From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 1997 12:11 AM
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Re: We have no king but Caesar
>
> From: Mark Woods
> To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
> Subject: Ceaser
>
> John 19:15 But they cried out, Away with [him], away with [him],
> crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The
> chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. "KJV"
>
> this threw me back a step! so i had to research it a bit, cause
> their reasoning made sense now...heres what i found.
>
> the greek word that was translated as 'The chief priests' actually
> refers to a singular priest. the high priest. seems like a simple
> mistake, and it still wouldn't explain why the head honcho of
> Judaism would say 'I possess no king except ceaser'(a more literal
> translation)
>
> i thought, maybe he's just stating fact, as he sees it..like, 'hey,
> i don't have a king or he would've kicked your butt out Israel. but
> i do pay taxes to ceaser, so i guess he's it'
>
> this mightv been the case, but when i read the lexicon for strong's
> 749 i got a clearer explanation..more likely a combo of both reasons
> though..
>
> it has this description of WHOM could hold the position of high
> priest...during Jesus' trial the high priest was NOT chosen by the
> other sanhedrin, but by the roman military. he also did not hold the
> office until death, but could be yanked away by those same romans!
>
> i can feel a more then a tad bit of conflict of interest here. this
> might also explain why the entire Temple system was so messed up,
> with cheating ppl for $$$ w/ moneychanging/inflated sacrificial
> animal costs.
>
> so, heres a Priest of dubious heritage, chosen by Pilate/Herod, who
> must toe the line to keep his job. he has seen Jesus perform
> miracles and proclaim to be the Messiah, yet Jesus backed off and
> didn't overthrow the government when he could have days earlier. i
> can quite understand how he made the statement now. "I have no king
> except ceaser."
>
> God bless,
>
> mark
>
> ps. heres the lexicon reference...
>
> Lexicon Greek 749
> 749 archiereus {ar-khee-er-yuce'}
> from 746 and 2409; TDNT - 3:265,349; n m
> AV - chief priest 64, high priest 58, chief of the priest 1; 123 1)
> chief priest, high priest He above all others was honoured with the
> title of priest, the chief of priests. It was lawful for him to
> perform the common duties of the priesthood; but his chief duty was,
> once a year on the day of atonement, to enter into the Holy of
> Holies (from which the other priests were excluded) and offer
> sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the people, and to
> preside over the Sanhedrin, or Supreme Council, when convened for
> judicial deliberations. According to Mosaic law, no one could aspire
> to the high priesthood unless he were of the tribe of Aaron and
> descended from a high priestly family; and he on whom the office was
> conferred held it till death. But from the time of Antiochus
> Epiphanes, when the kings of Seleucideae and afterwards the Herodian
> princes and the Romans arrogated to themselves the power of
> appointing the high priests, the office neither remained vested in
> the pontifical family nor was conferred on any for life; but it
> became venal, and could be transferred from one to another according
> to the will of civic or military rulers. Hence it came to pass, that
> during the one hundred and seven years intervening between Herod the
> Great and the destruction of the holy city, twenty eight persons
> held the pontifical dignity.
>
> 2) the high priests, these comprise in addition
> to one holding the high priestly office, both those who had
> previously discharged it and although disposed, continued to have
> great power in the State, as well as the members of the families
> from which high priest were created, provided that they had much
> influence in public affairs.
>
> 3) Used of Christ because by
> undergoing a bloody death he offered himself as an expiatory
> sacrifice to God, and has entered into the heavenly sanctuary where
> he continually intercedes on our behalf.
>
> ********************************************************************
>
From: Mark R. Ensign
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: We have no king but Caesar
Shalom, Mark.
Thank you for the comments you wrote to Eddie about John 19:15 and the
outcries against Yeshua. I agree with a lot of what you wrote about the
chief priests and high priest, particularly the political appointment
and its implications that could motivate such outcries.
However, there is one problem with what you have stated. The Greek text
(Friberg Greek New Testament with morphology) clearly shows that all the
nouns, verbs and pronouns are plural, not singular. So this passage
cannot mean that it was only the singular High Priest who spoke to
Pilate. "They cried " is correctly plural. "Your King" is plural.
"Chief Priests" is plural. "We" is plural.
How much easier it would be to understand if you were correct and only
one person, the political-appointee High Priest, had cried for the
crucifixion of Yeshua. But the text reveals a plurality of actors.
Nevertheless, it does not make the Jewish people as a whole the villains
that Christianity has tried to portray but clearly implicates the
corrupt politically astute chief priests whose positions were in
jeopardy.
Thank you, Mark, for your effort to educate those who are seeking the
truth. May you be blessed by the Lord in all your ways in which you
walk before Him and as you seek His truth from His Word being led by His
Ruach HaKodesh.
Shalom in Yeshua,
Mark R. Ensign
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To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
From: Doug Pickrel, Pastor
Subject: Re: We have no king but Caesar
Hi Mark:
The chief priest's remark "We have no king but Caesar" was designed to
trap the governor and to cause fear in him. Verse 8 tell us that
Pilate was already afraid, and should he side against the crowd that
is yelling, "We have no kingbut Caesar" he would have been choosing
another king over Caesar which of course would have cost Pilate his
position, to say the least, his head also.
Out of fear, Pilate turned Jesus over to be crucified, out of envy the
high priest demanded His death.
Yours' in Christ.
Doug.
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From: Bruce Barham
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: We have no king but Caesar
A VERYGOOD point is made here (in my opinion). SOOOOO many
"Christians" have no idea of the socio-political situation into which
Yeshua the Messiah was born because SOOOO many tradition-bound
or ignorant teachers/preachers rarely or never discuss it. I highly
recommend the book, FROM BONDAGE TO FREEDOM. This book
gives an extremely concise, factual picture of the sociological and
political climate in which Yeshua lived. It discusses the "silent years"
from the captivity in Babylon to the first coming of our King and Messiah.
When I read this book it dramatically enhanced my understanding of
scripture. Additionally, it caused me to realize the "Jews" are FARRR
more innocent of the charge of "Christ killers" than the vast majority
of "Christians" think.
FROM BONDAGE TO FREEDOM should be a standard book in the
library of every searching believer! The book is relatively short in
length (it can be read by the average reader in 2-3 days); however,
those relatively few pages are PACKED with important info!
Bruce
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