WELS Layman Following Up about Luther

Layman Following Up on a Previous Post

I was going to write specifically about a post about Luther, but the week got so busy that those specific thoughts I had seem to have receded to the "back 40" of my mind.

My thoughts instead have been shaped by current events and I've been thinking about Luther more generally.  In my later years, Luther got downplayed a lot in the WELS; leaders were very concerned about "worshiping Luther" as much you have noted their fear of "making faith into a work."  One of my early WELS pastors told me it was more about the condition of the heart than what we see on the surface (since the surface isn't necessarily indicative of what's going on inside cf. 1 Samuel ...although you need to see what fruit is hanging from that tree as well.... ).

My first real exposure to Luther came from watching "the Luther movie" and reading the book What's going on with the Lutherans (NPH Impact Series book).  The book, which I have not read in nearly 20 years was chock full of Luther quotations.  In this way I got to know Luther.  I was amazed at his profound observations and how they tracked Scripture so well.  For me that was very important as having received the gift of faith in scripture; scripture above all else.  I have read many, many good books since then.

What I didn't have in those days was a Christian upbringing and a firm theological footing (which every Christian should have to some degree).  I was rather infected/influenced by echos of reformed theological notions from my extended family and the prevalent culture of my day.  You had to work out/for your salvation, and I knew I was a long way off for that.  And, so reading Luther, Lutheran theologians and listening to my early WELS pastors changed my thinking and really strengthened my faith like never before.  Especially Luther.

Luther, you see, was not only a student of Scripture, but a student of the human condition.  He understood it, and was so refreshingly and sometimes brutally honest about it.  As I looked at my own life, I realized his observations were true.  He understood the problem of the human condition like no one else in very intimate ways because he lived it (he has been quoted "my life was a living hell.")

One of the most profound things about Luther was his take on human reason.  Luther had a remarkable mastery of human reason; it was his sharp, sharp tool.  Yet, he knew the place and limitations of human reason (and its proper role as God's handmaiden).  Reason should be subordinate to Faith.  Faith cannot be apprehended by reason because 1) the limitations of our creation and 2) our corrupt nature.  Faith is a gift from God.  Our corrupt nature always wants to set human reason free, but then it can only become "the devil's whore" as Luther put it.

And, yet human reason can be such a beautiful and profound thing, and Luther used it with remarkable effectiveness.  Zach's quote earlier this week was just one demonstration of what Luther could illustrate using reason to look at things in different and interesting ways.  I have read things Luther wrote, and wondered "Where did this come come from?"  I thought that this surely came from nowhere, but eventually I would find the origin in Scripture.  Just the other day while reading Jeremiah, I wondered what Luther had to say about that conversation between Jeremiah and King Zedekiah before Jerusalem was taken.  Every single word in Scripture has significance, and Luther has written on what would seem to be obscure passages of Scripture and find remarkable lessons in them.  In today's day and age is it possible to know the scriptures as well has he did?  We know he didn't "party in the MLC" to distract himself.   

Worship of Luther?  No, but from what I've seen written online, some pastors are worshiped.  I've also seen what I term "folk Lutheranism."  No worship of Luther for me, but rather a deep appreciation of what he did as a theologian and pastor....and also because I too can identify with his "living hell."  We call that the "human condition."

SDG,

The laughing hyenas feeding off the corpse of Lutheranism favor Ramback and Quistorp (no seriously) and despise Luther.

J Post - Preparing for the Future

 The unsecret J Posts are designed to encourage more study
of the political world.

A good area to study, for understanding politics and future trends - is the Jesuits. The Pope is a Jesuit and the Roman Catholics hate him. The chaplain of the House is a Jesuit, and RINO Ryan forced him to resign. I wonder why. No one knows, or perhaps no one is telling.

I looked up some books by Malachi Martin, who dealt with the Jesuits and Vatican corruption. They really hated him. I found some for $2 on Alibris, where I usually order used theology books.

