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Round 2 begins...
#1
Just when I thought it would be over and he wasn't interested, I get this email: (Conder's replies are in red)

Quote:My apologies Paul for the tardiness in answering.

There is no doubt that we started off on the wrong foot. I never intended to, nor did I ever, challenge you to debate the contents of the New Testament.

Yes, we did. This is the problem with go-betweens speaking on one's behalf.

If you read my words carefully, I said that I would like to show you how the Aramaic clears up many contradictions in the Greek NT.

I don't understand how the Aramaic can show me that, if the contents are off limits. Even if you can prove that the Aramaic is the original language of the NT, my questions over its contents remain.

I cannot speak for what Christopher thought the debate would be about. However, I read nothing in his original email to you that makes me think that he meant an all-out debate on theological topics.

Chris said that he invited me "to read the original Bible, with no errors", followed by an invitation to debate you. I think it reasonable on my part to assume that you were going to address my objections to the NT. Obviously my assumption was wrong.

Having said that, I can see how you easily misunderstood the terms of the debate.

How about we start out fresh?

If you believe that the NT was originally penned in Greek - I challenge you to a very specific scholarly, courteous and professional debate in which I believe I can demonstrate to you that the Aramaic text of the Peshitta is the ancestor to all the various families and texts of the Greek NT. Nothing more, nothing less.

Paul, as I stated, neither of us are scholars. I have to rely on the research of experts who have dedicated their lives to the New Testament. The bulk of these men and women have concluded that the NT was originally penned in Greek. If the NT was indeed written by the apostles of Jesus, then I could believe it, or part of it, was written in Aramaic. However, there is no evidence that the apostles mentioned in the Gospels ever lived, let alone wrote anything in the fourth decade of the first century. This is why I want to discuss specifics of the Gospel stories.

If this interests you - great. If it doesn't, that's fine too. All I need is the word "no" from you, and I will delete all content on my website about you and our previous debate and it will be as if it never happened. That is my promise to you. You have my word on it.

In my response to your questions, I raised a number of question other than those you deemed outside your rules. You brushed those off as "hodge-podge" quotations, or words to that effect. Why not go back and address those questions and observations, point by point? However, my focus is trying to get someone, anyone, to prove to me that my stand on the NT is in error by answering the massive contradictions I have found there. I understand that this doesn't interest you, so I will leave the point alone.

I do hope you say "yes", though. Not because I want to "beat" you or "win" a debate. It's because I really think that you, as a free-thinker, will be able to see past all of the lies that traditional NT scholarship has shoved down our throats here in the West for the last 2,000 years.

I can agree with that last observation. But don't you think that it is barely possible that your Eastern scholars have also failed, or have falsified research?

NOTE: I do not want to debate the inspiration of the NT with you.

How about it?

Okay. Please start by answering the questions in my last reply that do not deal with theology, but the Peshitta's history.

So now we can go ahead, apparently, with debating Aramaic primacy... <!-- s8) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" /><!-- s8) -->
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
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#2
Interesting.

Maybe he can learn something.
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#3
Very good Paul <!-- s:bigups: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/bigups.gif" alt=":bigups:" title="Big Ups" /><!-- s:bigups: -->

Mow make sure you wear him out, so that when he sends me the first email of Conder vs. Chris (anytime now as we both agreed to terms) ...

Note how all confusion was caused by his false assumptions, and how he tried to scapegoat the crap out of me <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile --> If he always makes false assumptions, he doesn't seem to be able to have a real debate.
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#4
Paul, I advise focusing your efforts on finishing the translation of all 22 books of the Peshitta. That will be a incredible service to the entire Body of Meshikha. For instance, it will enable me to cheaply print a Peshitta equivalent of the "Gideon New Testament" (which cost a little over a $1 to print), that I could distribute free on campuses and in malls and hospitals in my area. Debating people who the Scriptures seem to indicate couldn't repent if they wanted to at this point (after spending years as servants of Meshikha and then actively warring against Him) is at best not a wise use of your time and at worst is counterproductive as these people actually thrive on spiritual warfare with believers.

Shlama, Craig
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#5
Good point, now Craig, what do you guys (Messianic Jews, assuming that is what you are) think about divorce and remarriage? Thread is in the messianic Jew forum.
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#6
I know Akhi Craig, I know better than to do this.....

He wants a Greek origin to the NT - if you were him, wouldn't you? It's so easy to attack its convoluted textual transmission, thousands of variants, etc. I don't blame him.

What's he going to do when I unleash the heavy stuff on him? So far, I'm just playing with the history bunk he keeps quoting. I'll eventually put that all to rest, and have him admitting that the Peshitta's origin is "shrouded in mystery" (as he's already stated.)

But after that, the heavy stuff will hit him and hard. How the hell is he going to defend the Greek of Acts 2:24?
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
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#7
<!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: --> what the heck are pains of death anyway, and how can you loosen them?!?! Sounds more like it should be ropes or cords
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#8
The king james alone is such a tool for satan's use. I'm sure ol mister critter wouldnt want something better to come along.
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#9
Wow! So honest from you Dave!

My other list of Devil's tool bibles: Byzantine, Alexandrian, Old Syriac

e.g. basically all besides the Pesh <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->
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#10
Paul, can you forward to me that email that says:

""I cannot speak for what Christopher thought the debate would be about. However, I read nothing in his original email to you that makes me think that he meant an all-out debate on theological topics.

Chris said that he invited me "to read the original Bible, with no errors", followed by an invitation to debate you. I think it reasonable on my part to assume that you were going to address my objections to the NT. Obviously my assumption was wrong.
""
Would be greatly appreciated. It virtually shows that he was the cause of all this nastiness, due to his false assumption.
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#11
Sure - look in your mailbox.
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
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#12
Danke. You might wanna hold on to that email for a while yet <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->
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#13
Well as time has gone by, it seems the most mistakes are coming from that particular translation, from what i can tell Chris.

For me, I place particular emphasis upon the Peshitta for the NT now. I do compare the OS and such with it, along with others. I know you guys are the Peshitta only crowd and I have learned much here lately, but I let The Almighty show me things, as He has from the beginning of my awakening. I think that if we have a bible based upon the Peshitta instead of the Greek, it would make for a stronger Christian crowd.

I think this is something Satan doesn't wish to happen. The Peshitta clarifies so much, makes the Greek look stupid most of the time.

Believe me, I'm so glad I know better about it now.
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