 1:364,59; n m
Usage:
AV - man 552, not tr 4, misc 3; 559
I have classified Melchisedec, not a man, but a saint because of the record in these four verses.
Hebrews 7
1: For this
Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham
returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2: To whom also
Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of
righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3: Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
In the
next verse the King James translators classified Melchisedec as a man, however
the word “man” is not in the underlying Greek texts from which the King James
Version and most all versions are translated.
4: Now consider how great
this man was, unto whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
The
Greek word “anthropos” nor any other Greek word for “man”
is in the underlying Greek texts in this verse.
KJV Hebrews 7:4 Now <1161> consider <2334> (5719) (5720)
how great <4080> this man <3778> was, unto whom
<3739> even <2532> the patriarch <3966> Abraham <11>
gave <1325> (5656) the tenth <1181> of <1537> the spoils
<205>.
The translators
inserted the word “man”. It is only the word “houtos” which is defined only as
the word “this”.
3778 ou-toj houtos
{hoo'-tos} including nominative masculine plural houtoi {hoo'-toy}, nominative
feminine singular haute {how'-tay} and nominative feminine plural hautai
{how'-tahee}
Meaning:
1) this
There are a number of other places where the word “man” has been inserted even though it is not in the underlying texts. It seems that the translators and theologians did not understand Paul’s gospel. This is not surprising since Paul himself proclaimed that by the ending of his life all but a handful had turned away from his message.
Here is another example of the improper insertion of the word “man” in the English translation where there is no such word in the Greek texts.
I Corinthians12:7, But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
KJV 1 Corinthians
12:7 But <1161> the manifestation <5321> of the Spirit
<4151> is given <1325> (5743) to
every man <1538> to <4314> profit withal <4851> (5723).
1538 e[kastoj hekastos
{hek'-as-tos}
Meaning:
1) each, every
Origin:
as if a superlative of hekas (afar);; adj
Usage:
AV - every man 39, every one 20, every 17, misc 7; 83
Paul, in his writing, purposely did not use the word “man” in this verse because the preceding verses successively delineate between saints and “men” of faith and then unites them. So the entire group is comprised of saints and men of faith. To have used the word “man” for this collective in verse seven would have violated the truth that saints are not spiritually defined as men and since saints were a part of the whole body of Christ.
On this subject, these verses in Acts become illuminating when understood and accurately translated. All cultures in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean at the time believed that the gods came in the likeness of men. Each culture had its own myths and fables regarding the gods coming in the likeness of men. Each myth was derived from the pre-deluge prophecy of Enoch that was carried forward by Noah as recorded by Jude in verse 14. “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,”
8: And there sat a
certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's
womb, who never had walked:
9: The same heard Paul
speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be
healed,
10: Said with a loud
voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
11: And when the
people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech
of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
12: And they called
Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
13: Then the priest of
Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates,
and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14: Which when the
apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in
among the people, crying out,
15: And saying,
Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and
preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God,
which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
From the Greek text, this KJV translation is inadequate. Most all translation translate this verse in the same manner stating that Paul and Luke were accounted as men. The word order from the Greek interlinears has the English transliteration as such:
And saying, Men, why these things do ye? Also we of like feelings with you men.
The The New American Bible has the translation this verse more appropriate for the word order in the Greek language.
NAB Acts 14:15 "Men, why are you
doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you
good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, 'who made
heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.'
Even in this more appropriate translation the insertion of the comma not present in the Greek language skews the understanding of the reader.
Paul and Luke never denied that they were gods in the likeness of men. They only said they had feelings like the men who wanted to honor them purely as gods.
Saints are of the same nature as men because for them the spirit of Christ has been given into human souls. Still, yet, according to Paul, to whom the Lord revealed the fullness of the great mystery, saints are not accounted as men.
Rom:10:19: But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
The word “no” before people is the absolute negative in the Greek language. The Greek word, “ethnos”, for people includes the meaning of “the entire human race.” The “no people” of Paul’s writings are the saints. The foolish or unlearned nation that was to anger Israel are the Gentiles.
Again, Romans 3:5;
But if our
unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God
unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I
speak as a man)
At this point in Paul’s writings he categorizes what he is saying as that like a man. This begs the question: in the rest of his writings what is he speaking as?
Answer: He was speaking in Christ as a saint of the Lord Jesus Christ who was broken forth from eternity with the final message yet to be fulfilled.