Wiki:

Malachi Brendan Martin
Born	July 23, 1921 Ballylongford, County Kerry, Ireland
Died	July 27, 1999 (aged 78) New York, New York, U.S.
Pen name	Michael Serafian
Occupation	Novelist Priest Professor (Pontifical Biblical Institute) exorcist theologian
Nationality	Irish, American
Relatives	Father F. X. Martin (brother)

Malachi Brendan Martin (Irish: Maolsheachlainn Breandán Ó Máirtín; July 23, 1921 – July 27, 1999), occasionally writing under the pseudonym Michael Serafian, was an Irish Catholic priest and writer on the Catholic Church. Originally ordained as a Jesuit priest, he became Professor of Palaeography at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. From 1958 he served as secretary to Cardinal Bea during preparations for the Second Vatican Council.

---

Martin also writes about demon possession, which is directly related to the cults and trafficking being exposed at the moment.

A reader suggested this one, so I ordered it - 

Arriving Tuesday

Track package

The Occult Renaissance Church of Rome

Michael Hoffman

Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.

$33.13

Condition: New

Defense for ex-Arkansas senator closes its case; former college president asserts right against self-incrimination

 Oren Paris III pled the Fifth Amendment.

Defense for ex-Arkansas senator closes its case; former college president asserts right against self-incrimination:



"After a lunch recess, the defense told Brooks that Paris would exercise his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if called to testify. Brooks said he understood but the court needed to take testimony on that and would call Paris in after the jury left the courtroom.

Paris pleaded guilty April 4 to one count of conspiracy and agreed to testify for the government. He was not called before the government rested its case Wednesday. The government will have two witnesses for rebuttal after Shelton's defense rests, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser told Brooks. Neither is Paris.

Paris resigned as Ecclesia's president and from the private, Christian college's board before his plea. His sentence is pending.

Paris disguised the kickbacks as consulting fees paid to Shelton's company, Paradigm Strategic Consulting, according to the indictment. Shelton then passed the money along to Woods and former state Rep. Micah Neal of Springdale, the government contends.

Paris was sent in after the jury was dismissed for a recess. Paris asserted his Fifth Amendment right on the second question from Atwell: What his occupation was. The first question was his name.

The kickback allegations involve $550,000 of the more than $717,500 in state General Improvement Fund grants Ecclesia received from 2013 through 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice contends."

'via Blog this'

Romans 10 Is Another Cannae for the Universal Forgiveness without Faith Advocates

 No, Paul damns them to Hell for denying the Gospel, the Chief Article, which is Justification by Faith.
Look up the Battle of Cannae.

 ELCA-ELS-WELS-CLC leaders cannot see themselves as humble Huber hacks.

Parsing Link

Romans 10 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

The Scriptures and Confessions teach about the righteousness of faith, never about the righteousness of unfaith, yet the ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC leaders swoon over their own righteoussness of unfaith.

Oh-oh, the righteousness of faith is εκ πιστεως δικαιοσυνη, anarthrous, so it is more of a compound word, faith-righteousness. "But faith-rigteousness speaks this way..."

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

The Word is rema, which belongs to God. And Paul calls it το ρημα της πιστεως ο κηρυσσομεν - the Word of faith that we proclaim. I thought the Apostle Paul proclaimed the word of Unfaith. The paid shills of UOJ keep insisting on that, and JP Meyer is quoted in support of that dogma, in awe, in wonder, in a state of ecstasy.

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

I thought Lutherans got rid of "if" statements! The liberal, modernistic theologians all say that an "if" statement is contrary to grace, which is where the herd of Walther donkeys congregate, around bankrupt Calvinism.

οτι εαν ομολογησης εν τω στοματι σου κυριον ιησουν - 

I see homiletics ομολογησης there, the art of preaching, but here it means if you (singular) confesses - like John the Baptist. the Fourth Gospel - "Objection, yer honor. This is second person singular, and we know the true dogma is Universal salvation first, you all, second plural. I studied Greek!" 

πιστευσης (2nd singular) εν τη καρδια σου οτι ο θεος αυτον ηγειρεν εκ νεκρων σωθηση (2nd singular)

Once again, this is second person singular, If you (singular) believe God raised Him from the dead, you (2nd singular) will be saved (2nd singular).

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

But this is always the righteousness of faith in the Scriptures.

