Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Introduction
#1
Shlama all

I thought it would be good to introduce myself to you.

My name is Sami Rabia. I am Christian, or Messihi as we say in Arabic. And I really love to study Peshitta and Tanakh.

I have a small family which consists of Me, my wife and a little one (who is quietly contemplating in the womb right now)

My background is Protestant, although I have been invovled with various forms of it, my view on the Christian church has changed dramtically though over the years, and I have come further away, not from core protestant doctrine, but from being a protestant myself in a sense of identity, in that I have never really fit in with it very well, being from the middle east.

The discovery of the Peshitta was of course a very wonderful thing to me, I am still researching the whole matter carefully though, but its a very joyful work. I have to say that perhaps if it were just a matter of text, it would be quite interesting, but being that it has been gaurded by the CoE has led me also to a discovery of the CoE itself. (I did not know it existed!)

To me I don't think I could express what this means, since I have become a Christian it has perplexed me that all you can read or hear is of western Christianity, and western history.

I was also brought up a Muslim, and the troubles of the greek text laid heavily on me, if you can try and image the mind-set I came from, coming to the western world with its greek primacy and the textual transmission history of the greek, and yet knowing that even through all this, I know what it says is true, even if I cant know for sure, which text, I know the NT message is real, and Meshikha is the only Saviour. My Lord and my God, There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.

I am very happy to be involved in studying this Peshitta together, to me, it makes a real difference, in so many ways.

I also Love CoE liturgy, I think how I used to hear
Be Ism Allah El-Rahman El-Raheem
in the name of Allah, Most gracious most merciful

And now I hear

Beshm Awa wa Owra wa Rukha d'Qdsha Almeen
(In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit)

It is so infinitely greater to know the Father than all other things.

Sami
Reply
#2
Shlama Akhi Sami:
Your witness is true and encouraging. You will find Peshitta New Testament Primacists of various cultures, traditions and religious persuasions here at <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.peshitta.org">www.peshitta.org</a><!-- w -->. We welcome you.

Shlama w'Burkate,
Stephen Silver
Reply
#3
Akhan Sami,

We are grateful for your testimony and presence here. How wonderful to have a modern descendant of the CoE in Bahrain, your "Nestorian" ancestors prayed in the exact same way. We can pray that Bahrain reclaims its place and bishoprics in the CoE again one day soon.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christians_in_the_Persian_Gulf#Bahrain_.28historical_region.29">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christians ... _region.29</a><!-- m -->

+Shamasha
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
Reply
#4
Shlama
Thank you Stephen, and Thank you Rafa and Shamasha Paul

It really is difficult to express the meaning it has to me, to finally be able to "connect" with the NT in such a way, you know its quite scary to leave Islam, and all the more so when you come into a new world of a greek bible and western culture to interpret it! Not that I have any disdain for the Christians of the west, to express how greatful I am, and how much it means to me that westeners believe the truth, would take more time than I have right now.

I just wanted to clarify a few things for everyone, I realise I can be a bit cryptic in my posts.

I am not right now (oh that I were) in Bahrain, but I am based in the UK, quite hidden away in the south. Quite happy, but I do miss the two sea's.

Also I am not offically CoE, I dont know what makes one Officially CoE. But my heart leaps everytime I play the Qurbana Cd I have, and I sing as much as the liturgy I can understand all day.

Sami
Reply
#5
WOW!

I knew that Bahrain had some bishops of the CoE at one time, which I learnt from Nestorian.org, which was surprising enough, but that

"By the fifth century the historical region of Bahrain was a major centre for Nestorian Christianity"

I had no idea, in those day Bahrain must have truely been "The island of pearls"

Bahrain, Churches, Christian. Its such a new concept to me! And CoE at that!

You know as I have grown up I have realised that even among Arabs Bahraini's are quite different, there such gentle and tkind houghtful people, although I have been told in these last few years there has been a decline in the character of the people through western media and other things.

I remember asking my Dad when I was younger "what were we before we were muslim?"
I didnt get a clear answer!

Thanks for showing me that Akhi. We must never forget Pslam 2.
Our Father promised the heathen to His Son Esho Mshekha.

Paul Younan Wrote:Akhan Sami,

We are grateful for your testimony and presence here. How wonderful to have a modern descendant of the CoE in Bahrain, your "Nestorian" ancestors prayed in the exact same way. We can pray that Bahrain reclaims its place and bishoprics in the CoE again one day soon.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christians_in_the_Persian_Gulf#Bahrain_.28historical_region.29">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christians ... _region.29</a><!-- m -->

+Shamasha
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)