Revelation Good case for Aramaic Primacy?? Come on now

[Mike Kar]

Well, I don't know where to start. But I sort of like it like this. Sometimes it takes some diggin to get to the bottom of these things. I have been thinking about this for about a day now and I am actually having fun. At the same time this is serious. The case for Aramaic Primacy (or now Peshitta Primacy. I am not sure what to use) is very good. But agian people, those of us who have been raised with the 27 book canon will be lost when this thing about the "Western 5" five is raised. Paul, I will try to put myself in your shoes and have allready. But this is hard to do. In order for me to do this I would have had to grow up with the same rearing that you had. For me to just "think" or "imagine" this is not so easy. I have been raised with a very fundamental, rigid, doctrinaire teaching where even the hint that one of letters of the 27 book canon would be heresy. Yes, even mentioning this as on option and I am "out the door" so to speak. In "our" culture, or here in the West, there has never ever been a question about this. The 27 book canon is settled a "fiat accomplii." Surely you understand this or relate to this. But having said this I am open to what you have to say. But the very nature of these 5 books speaks as authoritative about Scripture as they possibly can. Like, I am thinking about in 2 Peter where Peter says , (my paraphrase) ". . . know this; that no prophecy of Scripture is given to private interpretation. . ." You know the rest of the verse, aye?? Without an inspired 2 Peter we can never use this as a case for "inpsired Scripture" for today when we talk to folks. But I was also thinking, that it was with much struggle that these 5 books made it into the canon. Was it not the Western tradition that had a long struggle with Arainism and who believed in the fact of Y'shua being fully man and yet fully Aloha, and yet they won. This Western tradition also had other heresies to fight against and they won them, too. So, in "choosing" the 27 book canon was not taken lightly. Actually many of us believe, of course, they did not choose them, but that these 5 books allready had inspired characteristics in them. But I am losing my focus somewhat here. I believe I will only have time for one post today and most of the rest of the weekend. I guess I am just finding it difficult to accept a 22 book Aramaic Primacy view and just "drop the other 5." I would just about have to hold to a "22 book canon" of inspired Scripture. As I said before, anyone who is going to take this seriously will have questions of what to do with these "5." BTW, I am no longer Greek or Eastern Orthodox. But I have much to thank them for. When I became transormed by Y'shua I ridiculed the "faith" I was brought up in. But looking hindsight, how foolish of me to do this. The Greek Orthodox church gave me a foundation in life that once I was presented the gospel I had no intellectual hang ups. The foundation was there but Messiah was not a reality to me. I mean, you know the passage in 2 Cor where it says that we once regarded Christ in the flesh but now we no longer do. Plus the fact that Orthodox has been around for a very, very long time. They, throughout the last 20 centuries or so have suffered much, like the c.o.e. as I have now learned, and yet they are still around and practising the faith as they see it. Yes, Aloha has brought this to my mind and I dare not ridicule them again. Like I said , I was foolish but I have repented. We still have some very real dissagreements.

I don't know where I am going with this right now I am just sort of aiming in the dark. What I am attempting to do is to get you folks to relate to people when they become aware that in most of their NT canon you declare an Aramaic Primacy and within this part of the canon the manuscripts basis of these texts are virtually varient free. Many will find this great news. Then it is as almost you say, "By the way, don't get too excited because . . ." They are left with only 2 choices and neither of them are winners: (1) "Disregard the 5 books that do not have an Aramaic composition behind them. They are translation from the Greek. Just tear them out of your New Testament Bible and that will get rid of the problem." Or (2) "just keep them in your NT canon if you want to and if any Greek Primacist or NT sceptics for that matter brings this case up as a challenge to 'Peshitta Primacy' up just don't talk about it. Just say there are 22 books that have an Aramaic composition to them and that these ar virutally varient free. But there are 5 that can't claim such a victory."

Well, I wish I could say more. Aloha willing, I will later. But I will close out here as I am constrained with time right now. BTW, we really can't wait around for I don't know how many decades and hope these "manuscript copies" of an Aramaic originals for those Western 5 show up. That is just not reality. This is just a problem that some how we will have to deal with; that is for those who hold to a 27 book canon. For those who hold to a 22 book canon. I guess you don't have to struggle with this dilemna. Bye you all. Be careful now. I am actully rushed. So , so long.

Mike Karoules