11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Verses 11-13 are beautiful, clear, parallel statements that show what we believe is also what we call upon and confess out loud. So Paul asks a question and answers it with the Means of Grace, primarily preaching.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Now we begin to smell the pot roast. For all these good things to happen, there must be a preacher, something like a town crier in the olden days.

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? τη ακοη ημων?

This report is the preaching of the Atonement in Isaiah 53, where this same term τη ακοη  is used in the Septuagint, the report heard.

That is certainly true - not all have obeyed. The robed resistance is firmly entrenched in the sewers of the "Lutheran" sects, which they call Synod Headquarters and Our Beloved Seminary and Our Mission Board.

Report is signficant, the center of the argument. But report is a bit weak for 

τη ακοη ημων - because report comes from the verb for hearing. Using our church terms, it is more like hearing the preached sermon.

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Forgivenes and salvation only come through individual faith. The Gospel is not Universal Forgiveness and Salvation without Faith - but the Atoning death of the Messiah for the sins of the world. The donkey-clowns of UOJ always say, "UOJ is not the Atonement." That is the only thing they can get right - everything else is the raucus braying of fools, ignorant fools who hate the Gospel, despise the Means of Grace, and abhor Luther.

 Fifty years of teaching false doctrine at Mordor makes one a saint whose precious ramblings must be reprinted and endorsed by Panning, lest they be lost to history.

Currently Requested - Inside the Snake's Head - Vatican Audience Hall

Call this a J-drop. The month of May is going to be rough on the Pope.

Most people do not know about the Vatican Audience Hall, inside Vatican City. It is quite deliberately designed to represent the inside of a snake's head, seats about 6,000 people, and is open only to those with an invitation. No tourists are allowed.

 Is there anything more Satanic in symbolism than a snake?
Someone added a graphic to make it clear.

 From above, the hall is shaped like a snake's head and is covered with scales, which are solar collectors.

 This is the close-up if the gigantic sculpture behind the Pope's chair. The face of Christ "emerging from a nuclear explosion" is clear here, but the overall effect - from far back in the hall - is a snake.

 Does this look like Snake-Man to you?

 The church and grounds are shaped like a key, because the Pope has the keys to God's grace, doncha know. The audience hall is below the church, along and also outside the Vatican City wall.

First Year Plant, Second Year Sleep, Third Year Leap - Tips for Growing Hosta

 Someone posted this graphic on the Net, because people wanted everything good to happen at once. The topic came up in a sermon and an email message to me.

I often talk with my neighbor about the news since his family will not listen to him. He is impatient to hear more good things happening, which is a common theme on independent news threads right now.

I see everything zooming by too fast, not too slowly, unlike the early days when I thought 12 grades of public school were too many.

Aristotle said, "Patience and courage are so closely related that one is either the daughter or the mother of the other."

Hosta Advice
The hostas I planted last fall have sprouted, encouraging me to move more plants from the backyard. Hostas grow well in deep shade, enjoy shade and sun, and produce flowers perfect for hummingbirds.

The advice for hosta growers is:

• Plant them the first year.
• They sleep the second year.
• They leap the third year - easy to divide and multiply.

That seems to be true of most plants. Roses bloom the first year as bare roots, but additional blooming that year is rather slow. The second and third years are much more productive, which only makes sense when considering root growth and the underground network established by fungi.

Three years easily become three decades, believe me. When something seems too much to bear, too long to wait, God's own solution is often around the corner, but just slow enough to give Him credit instead of congratulating ourselves.

Our front yard looked as barren and abandoned as any land could, because I let the leaves and weeds feed the soil for spring and summer rains and sunny days. Soon the roses will bloom among many different perennial plants and my favorite herb - the dandelion. Two years ago, a real estate agent driving by hit the brakes, opened his window, and said, "What a yard!" when all the roses were blooming. 

Mints Too

I have coddled and watered mints, which seem to be so weak the first year. They were the first to grow this icy spring, far ahead of the roses. Now I have large minty mounds ready to flower and host beneficial insects and butterflies.

My helper buried Mountain Mint, which broke through the newspaper and wood mulch anyway - much later. Last summer it turned into shoulder high mint. The old stems are still there but the new larger colony is growing among those stems. I am very late to do anything with old stems because they are shelters for good insects, such as solitary bees.

