Proverbs 3:18: “She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her.”
Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever wins souls is wise.”
Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Proverbs 15:4: “A healing tongue is a tree of life, but a deceitful one crushes the spirit.”
Revelation: 2:7b: “To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the Tree of Life which is in the Paradise of God.”
Revelation: 22:2b: “On either side of the river was a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
22:14: “How fortunate are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter through the gates into the city.”
22:18-19: “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.”
I like the Tree of Life Version (TLV) because of the Jewishness of its content. They intentionally set out to break traditional English versions and dared to substitute Hebrew terms for God (ex. Adonai Elyon), Jesus (Yeshua Messiah), Holy Spirit (Ruach), for holy (kadosh) days and festivals (ex. Sukkot) and a host of other traditional Jewish terms like saints or holy ones (kedoshim), peace (shalom), blessings (bracha), and hoshia-na (please save!).
Knowing these terms shines new light on the gospel and new understanding. My last example, “hoshia-na” (our hosanna), came to life this past year in a study of the gospels (Matt. 21:9, Mk 11:9-10, Jn 12:13), where I discovered that the meaning of “hoshia-na” is “save now or please save.” The people observing Yeshua’s entry into Jerusalem were not only cheering, as we preach and portray in our plays and pageants, they were crying out in earnest, “Save us now!” We have experienced enough of the oppression at the hands of the Romans soldiers. Perhaps, they had suffered long enough at the hands of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin.
Oppression is not an exclusive trait of governments. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each mention the abuse of widows: “They devour widows’ houses and make long prayers as a show (20:47).” Do you think it was legislators that the gospel writers were referring to? I suppose some could be guilty of “long prayers,” but he clearly accuses the religious leaders of his time as being the culprits.
Isaiah, on the other hand, also says, “Oy (Woe) to those enacting unjust decrees and recording corrupt legislation, to deprive the helpless of justice and rob the rights of the poor of My people so that widows may be their spoil and orphans their prey! What will you do on the day of visitation, when desolation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
I had an experience about five years ago that I will never forget. A widow from the East coast contacted me through The Widows Project. She had a home that was in foreclosure, and she had equity. I made several phone calls to pastors in the area, trying to locate legal help. I did not receive one call from anyone willing to help this woman in her area. She had a business too, which was in trouble as well. I believe that with the equity she claimed she had, she could have qualified for a reverse mortgage, saved her home and her equity. She was victimized by predatory lenders. It is not a new concept and has existed both in the governing powers and the religious community in the Bible.
I also like that the translators of the TLV Bible used the term “communities” instead of “church.” They more accurately translated the Greek term “Ekklesia,” which means the called out and “a ruling, governing body.” This discovery of Matthew 16:18, where Jesus declares to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build My community,” is more accurate to the text. The word “church” had not even been invented yet by any language. Its roots come from the German “Kirche.”
We fail to realize that the new community of faith was establishing a new identity for the followers of Yeshua. They were breaking away from the religious traditions of the Torah (Law) and its rules like “circumcision.” The Jewish side wanted to impose the Laws of its faith upon the Greeks (us). We still experience the same battles today over Charisma and non-Charisma and End Times Theology. How much simpler can we get than to embrace the Apostolic model and the Apostles Creed?
We all want to argue that the Apostolic age is over, but consider how much simpler it is. The problem is man. Rather than embrace a Theocratic model, we like to create titles, denominational names and distinctives, and argue about the non-essential.
Here is how Paul sums it up to a young Timothy. “Trustworthy is the saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Remind them of these things and solemnly charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which is useless—to the ruin of those who are listening. Make every effort to present yourself before God as tried and true, as an unashamed worker cutting a straight path with the word of truth. But avoid godless chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness and their words will spread like cancer. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus— men who have missed the mark concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place. They are overturning the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord keep away from unrighteousness.” Now in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay—some for honor and some for common use. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor—sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:11-21
Paul also emphasizes the issue in Titus 3: 9: “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about Torah, for they are unprofitable and useless.”
