Eluvia

MJAA SE Conference Success!

minikon — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:12:00 -0500

WOW! We had such a great time at the Messianic Conference in Orlando! We met so many incredible people and had many wonderful conversations. We were truly blessed!

We greatly appreciate all of the support and interest in what Eluvia is doing. It’s the opportunity to connect with each of you, one on one, and discuss the things that matter most that really makes these events so unforgettable.

We have a lot of great new products and events coming up that we can’t wait to tell you about! Be sure to check back often or subscribe to our feed so you don’t miss anything!

Pictured above: The Eluvians with Ben the Incredi-Boy

Paul or Shaul?

minikon — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:03:00 -0400

Why would you ask a question to which you already knew the answer?

Like Daniel J. Boorstin once said, the great obstacle to progress is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. While reading James White’s article regarding the gospel of Matthew (or Matityahu, as was his name), I was surprised to learn that the first gospel in the apostolic scriptures was probably written in Hebrew. I understood that my sense of surprise came from my assumption that I already knew what there was to know about the origins of the “New Testament”. I thought I already had the answer, so I never asked the question.

Spurred on by his article, I wanted to see what else ancient historians - people who were much closer to the events than modern biblical scholars - had to say regarding the Jewishness of the language of the apostles. I discovered that, in addition to Matityahu’s account of Yeshua, there are reasons to believe that the Book of Hebrews was written originally in Hebrew, as well. And by no less a person than the apostle Paul, or, as his contemporaries knew him, Rabbi Shaul.

EUSEBIUS, JEROME, AND CONTEXT

Eusebius refers to Clement’s Hypotyposes when stating in Church History 6.14.2:

“He says that the Epistle to the Hebrews is the work of Paul, and that it was written to the Hebrews in the Hebrew language; but that Luke translated it carefully and published it for the Greeks, and hence the same style of expression is found in this epistle and in the Acts.”

Earlier, in Church History 3.38.2-3, Eusebius states:

“Wherefore it has seemed reasonable to reckon it with the other writings of the apostle. For as Paul had written to the Hebrews in his native tongue, some say that the evangelist Luke, others that this Clement himself, translated the epistle.”

And then there’s Jerome who, in the fifth chapter of his On Illustrious Men, wrote that Rabbi Shaul, “being a Hebrew wrote Hebrew, that is his own tongue and most fluently”, and goes on to hypothesize that perhaps the reason the Book of Hebrews is in such a different style than Shaul’s is because it was translated into Greek from Hebrew.

To say nothing of the indirect evidence that arises when you translate the Greek texts into Hebrew, such as the wordplay that Jewish writers are so fond of, as well as those “secondary layers of meaning” James mentioned in his article.

We know from Scripture and archaeological evidence (contemporaneous letters, coins, et al.) that Hebrew was a living and hallowed language at the time of Yeshua, and that Yeshua spoke it. The common Jew under Roman rule was very adamant about resisting syncretism and assimilation into Hellenistic culture, including and especially the Greek language (as the Maccabean revolt and the Bar Kochba rebellion can testify to).

WORLDVIEW AND HUMILITY

It would make sense. Why would a Jew write in Greek if he were writing for a Jewish audience regarding inherently Jewish topics, topics best related in the Hebrew language? Hebrew had already developed terms to deal with concepts like the messiah, salvation, and the unity of justice and mercy. A writer needs to write with an audience in mind. The audience for the Book of Hebrews were Hebrews.

It can be humbling, to say the least, for a person raised with a Hellenistic, Western worldview to learn that the scriptures they’ve been studying were written by people with Jewish, Eastern worldviews for people with Jewish, Eastern worldviews. The differences between Eastern and Western mentalities are considerable, and the negative effects of trying to grasp Jewish concepts through translations of translations of a text written in an age long gone by a person with a radically different outlook on life can be seen in any account of church history.

Even if all of the apostolic scriptures were originally written in Koine Greek, weren’t they still written by Jews? About Jews? To Jews? The entire Bible is a Jewish book, and to claim “mastery” of it with a Hellenistic worldview is misguided at best.