Scattering

Mark 4/Matthew 13 teaches us to scatter the living seed of the Word carelessly - no soil testing. I am waiting for the Church Shrinkers to wear sackcloth and ashes, wail, and apologize for all the damage they have done while "soil testing."

Scattering means:

Blogging every day, with posts expected twice or thrice a day.

Broadcasting the Means of Grace on Sunday.

New sermons every week and on special holy days like Ascension.

Holy Communion offered each Sunday.

Bible study on Sunday.

Greek New Testament lessons on Wednesday.

Some books here and there.

Teaching the Gospel in graduate studies, Old Testament, etc.

Neighborhood visitation.

Thank You for the Personal Messages
I get a lot of personal messages, which are always encouraging. As people recognize, I omit names and obscure origins. Those who speak from the battlefield have a lot to share about their experiences. I am just a traditional Lutheran with traditional Lutheran, liturgical services and the reliable KJV for readings, with great hymn classics. 

I should not be alone in this, but that is the unfortunate truth. 

1. The ELCA traditions have abandoned Justification by Faith and all common sense. Worship? - no - social justice warrior training.
2. The LCMS-ELS-WELS grandees would never stoop to read or quote the classics from the much earlier ELCA founders - like Jacobs, Reu, Lenski, Krauth. These SynCon fakes have nurtured and grown the Stephan-Knapp-Walther heresy, calling it the Gospel, despising Luther no less than ELCA does. Worship? - no - recruiting through entertainment, no matter how this has become a proven failure. 

 Good news! Missouri is losing members twice as fast as we are! We are winning, winsome, and winnowing out the dissenters. That's a win, brethren and sistern.

The New Testament - Updated and Erased

All footnotes in the modern translations insert rationalistic apostasy, such as "explaining" the Virgin Birth in Isaiah 7 - "or young woman." Now that is a big Sign from Heaven, a young woman will have a baby.

The footnotes allow that the verse they have cut out of the New Testament can be found in manuscripts, just not in their favorites, which have a dubious history, to say the least. Tischendorf was the Sandy Burger (Burgler) of an earlier age.

They learned. When someone commits a grand outrage - such as the RSV translation removing the Virgin Birth from Isaiah 7:11 - people remember and resist. But pick away, a little at a time, without disturbing any dreams or illusions, and they accept it - even make it normative.

 Remember the hot WELS discussion about the New NIV? Only one district president spoke against it. That was the blowing off steam meeting, and it worked as planned. The next time, no one objected, and Mirthless Mark Schroeder - who supposedly hated the NIV - blessed all translations. Seifert never objected to the NIV or anything else - except the Intrepid Lutherans.

Name Day Rant about Latin - and Greek. Latin Is Bad? - How About Today's English Literacy?

 Today is the name day for every Gregory, which is Greek for
watchman, the verb meaning - stay awake, watch.

Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

2 γινου γρηγορων και στηριξον τα λοιπα α μελλει αποθανειν ου γαρ ευρηκα σου τα εργα πεπληρωμενα ενωπιον του θεου

Latin Is Bad? - How About Today's English Literacy?
Someone complained about studying Latin, which is itself a dead topic, unfortunately. Latin teachers and the Left conspired to get rid of Latin and replace it with something more relevant (it seems). Everyone in the following fields should have several years of Latin:

1. The liberal arts, since literature and music owe so much to Latin.
2. Law - most legal terms are Latin.
3. Medicine - medical terms are either Latin or Greek.

I learned Latin the bad, old way - vocabulary lists, grammar rules, painstaking translating, often using rather musty texts.

I taught Little Ichabod the good, Roland Bainton way, a method similar to federal efforts to train people for foreign assignments.

Immersion is how we learn best.

 Roland Bainton learned 20 languages using my method.
OK, I borrowed his method.

Latin and Greek

We read the Gospel of John in Latin, with a little bit of training in endings and grammar, but very little. No words were written near the text and an English version was only used to figure out some difficult passages. By the end of the Gospel we were reading a chapter at a time, and he was translating with ease. 

