Deuterocanonical Books

[ICTHUS]

I'm looking at 1 Peter 4:8 in the Greek right now, and the language it uses is really really strong.

pro pantwn thn eiV eautouV agaphn ektenh econteV, oti agaph kaluptei plhqoV amartiwn.

"Before all things, among yourselves have fervent love, because love covers a multitude of sins"

The word "kaluptei" (kaluptei) means "to cover" and is used, word for word, in that sense, in Luke 8:16 in the context of covering a lamp with a jar. Hence, when it speaks of love covering a multitude of sins, it really means covering them from sight so that they can no longer be seen.

The picture is becoming more clear now, however, I'm still a bit confused. Could someone see if the word "atone" is used in any other context other than setting us right with God, in Scripture?

[Katholikos]

forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that almsgiving would be similar to old testament sacrifices and such.. New Testament makes it pretty clear that justification comes through faith, and I read into it that their sacrifices are made in faith.. it's about the heart, but the actions can be a sign of the heart.  Same could go for almsgiving I suppose.

True, justification comes through faith, but if you say "through faith alone ," as Luther and other Protestants do, that's heresy.

"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" James 2:24.

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) is one of the "pillars" that supports Protestantism. And it's wrong.

[Katholikos]

Ugggg this is difficult. Does anyone know what language Sirach was originally written in? Is it in the Septuagint (Cuz if it is, it would be in Greek)

Sirach was originally written in Hebrew. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew for all "books" except the Wisdom of Solomon and 2 Maccabees, which were originally written in Greek. Hebrew fragments of Sirach have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

P.S. The Hebrew text of Brauch, Judith, 1 Maccabees, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) and Tobit was lost to posterity sometime after the Greek Septuagint translation (the Alexandrian Canon) was made. Wisdom and 2 Macc are the only Greek originals. These seven books and parts of Esther and Daniel are not in the Hebrew (Palestinian) Canon, rejected by the rabbis c. 100 A.D. because they were in Greek, and no Hb text was then available. 16 centuries later, Luther later adopted the Hebrew Canon as his Bible. I guess God could not read or write Greek. :P

Edited November 14, 2003 by Katholikos