Which is only to say what should always be said: we all need to take a step back, conform our minds to Yeshua’s model, and look at scripture with a fresh Jewish perspective.

E. English

Interview: Brian Roes

minikon — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:43:00 -0400

Last month I had the opportunity to sit down with Brian Roes, founder and director of Camp Bara’, a Messianic Jewish children’s drama camp that takes place every summer at Beth Israel Messianic Synagogue in Jacksonville, Florida. The camp focuses on teaching principles of scripture through drama and other creative means. Over the two weeks that the kids are there, they write, design, produce, and perform a play from scratch, almost entirely from the children’s creative minds. Our conversation took place just days before the camp’s final performance, which is always something incredibly unique and entertaining. I wanted to know more about Brian’s approach to creativity in his work.

First of all, thanks for taking the time to meet with me in the midst of everything you have going on with the Camp.

I’m glad we could do it, and thank you. Its nice to take a coffee break.

Jumping right in, what made you want to start writing and directing? What got you into it?

When I was 10 or so, I wrote a little skit for a Vacation Bible School performance. I remember my classmates really enjoyed themselves, and I had a lot of fun doing it. Also, my sister and I used to make music videos with our family’s video camera. After I became a professional music and drama teacher, I began to see firsthand that children and adults alike love to tell and hear stories in creative ways. After some professional development and a lot of getting over myself, I began to turn the stories in my imagination into scripts. Then I was challenged by some mentors to go a step further give that process over to the children.

As in, letting them take creative control?

Yeah. I began to give them the freedom, but also the structure, they needed to create their own productions without their ideas needing to be filtered through my creative process first.

Was it challenging making that transition? Letting go of the creative process in that way?

I think the biggest challenge for me was letting go of the end result. A lot of directors, when dealing with a production where the cast is comprised of children, have a somewhat static and pre-defined end in mind. They purchase or write a script and then think to themselves “if I can just get them to do what’s written down here I’ll be safe and we won’t have a disaster on our hands.” So the whole production becomes an exercise in trying to get kids to fit into the director’s ideas. I’ve developed a method of directing children that’s very different. I start with a general framework, but let most of creativity come from the kids. My job is to guide their creativity, but not try to cut it short if it veers from what I had in mind. That’s the biggest challenge I think. Letting go of the outcomes.

You’ve touched on a really interesting point there with regard to letting go. That’s seems applicable to almost any creative medium.

I think so. All art inherently has some element of risk, I think, whether it be trying something you’ve never done before, or just putting yourself out there creatively for people to see.

How would you define creativity?

Man, that’s a doosie. My best attempt…the ability to use one’s own imagination to create a new and original product by reworking and reinventing the basic elements of an idea.

It sounds like you’ve been asked that before.

Ha! Well, I think that’s what all of the great inventors, philosophers, thinkers, and motivators do. It’s also what most children do when they’re immersed in constructive play. Creativity is taking elements of something that already exists, playing with those elements in different ways, and making them into something else.

Essentially, there’s nothing new under the sun?

Right, in the sense that the ultimate source of our creativity is the God of Israel, and he’s the only one who has ever created something from nothing. As human beings we’re limited in our ability to create because we have to first start with elements that already exist. Scripture says that the Son, Yeshua, is the image of the invisible God and in him all things have been created “through him and for him.” Whatever it is we happen to stumble upon during our own creative musings are really just a speck of something HaShem has already created. But still, I think the Lord loves it when we do create.

For you, what’s the biggest hurdle to get over during the creative process? What gets in your way?

Trying to do more than one project at a time will kill my ability to be productive. I have gotten to the point where I will only work on my current project regardless of the start date of my next project. If that means I’m really crunched when the next thing starts, then that’s how it is. Trying to separate creative energies in multiple directions gets me nowhere. I have learned how to multitask the menial details that prepare me to move on to the next project, but the creative elements just need to wait. Otherwise I seem to botch up both projects.