Emphasis - reading a lot of Latin, using a simple (but profound) text, which has a simple style of grammar and word usage. John 1-4, slowly, then repeat John 1-4 with some speed, then the rest of the Gospel

We repeated that exercise (home-schooling) with the Greek text of John, an even better experience, because there is nothing like the Greek text. The initial verses were difficult, just like Latin, but the final chapters were easily translated - sight-translated. 

Emphasis - The goal was to read text, pick up basic grammar and vocabulary daily, and repeat the first four chapters so that translating turned into reading it like a newspaper.

Why don't all Lutheran clergy do the same? WELS pastors are always telling people about having studied Greek and therefore being infallible. When children learn a foreign language early, it is easier, and the next foreign language is easier. If they have the same language in school, a year is easily skipped. 

LI tutored fellow students in Latin and Greek. NWC paid him to tutor students in Greek because they were not getting it from the old-fashioned pain-in-the-neck method (which only works on those who easily grasp languages). The Bainton-Jackson method works for everyone because that is how we learn our first language, from Mom and Dad. If someone is gifted in languages, it works even better and paves the way for enormous strides in those languages. 

Funny how I never got asked to repeat this experience in higher education. Many schools have overlooked the chance to make the classic languages come alive in Biblical languages. But - no worry - thanks to our congregation's attorney, Glen Kotten, I began the lessons for everyone.

Tis strange how a couple of messages can launch exciting and fulfilling courses in Biblical studies. We are studying Romans in Greek now.
Attorney Glen Kotten is on the left.

Woods Trial: Defendant dependent on Ecclesia College money, prosecutors say | NWADG

As Oren Paris III says, it's good to take money from Satan - the taxpayer - and use it for the Kingdom of God (the Paris Family) instead of wasting it on the Kingdom of Satan (Arkansas).

Woods Trial: Defendant dependent on Ecclesia College money, prosecutors say | NWADG:


"The kickbacks were from state General Improvement Fund grants to Ecclesia College, which received $550,000 in such grants from the two now-former lawmakers, according to prosecutors. Oren Paris III, former president of Ecclesia College in Springdale, paid Shelton fees, and Shelton passed some of the money back to Woods and Neal, according to the indictment.

Woods of Springdale; Paris; and Shelton, formerly of Alma, were indicted in March 2017. Paris pleaded guilty April 4 to one count of conspiracy and is expected to testify for the government. He resigned as Ecclesia’s president and from the college’s governing board the day before entering his guilty plea.

Total deposits to Paradigm Strategic Consulting’s accounts from 2013 through 2015 were $285,994, with Ecclesia providing $267,500, or 93.4 percent, of all deposits.

Woods’ financial records show he made cash deposits to various accounts of his totaling $82,488 from 2012 through 2015. That includes $24,877 in 2013 and $37,782 in 2014, bank records show. This compares to $3,700 in 2012 and $16,138.89 in 2015.

Paradigm accounts show cash withdrawals, transfers directly to Woods and one transfer to the Plaid Jackets, a band Woods managed, totaling $284,391.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser described Paradigm in his opening statement April 10 as a “bogus company” with the purpose of passing kickbacks from Paris to Woods and Neal. Neal pleaded guilty on Jan. 4 of last year for his role."


'via Blog this'

Nothing changed during this massive influx of tax dollars, except a small addition was put on one building, apparently for more political meetins there. Paris was always hob-knobbing with politicians. The main catch-all building was repaired a bit, but the big half-built building was left to sway and rot in the open elements.

***

GJ - I was at Ecclesia College during this time, and even went to meetings, but nothing was ever said about this windfall from the tax fund. Everyone was paid a pittance, except for Oren Paris III ($100,000 a year) and his mother ($60,000) and various family members. I told one non-family member, "Get a real job. Anything is better than this."

There is one exception to the low pay. A woman suddenly appeared as Oren's assistant, even though he was hardly present at the college. She drew something like $50,000 plus a cash bonus!!! - for answering the phone, etc. Her salary was part of a deal with one of the politicians.

Apparently the money came in and a large chunk was kicked back, all without the knowledge of the carefully chosen board, which included Oren's mother. And the actual net gain was blown on buying 50 acres of land the college did not need.

