Concerning Dave. B's New Testament

[gbausc]

Shlama Akhi Otto,

I am glad you like my translation so much. I transliterate "taopyla" as "Theophila" , according to the vowel points in The New Covenant Aramaic Peshitta Text with Hebrew Translation.
The 1979 Syriac Bible has the same pronunciation:"Theophila". It probably is a Greek name. There are other Greek names in the Peshitta, which was inevitable in the first century Roman Empire where Syria and its environs had been Hellenized to a great extent. We are not sure Luke did not write to a nobleman in Syria (Luke was from bilingual Antioch,Syria) named "Theophila". This is no big deal, Otto. The written texts I have support "Theophila".

As to the cry from the cross, "Eli, Eli lamana sabachthani", I have written at length in the past, so I will take another tac; first I will remind you that Psalm 22:1 in The Peshitta has the exact wording
of Matthew's record: yntqbs anml yhla yhla- "Alahi, Alahi, lemana shabaqthani?" The Hebrew of Psalm 22:1 is unanimously translated "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

I understand your problem with that translation very well. It is a theological one, and I also sympathize with your position. The approach I will take is this: Yeshua our Savior was praying as our substitute. He was in our place:

" For He is The Atonement who is for the sake of our sins, and not in our place only, but also in the place of the entire universe."

1 John 2:2 (my translation)
Isaiah wrote:

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

- Isa 53:12
Intercession is taking the place of someone else in dire circumstances; it is also a form of prayer in which one prays in someone else's place. Our Lord did both; He took our place as Mediator and Atonement. "

He became sin for us

"- 2 Cor 5:21 He also prayed as if He were a sinner, as He lifted our sins in His own holy body onto the cross:"

And he took all of our sins and lifted them in his body to the cross, for as we are dead to sin, we shall live in his righteousness, for by his scars you have been healed

." 1 Peter 2:24 (My translation)

I would remind you also that His Father was with Him to the very end of His Life, and that the end of His Life was the end of all life: "

For the love of The Messiah compels us to reason this: The One died in the place of every person; so then every person died with him

. 2 Cor 5:14 For He was and is the Life of all living, Who truly died as us; He truly took our place and became the focus of all the sin of the world, past present and future, thus experiencing the death of the Soul which all sin brings: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4 and 20.

Personally, I believe the cross had ramifications for the entire Godhead which I will not discuss here, but I will say that I do not believe God The Father ever abandoned His Son.I do believe our Lord felt abandoned by God, as every sinner does, and that He prayed that prayer on our behalf, as our sin bearer and scape goat. I am supremely grateful that He did, not only for my sake, but for yours, and that of the whole creation.
The only thing I can add as to why He prayed the words He prayed is that with the death of His Soul (which Steve Silver has mentioned), which Isaiah prophesied 3 times in Isaiah 53, He also lost His faith and hope in God and in Himself.
He did not know Who He was: "

I am a worm, and not a man

." The wods, "My God,My God" are never heard from our Lord's lips except in that cry from the cross. He always said, "Father", when praying. It would appear that he was not thinking of God as His Father, nor of Himself as His Son- Psalms 22:1,6 The entire Psalm is a prophecy of His crucifixion and resurrection:"

He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him

." v.8 "

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of evil???doers have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet

." v.16 18 (ERV)

They part my garments among them, and upon my vesture do they cast lots

.v.18

I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee

. -v.22

A contemplative reading of just verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 22 will bear me out in this, to which I leave those who take issue.

I close with another scripture: Ro 8:32 "

And if he did not show pity ("khuus" means-"pity,"spare") upon his Son, but he handed him over for the sake of us all, how shall he not give us everything with him?

Many Blessings,
Dave