Are there any fears that you have to get over when writing and directing? In other words, are there things internally that you have to overcome?

Oh, you bet. Most of my fears though have to do with what I mentioned earlier, the idea of letting go of my perceived right to control the final product of what I write and direct…especially when working with children. I think I’m learning my lesson and getting over this fear more as time goes on. It’s pretty humbling when time after time six-year-olds come up with better ideas than me.

Do you ever take credit for a kid’s good idea and then kick him or her out of the play so that no one is the wiser?

Ha! That’s a good idea. I’ll need to try that sometime…don’t tell anyone!

Rapid fire question. What sort of things inspire you?

The scriptures. There’s an endless amount of awesome themes and literary concepts to be inspired by, and the coolest thing is that they’re true stories. Thinking about the love of Adonai. More obscurely…recordings of children singing beautiful, unusual songs. My Rabbi. Underdog stories. Friends who have tried and tried and tried again, and are still trying. They inspire me. Also, really nice notebooks and pens help the ideas flow better.

Camp Bara’ serves many Jewish children, but also non-Jews as well. Is it challenging creating content for kids with widely different backgrounds?

Not really, though there are sometimes widely different experiences on both sides. There are some Jewish children that have had a lot of exposure to Jewish lifestyle, like the holidays and Torah, but very little or no New Covenant concepts. For those kids it seems like it’s an easier transition, because Yeshua fits so perfectly into those things. On the other side, there are those kids that have been raised in church, who have a lot of knowledge of Yeshua, but for them Camp Bara’ is their first experience with Jewish world. It’s all new to them. But that can be a positive, as they’re not coming in with preconceived notions as to what Jewish culture is. I always try to remember that these children are going to grow up to be doctors, lawyers, intellectuals, teachers, politicians, and philanthropists. Even if Camp Bara’ was their only experience with Jewish culture and heritage, they’ll remember it as a positive experience in their life. We are building an emotional and personal connection in their hearts with the Jewish people and the God of Israel. Those are the kinds of things that stay with a kid as he or she grows up.

Well said. Final question. If you could travel to any planet, what food would you eat when you got back?

Uhh. Taco salad?

Sorry. The correct answer was baked beans.

Ha! I should have known.

——

In addition to his role at Camp Bara’, Brian is the Shabbat School Director at Beth Israel Messianic Synagogue as well as the music and drama instructor at Riverside Presbyterian Day School in Jacksonville, Florida. He has written multiple dramatic productions performed in venues ranging from outdoor stages to The Florida Theatre.

For more information on Camp Bara’, visit www.CampBara.com. Follow Brian on Facebook or Twitter.

*During my interview, Brian credited The American Orff-Schulwerk Association and their work as influential in his development in children’s education.

J. Burke

Matthew or Matityahu?

minikon — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:39:00 -0400

It’s common knowledge among believers of Messiah that the “New Testament” was written in Greek before being translated into Latin, German, and so on. But is the common knowledge correct knowledge? Is Greek the language these manuscripts were originally drafted in, or were the gospels and letters of the apostles first translated into Greek from yet another language? Evidence supports the idea that the gospel of Matthew, at least, was originally composed in the language of the Messiah himself: Hebrew.

I was introduced to this concept one yom shabbat morning when my rabbi glibly mentioned it during his drash. I was shocked and intrigued, wondering why I’d never heard this before. I looked into it and discovered that, while the debate goes on, most resources assert that the answer is clear: Matthew was originally written in Greek. Quoting from biblical scholars, they lay the old nine-out-of-ten-experts-agree card on the table.

So why was my rabbi so sure that the gospel of Matthew (or Matityahu, as he was known) was originally written in the Hebrew language? If biblical scholars disagree, where else can we look? How about the historians of the time? Wouldn’t they know more than any modern experts?