I was with Oren when he chuckled and said, "The board told me no more real estate buys." He wanted to get even more.

Motive? I think he longed to make a killing in real estate, with the Interstate bypass going past the college. The addition of the largest Walmart in the state made nearby land skyrocket.

I attended meetings where the leaders discussed fund-raising and even paid a fat fee for a sketch of the future campus.  I did not know that Oren Paris, BA, was becoming land-poor. But I knew enough to tell the entire mailing list that I did not approve of his handling of money.

I can recall three failed Oren Paris schemes from the news reports: 1) A fund for work-colleges in the state (one - Ecclesia); 2) Some connection with recycled shingles (Oren Paris and political buddies); 3) my favorite - sharing medical marijuana fees with Ecclesia College. 

Reader Speaks Out on Education's Corruption

 The youngest generation has no chance for a good education in the public system, so it is best to home-school them.

This should be very short or very long. I will choose short, for now.

One reader has dealt with higher education issues for many decades. The radicals own public education and most of higher education. Anyone can see how everyone in education marches to the same drummer once a trend starts - and the trend becomes settled law within months.

 ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS members have Mark and Avoid Jeske to do their thinking for them.

This corruption corrupts the Lutheran schools too, because they go along with those trends. Many see education as a union card for having an easy life, good income, and benefits. The go-along-get-along attitude has nothing to do with leadership or education - it is just greed, deception, and laziness. WELS was already promoting what they publicly deplored in ELCA - just ask Hochmuth and Schroeder, the Party in the MLC blokes, and the trannies. At one point, "We didn't know!" rings a bit hollow.

 Don't ask, either, cuz you don't want to know.

Social Media Overtaking the News Cycles

The most important news is not being reported in the big-bucks news outlets, which are far more involved in entertainment than they are in reporting the facts.

Instead, quite a few independent groups and individuals are pursuing the breaking news ignored by the networks and publishing families. This change was predicted when I was in journalism school - outsiders taking over the news, publishing their own research, photos, and videos.

The best way to keep up is to do Google etc. searches on these topics:

• Money-laundering in the DNC and Hillary campaign;
• Haiti and fraudulent charities;
• Crooked FBI executive agents;
• Q;
• Deep State, actors, staged crises.

The next topic is breaking world-wide news, especially because celebrities are involved. However, most people do not want to know the details, and would be physically sick over the known facts.

1. Celebrities - Allison Mack (Smallville), India Oxenberg,
2. Raniere, NXIVM - cult involved with celebrities
3. Bronfman sisters - $150 million given to Raniere's cult
4. Child trafficking, Child "charities", human organ sales
5. Epstein and his private island, Little St. John.

 This is satire, of course, but some are smiling.

American citizens need to know their own documents (Declaration of Independence, U. S. Constitution), their own history, and the actual news. It is up to each one of us to be well informed and vote.

 Managed news, grrr.

Text messages presented at Woods trial show alleged conspirators' successful efforts to grab GIF cash from multiple legislators | Arkansas Blog

Text messages presented at Woods trial show alleged conspirators' successful efforts to grab GIF cash from multiple legislators | Arkansas Blog:

"As Thompson takes some pains to point out, the other legislators have not been charged or implicated in the kickback scheme. But let me take pains to point something else out: These lawmakers, unnamed in Thompson's article when it first appeared yesterday, helped Ecclesia nab more than $700,000 in public GIF funds during a time when they were targeted by an alleged criminal conspiracy trying to influence them. The recipient of that money is an institution that operates as a church for tax purposes, raising constitutional questions to begin with.

 One scheme involved state money given for shingle recycling, and Team Paris had a shingle recycling business.

It is an obscure school with 200 students (around half of whom are enrolled in distance learning) that requested the money to make land purchases of no obvious need for educational purchases. Though most of the money was supposed to be for construction of student housing, there's no evidence of construction or structural renovation and the land was purchased at well over its appraised value. The stench on this was rank, and at least eight other legislators were happy to grease the wheels. Put it this way: Woods and Neal were able to nearly double their own contributions in the alleged kickback scheme through the help of at least eight of their colleagues.  "

Another scheme was to use state medical marijuana money for Ecclesia. 