Is it really worth it? Does it accomplish God’s work? Or does it just implicate us all? I am guilty if I perpetuate the non-truth of most translations.
I also like the TLV because it more accurately conveys the subtle distinctive difference in the Greek word, “Doulos” meaning either slave or servant. Most translations, including King James, use the word “servant.” The TLV correctly uses the word “slave.” I wrote on this topic in my last book, BONDSLAVE: THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH ABOUT YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST.
My conviction is that Paul was talking about being a “slave” of Yeshua when he lists all the suffering he has experienced to the Corinthians. Servants do not endure prison, beatings, forty lashes minus one five times, stoned, three shipwrecks, danger from floods and robbers, danger at sea, sleepless nights, hunger, and thirst, cold and exposure. Do servants endure this type of treatment? I do not believe so. After all, the Lord prophesied that he was going to show Paul how much he must “suffer for My name’s sake (Acts 9:16).”
In Romans 6, Paul is abundantly clear that he is talking about spiritual slavery. We once were “slaves to sin,” but now you are “slaves to righteousness.” How many pastors have told you this? Few, because it is not politically correct to talk about slavery in any form today. It may not be popular, but it is the truth. We are slaves to that which we obey. Paul encourages us to be “set free from sin and become enslaved to God, you have fruit resulting in holiness. And the outcome is eternal life.” I encourage you to become and identify as a bondslave of Yeshua Messiah!
Just as an aside, I believe that King James (I do not respect him any more than I respect Satan) also had the Greek term “Doulos” translated as servant for this reason. What was the primary financial mechanism in his country? Slavery. He did not want to disparage that which he was involved in.
Man oppresses and Yeshua frees. We have seen it throughout history. Yeshua understands intimately man’s heart. We like to say they are good people. Adonai says the “heart is deceitful above all things, and incurable (it is redeemable though)—who can know it? I, Adonai, search the heart; I try the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to his deeds (Jeremiah 17:9-10).”
I should add that I do not hold King James as singularly responsible. There are 47 theologians who are culpable. I am personally concerned for their souls. They knowingly bowed to the king’s wishes and were disobedient to the King of Kings. There are consequences to their actions explained in Revelation 22: 18b-19: “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.”
Let us not continue to perpetuate a lie.
I want to quote Dr. Jeffrey L. Seif, Tanakh Project Manager and Vice President, “We believe that reckonings of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts have all too often been tendered by churchmen with little to no intellectual interest in the Jewish experience, no emotional connection to the Jewish people, and no real personal support for the Jewish homeland—Israel. The upshot of the disregard, be it intentional or accidental, is that biblical books that were written to Jews, for Jews, and about Jews lose a critical element—their actual Jewish essence. Readers wanting to come to terms with the Bible’s messages, messengers, and recipients are thus all too easily directed away from the main Author’s storylines and intents. Jewish displacement and replacement motifs come through in ways that are subtle and in ways that are not so subtle. Either way, and the translator’s intentions aside, God’s will and ways can be obscured through their jaded bias. The result is that anti-biblical prejudice germinates, the anti-biblical soul sickness inadvertently passes on to the next generation of Bible readers, and the world all too easily suffers the loss of a vision of What God is up to in HIs Word and in His world.” (pg. X, TLV Bible)
He is absolutely correct. This has gone on for generations, being handed down as gospel and the only true authority. I unapologetically say that I can no longer support the institution of church. I am cautious about the KJV of the Bible. The king had an objective and he succeeded in controlling his kingdom. That control has reached across the seas and subjected many to a man-made, religious culture—one in which he tried to usurp the true Head of his bride, Yeshua. He is like his father who also tried to usurp the God (Elohim), the true Sovereign of heaven and earth. I declare that there is only one true Sovereign, and it is not King James.