HISTORIANS SPEAK

Josephus, who was active during the first century CE, claims that the Jews at the time spoke Hebrew as well as Greek and Aramaic:

“And being sensible that exhortations are frequently more effectual than arms, [Titus] persuaded [the Jews] to surrender [Jerusalem], now in a manner already taken, and thereby to save themselves, and sent Josephus to speak to them in their own language; for he imagined they might yield to the persuasion of a countryman of their own.” Josephus, The Jewish War 5.9.2 (c. 75 CE)

Here are a few references to Matityahu’s gospel itself from other historians:

“So then Matthew wrote the oracles in the Hebrew language, and every one interpreted them as he was able.” Papias (150-170 CE) as quoted by Eusebius, Church History 3.39.16 (c. 324 CE)

“Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church.” Ireneus, Against Heresies 3.1.1 (c. 180 CE)

“Among the four Gospels, which are the only indisputable ones in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew, who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ, and it was prepared for the converts from Judaism, and published in the Hebrew language.” Origen (c. 210 C.E.) as quoted by Eusebius, Church History 6.25.4 (c. 324 CE)

“For Matthew, who had at first preached to the Hebrews, when he was about to go to other peoples, committed his Gospel to writing in his native tongue, and thus compensated those whom he was obliged to leave for the loss of his presence.” Eusebius, Church History 3.24.6 (c. 324 CE)

“[The Nazarenes] have the Gospel according to Matthew quite complete in Hebrew, for this Gospel is certainly still preserved among them as it was first written, in Hebrew letters”. Epiphanius, Panarion 29:9:4 (c. 378 CE)

“Matthew, who is also Levi, and from a tax collector came to be an emissary first of all evangelists composed a Gospel of Messiah in Judea in the Hebrew language and letters, for the benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed, who translated it into Greek is not sufficiently ascertained. Furthermore, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so diligently collected.” Jerome, On Illustrious Men (c. 392 CE)

This is not to say, however, that all of the texts of Matityahu’s gospel in Hebrew are legitimate. One in particular, the Shem-Tov, claims that gentiles will not be converted until the Thousand Year Reign of Messiah, and that any attempt to do so now is the work of Anti-Messiah (a contention which obviously does not conform with the rest of scripture, let alone history).

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

The testimony of the historians is just the beginning of our understanding of this topic. If these historians are to be believed, however, then we have to agree that the debate is over. Matityahu, a Jew writing for a Jewish audience, wrote his account of the Jewish messiah in the Jewish language: Hebrew.

So, why does this matter? The same reason that studying alI of scripture from the Jewish perspective matters: a deeper understanding of God’s Word. Scripture was written by Jews for Jews. It is Jewish from cover to cover. If Matityahu’s gospel was originally written in Hebrew, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it flows better and contains secondary layers of meaning that would otherwise be lost in a Greek translation.

But the debate goes on.

J. White

United with Israel: Wallpaper Available

minikon — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:03:25 -0400

UNITED WITH ISRAEL (Hebrew script reads ‘Israel’)

Available in five resolutions in the downloads section.

The Enigma of Balaam

minikon — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:37:00 -0400

Parshat Balak / Numbers 22:2–25:9

THE READING

It’s not uncommon for me to come away from reading the scriptures with the distinct impression that I don’t comprehend God as well as previously thought. In fact, that seems to be the norm. Still, I get into a rhythm sometimes where I think everything fits neatly into an organized, theological box. A+B=C…always. God thinks this way about this thing or that. If someone does something bad, they will be punished. Prophets aren’t evil…you know, that sort of stuff. I came away from Parshat Balak scratching my head.

Balaam is an enigma. The apparent facts; he is a prophet. He charges fees for handing out blessings and curses. He has some sort of relationship with the God of Israel. He is well known in his country for his services. He has a certain level of understanding of God. He doesn’t know God’s plan for Israel. He knows he has to speak what the Lord tells him. He calls Adonai “the Lord my God”. He had to go through the rest of his life knowing that his donkey might talk back.

