end times prophecy

Karen, this is an area that I am interested in myself.  I have watched and listened to the same group of people.  I believe their comments to be spot on.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:1, in the NIV, "This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. "   

Here it is in the KJV, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God."  Whoo, huba-huba, sounds to me like they are swinging with the big orangutans with that translation.

And, just for our EEO compliance for anemic or left field translations, here is the NRSV, "Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries."

If it were US Army hand grenade training, neither one of the three translation would earn the Expert Badge for "Company Hand-Grenadier."    

Here it is from the SBLNT:

4 Οὕτως ἡμᾶς λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος ὡς ὑπηρέτας Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ.

The missing piece of the puzzle is the word "ὑπηρέτας," or in Roman letters, hupeiretas.   The Greek word for trireme, the ship of three, does not reference "three banks of oars" as some people sometime think.   "Trireme" references "Team-of-Three."   

The top man is the pro.  His breathing, spacing, timing, clearing the water with the oar, and then the thrust marks the rhythm for the three.   This was an art that had a guild.   The top rower was often paid twice the rate of the middle rower, which was for hundreds of years up to the Macedonian invasion of Greece,  one drachma.   The establish "top rower" could look the pay master in the eyes, ask for his "two," and not blink.   

The bottom rower was the apprentice, potentially even sold to the ship owner.   When you were a middle rower or top rower, and had to answer "nature's call," tough luck for ὑπηρέτας.   Or, if you were a top rower and wounded the blood dripped on him.

Paul doesn't say in 1 Corinthians 4:1 that he is a "servant."   Paul says he is the slave, of the, slave, of the servant.   

When Jesus comes back he will have to tap me on the back.   I'm trying to just keep rowing.  For me, to live in Christ is to row for Christ.  

Είμαι σε μια ομάδα κωπηλασίας.   I am not in management.   "κωπηλασίας" is Greek for a team of rowers.   I am only on the team, barely made it, too, but I made it to "the bench."

I have tried to look into the clouds, but bent over like this, it really, and I mean, really hurts my neck ....

brother Yeghian

Hello Karen,

God has given us end-time prophecies for a reason. I don't understand all the reasons people have for thinking they are insignificant. Perhaps we have become exhausted with all the theories regarding these prophecies. There are so many opinions. Is God the author of confusion? No, He is orderly and precise. We must plead for the Holy Spirit to aid our understanding or we too will be caught up in every wind of doctrine that blows. Lord, help us!