03-06-2008, 03:20 AM
Shlama Otto,
First, let me say that I???ve not studied George Lamsa???s Bible since probably 1997, when I threw the copy that I then had in the garbage can.
That's about 11 years ago.
But I first started reading from George Lamsa's New Testament in about 1976-77.
And I read it every night, for years, literally.
Otto, do you remember when Akhan Paul Younan said that the FIRST thing that they did with his home (missionary) Church in Chicago, was to throw all of George Lamsa???s Bibles in the garbage??
This was when it first became a part of The Assyrian Church of the East.
Now, if Paul Younan thought highly of Lamsa???s Bible, this would NOT have happened, would it?
But it DID.
As to demons, and mental illness. Are most people who are mentally ill demon possessed? I frankly doubt it.
But do most people who are demon possessed have a mental illness, as well. I???d say this might be.
I???ve seen one person who is a socio-path and he is clearly demon possessed, which one can see from a photograph.
This is one of those what came first, the chicken or the egg, kind of questions.
When I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the early 1980???s, every New Age bookstore in town sold George M. Lamsa???s New Testaments, and his Bible, and most of his books.
Lamsa was associated with The Unity School of Christianity, The Way International, and Edgar Cayce???s Association for Research and Enlightment organization as well.
Now, I personally like The Way International???s 3 volume Aramaic-English Interlinear New Testament, but clearly, The Way International used to have some pretty heretical ideas.
Ditto, for The Unity School of Christianity, and Edgar Cayce???s A.R.E. Organization.
George M. Lamsa used to receive funds from, and taught at ALL of these organizations.
If I was a beginner in the P???shitta, and I was going to buy ANY of Lamsa???s material???s, I would spend my money on a 1940 Edition of his New Testament.
I think that this might be ???the safest??? Translation of any of his New Testament???s/Bibles.
But, I think with all of the other Aramaic-English New Testaments that are sold now, I would not waste my money on ANY of Lamsa???s Translations.
I guess the real question here is George Lamsa???s ideas about:
1.Demons versus mental illness.
As I said, this is one of my real problems with Lamsa.
Being demon possessed IS NOT (necessarily) ???mental illness???.
Can demoniac???s ALSO have a mental illness?
Yes, I would certainly think so, as I said before.
2. Lamsa???s view of angels, which I frankly had forgotten about, until I read this article by Juedes.
His view of angels is also very strange, in my opinion.
Either angels are the Messenger???s of Alaha, or they are NOT.
There does not seem to be a lot of ???wiggle room???on this one.
3.Lamsa???s view of Yeshua???s Death and Resurrection.
Either Yeshua rose from the grave, and literally conquered death, or He did NOT.
One CANNOT have it both ways.
4. Lamsa???s organization to promote ???peace??? between Muslims and Christians, which I no longer remember the name of.
If one considers the history of The Assyrian Church of the East, of which Lamsa was a member, or Eastern Christianity altogether, this is a VERY strange idea.
There is literally hundreds of years of Muslims murdering Church of the East people, or Muslims submitting them to the Muslim ???tax??? for them to even continue existing in the Muslim Middle East.
These are a few of my objections to George Lamsa???s ???translations??? from the Aramaic.
How many times did Lamsa translate to ???please??? those who funded his efforts? I don???t really know, and NEITHER does Otto.
But, as was pointed out the other day about Hebrews Chapter 4??????.sometimes Lamsa has *the correct* translation from the Eastern Text of the P???shitta N.T.
And sometimes he does NOT.
I would again warn new comers to the Peshitta N.T. to seek some other translation besides George Lamsa???s.
Shlama, Albion
First, let me say that I???ve not studied George Lamsa???s Bible since probably 1997, when I threw the copy that I then had in the garbage can.
That's about 11 years ago.
But I first started reading from George Lamsa's New Testament in about 1976-77.
And I read it every night, for years, literally.
Otto, do you remember when Akhan Paul Younan said that the FIRST thing that they did with his home (missionary) Church in Chicago, was to throw all of George Lamsa???s Bibles in the garbage??
This was when it first became a part of The Assyrian Church of the East.
Now, if Paul Younan thought highly of Lamsa???s Bible, this would NOT have happened, would it?
But it DID.
As to demons, and mental illness. Are most people who are mentally ill demon possessed? I frankly doubt it.
But do most people who are demon possessed have a mental illness, as well. I???d say this might be.
I???ve seen one person who is a socio-path and he is clearly demon possessed, which one can see from a photograph.
This is one of those what came first, the chicken or the egg, kind of questions.
When I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the early 1980???s, every New Age bookstore in town sold George M. Lamsa???s New Testaments, and his Bible, and most of his books.
Lamsa was associated with The Unity School of Christianity, The Way International, and Edgar Cayce???s Association for Research and Enlightment organization as well.
Now, I personally like The Way International???s 3 volume Aramaic-English Interlinear New Testament, but clearly, The Way International used to have some pretty heretical ideas.
Ditto, for The Unity School of Christianity, and Edgar Cayce???s A.R.E. Organization.
George M. Lamsa used to receive funds from, and taught at ALL of these organizations.
If I was a beginner in the P???shitta, and I was going to buy ANY of Lamsa???s material???s, I would spend my money on a 1940 Edition of his New Testament.
I think that this might be ???the safest??? Translation of any of his New Testament???s/Bibles.
But, I think with all of the other Aramaic-English New Testaments that are sold now, I would not waste my money on ANY of Lamsa???s Translations.
I guess the real question here is George Lamsa???s ideas about:
1.Demons versus mental illness.
As I said, this is one of my real problems with Lamsa.
Being demon possessed IS NOT (necessarily) ???mental illness???.
Can demoniac???s ALSO have a mental illness?
Yes, I would certainly think so, as I said before.
2. Lamsa???s view of angels, which I frankly had forgotten about, until I read this article by Juedes.
His view of angels is also very strange, in my opinion.
Either angels are the Messenger???s of Alaha, or they are NOT.
There does not seem to be a lot of ???wiggle room???on this one.
3.Lamsa???s view of Yeshua???s Death and Resurrection.
Either Yeshua rose from the grave, and literally conquered death, or He did NOT.
One CANNOT have it both ways.
4. Lamsa???s organization to promote ???peace??? between Muslims and Christians, which I no longer remember the name of.
If one considers the history of The Assyrian Church of the East, of which Lamsa was a member, or Eastern Christianity altogether, this is a VERY strange idea.
There is literally hundreds of years of Muslims murdering Church of the East people, or Muslims submitting them to the Muslim ???tax??? for them to even continue existing in the Muslim Middle East.
These are a few of my objections to George Lamsa???s ???translations??? from the Aramaic.
How many times did Lamsa translate to ???please??? those who funded his efforts? I don???t really know, and NEITHER does Otto.
But, as was pointed out the other day about Hebrews Chapter 4??????.sometimes Lamsa has *the correct* translation from the Eastern Text of the P???shitta N.T.
And sometimes he does NOT.
I would again warn new comers to the Peshitta N.T. to seek some other translation besides George Lamsa???s.
Shlama, Albion