My mind wants to put Balaam in a box, tape it up, and label him “False Prophet”. And that’s what he is, to be sure. He is a false prophet who uses his gifts for evil. But its God’s actions in this portion and everything in Balaam’s life leading up to this point that make my brain hurt. I can wrap my head around the idea of a false prophet, sort of, but it’s the fact that Balaam has apparently had some sort of relationship with Adonai for a long time, so much so that he says to Balak’s representatives, essentially, “hold on a sec, I’m going to go ask God what I should do here.” Balaam has an expectation that he has God’s ear. That implies to me that he’s used to this. What?!

THE TAKEAWAY

A lot of this stuff doesn’t make sense to me, but that’s okay. If I fully understood the mind of God and his methods my brain would explode. In scripture, we often come across things that are mysterious, confusing, or just hidden for a time. If we’re honest, some things we read might not even seem right or fair. Scripture is supposed to be challenging, to be humbling. There are those who will read Torah and conclude that God isn’t fair, or that his actions are morally wrong. This thinking comes from a place of pride, putting the creation above the Creator. It says my morality, my understanding, my beliefs are higher than God’s and I won’t humble myself before a God whose theology doesn’t match my own. Instead of changing their understanding to accept God’s position, they either make a new god that doesn’t offend them, or they become a god to themselves, creating their own morality. It’s our responsibility as God’s children to humble ourselves and accept God’s providence; to know that in the end, he knows better than us.

Also, don’t count somebody as worthy or blessed just because they exhibit spiritual gifts. How someone can operate with spiritual gifts and use them for evil is a mystery - to try to understand it would be to understand the methods of sorcerers, which is forbidden knowledge – but Balaam’s life is proof that it can happen. Just because something good comes out of it doesn’t mean that God approves, or that you should follow that person’s council. God used Balaam to bless Israel four times. That doesn’t mean that God was alright with him being there. It’s possible that Balaam may have once been a man who had a good relationship with God, who operated in righteousness, but eventually decided to walk down the path of evil. We don’t know. But we do know that at some point he decided to use his gifts for his own benefit, and not for God. We’re allowed a glimpse at what that decision ultimately turned him into. Here’s a hint; there are actually two talking donkeys in this portion.

J. Burke

Created: One

minikon — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:15:00 -0400

How did the universe form? What made humanity the dominant species on Earth? Why are these questions important?

The topic of our origins affects more than just our knowledge of history: it cuts straight to our perception of reality. Shouldn’t every human being decide for him- or herself what they believe regarding the beginnings of humanity, the universe, and all reality?

Your understanding of the origin of life is one of the prime presuppositions that informs your worldview. A presupposition is a foundational understanding by which you judge any new knowledge or experiences. Stacked together in a set, your presuppositions form your worldview, the lens through which you see and make sense of the world. You - and everyone around you - use your worldview reflexively and involuntarily not only to interpret reality, but also to make decisions.

THE MAN FROM CHAOS

For a moment, imagine you are convinced that you and your world were not created by any god, but are the results of chance and time. The forces that were at play during the slow development of the heavens and humanity did not produce anything other than exclusively material beings on an exclusively material world. As a materialist, you know that matter is the sole substance of reality, and material interaction can and does account for all phenomena in the universe. Even the illusion of human consciousness is merely the result of unintelligent biology, and humans are chemical machines, with as much of a “soul” as any rock in the cosmos.

However, even the term “cosmos” - Greek for “order” or “harmony” - presupposes some kind of unity. Can there be any such universal organization without an overseeing organizer to do the job? No, and so the order of the cosmos is yet another myth. You, the materialist, are the product of a universe of chaos.

For the man from chaos, the concept of “truth” or “meaning” is another myth. Since the unpredictable universe formed for no reason, there is no universal meaning for anything. If reality is meaningless, how can you find any basis for personal meaning: any foundation for truth, precedent for ethics, or authority for moral judgments? You must fabricate your own meaning for life, despite the fact that any meaning you could concoct would invariably be absurd and impossible to prove, thus impossible to defend in the mind of another individual whose own meaning is diametrically opposed to yours, yet just as valid.