'via Blog this'

Greek Lesson Three - Romans 1:18-25

 Norma A. Boeckler

Parsing Link

Romans Lenski - Download and save public domain PDF.

ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 1:18-25 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

18 αποκαλυπτεται γαρ οργη θεου απ ουρανου επι πασαν ασεβειαν και αδικιαν ανθρωπων των την αληθειαν εν αδικια κατεχοντων

Anarthrous - no article - emphasis - δυναμις γαρ θεου - It is the God-power, verses 16. Here - God-wrath is revealed. Lenski - more of a compound word. Notice - Uranus.

16 ου γαρ επαισχυνομαι το ευαγγελιον του χριστου δυναμις γαρ θεου εστιν εις σωτηριαν παντι τω πιστευοντι ιουδαιω τε πρωτον και ελληνι

19 διοτι το γνωστον του θεου φανερον εστιν εν αυτοις ο γαρ θεος αυτοις εφανερωσεν

Epiphany  - God making Himself known in the miracles.

20 τα γαρ αορατα αυτου - απο κτισεως κοσμου - τοις ποιημασιν νοουμενα καθοραται; η τε αιδιος αυτου δυναμις και θειοτης εις το ειναι αυτους αναπολογητους

a is opposite - unseen, without excuse. Unseen kath-seen. Apolgy of Augs Confession.

21 διοτι γνοντες τον θεον ουχ ως θεον εδοξασαν η ευχαριστησαν αλλ εματαιωθησαν εν τοις διαλογισμοις αυτων και εσκοτισθη η ασυνετος αυτων καρδια

Gnostic, doxology, Eucharist

22 φασκοντες ειναι σοφοι εμωρανθησαν

Sophist, moron

23 και ηλλαξαν την δοξαν του αφθαρτου θεου εν ομοιωματι εικονος φθαρτου ανθρωπου και πετεινων και τετραποδων και ερπετων

alla-ing, changing; tetrapods; herpetologist, herpetic whitlow

24 διο και παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εν ταις επιθυμιαις των καρδιων αυτων εις ακαθαρσιαν του ατιμαζεσθαι τα σωματα αυτων εν εαυτοις

Context matters - hand over can mean tradition or betrayal in the sense of giving up. Use of a - not - repetition for emphasis, both on the positive and negative side. Not kath, not tim (honor); som - body.

25 οιτινες μετηλλαξαν την αληθειαν του θεου εν τω ψευδει - και εσεβασθησαν και ελατρευσαν τη κτισει παρα τον κτισαντα -ος εστιν ευλογητος εις τους αιωνας αμην

alla-ing to changing; pseduo. More paradox creation, Creator.

For next Wednesday

26 δια τουτο παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εις παθη ατιμιας αι τε γαρ θηλειαι αυτων μετηλλαξαν την φυσικην χρησιν εις την παρα φυσιν

27 ομοιως τε και οι αρρενες αφεντες την φυσικην χρησιν της θηλειας εξεκαυθησαν εν τη ορεξει αυτων εις αλληλους αρσενες εν αρσεσιν την ασχημοσυνην κατεργαζομενοι και την αντιμισθιαν ην εδει της πλανης αυτων εν εαυτοις απολαμβανοντες

28 και καθως ουκ εδοκιμασαν τον θεον εχειν εν επιγνωσει παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εις αδοκιμον νουν ποιειν τα μη καθηκοντα

29 πεπληρωμενους παση αδικια πορνεια πονηρια πλεονεξια κακια μεστους φθονου φονου εριδος δολου κακοηθειας ψιθυριστας

30 καταλαλους θεοστυγεις υβριστας υπερηφανους αλαζονας εφευρετας κακων γονευσιν απειθεις

31 ασυνετους ασυνθετους αστοργους ασπονδους ανελεημονας

32 οιτινες το δικαιωμα του θεου επιγνοντες οτι οι τα τοιαυτα πρασσοντες αξιοι θανατου εισιν ου μονον αυτα ποιουσιν αλλα και συνευδοκουσιν τοις πρασσουσιν