In the face of universal meaninglessness, all human endeavor also becomes absurd. Art, science, philosophy, and charity all have the same effect as murder, theft, destruction, or debauchery. In a world with no standards for right or wrong, all actions are the same, and none have any effect on the faceless, implacable universe. In a world that was not created, creativity has no real value. Everything will be forgotten with time.

For the non-created materialist who is brave enough to confront the meaningless chaos of the universe with intellectual honestly, free of all self-deception, the reasonable conclusion of the existential path is inevitably a choice between two extremes: hedonism or nihilism. Either please yourself as much as you can, or retreat into your tomb forever.

Do everything you want, or do nothing at all; either way it doesn’t matter.

THE MAN FROM COSMOS

Now imagine that you are convinced that you were created. That is, you are not the byproduct of deaf, blind, and dumb forces, rather you are the intentional construct of an intelligence. The same intelligence, in fact, that created the entire material cosmos - the order of the universe.

If the universe was created intentionally, doesn’t logic imply that the creator had a reason for the creation? That means the universe has meaning - real, authentic truth. The man from cosmos can seek out that truth through use of science or philosophy, study or prayer, confident in the knowledge that the truth is there, and it’s universal. Once you’ve struck upon truth, you can convey it to others through art, music, literature or any creative process. You can defend it through activism, civil service, charity, ministry…the options are open wide.

Now imagine that the one who designed the order, the creator, is found to be personal. If the cosmos has an intelligent creator that not only sees and hears, but also a creator that considers, emotes, and works, then the product of that order, the human being, also has a creator who considers the human being, emotes with the human being, and works with the human being.

If matter had a creator, then wouldn’t logic dictate that the creator of matter has to be something other than matter? Perhaps something we may call spirit? If the physical universe is not the sole domain of reality, but rather reality existed prior to the forming of the physical universe, then you have the real hope that there is more to explore beyond the physical; not just in space and time, but also within ourselves. There is the real prospect that the members of humanity, the only biological organisms with a self-aware consciousness, possess souls or spirits which can touch the immaterial and can exist beyond the confines of the physical. Life beyond death.

LIVING CREATIVELY AND CONSISTENTLY

It matters what you believe about where you’re from. The chasm between being created and being non-created is the same chasm that lays between cosmos and chaos, truth and absurdity, meaning and meaninglessness. True creativity - a creativity that expresses something more than just yourself - comes from knowing that there’s more to life than merely existing. The one who believes that he or she is created can convey truth in a creative way, with the confidence that their creation has a universal meaning that touches something deeper than chemistry in the minds of people, with potentially eternal implications.

Are you, as either one who comes from cosmos or one who comes from chaos, living consistently with the understanding of your origins, or are you borrowing from the other understanding? Are you a materialist who believes in meaning? Do you know you’re created, but have no hope?

Is your life consistent with your worldview?

E. English

New Design! EIN KAMOCHA

minikon — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 10:18:30 -0400

A striking visualization of Adonai’s promise, and an exalting declaration of His eternal power and kingdom.

The map image depicts current Israel and greater Israel, both framed by a 1,500 square mile border, depicting the incredible size and placement of the New Jerusalem with modern Jerusalem as it’s center.

The text reads: “The Lord reigns. The Lord has reigned. The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Learn more here.

New Design! ZIONIST

minikon — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:41:00 -0400

Inspired by Theodor Herzl’s original design for the flag of Israel, this shirt boldly proclaims that you believe Israel belongs to God’s chosen people and that they have the right to fight for it.

Learn more here.

Welcome!

minikon — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:58:00 -0400

Hey folks! We’re exited to announce the new Eluvia blog where we’ll be able to more actively connect with you! Our most exciting experience as a company has been meeting and talking with many of you, either in person or through our website, and we’re hoping that this blog will afford us more of that. We’ll be updating you on whats going on at Eluvia, as well as other things that we find interesting. Our desire is to get to know you more of you in our community, because that’s how we will learn, grow, and better serve you as we seek to glorify Messiah Yeshua through creativity. Sincerely, - The Eluvia Team