Not By Works

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,995
4,615
113
VCO,
I'm not arguing this.
If someone is so sure about who the magi were and where they come from,,,how come every biblical scholar does not know this?

Is the word magi even correct?

It matters not....what matters is that they found who they were looking for.

Some of what you say is repeated here.....but I'd say that no one knows for sure who the magi were, and I leave it at that...

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/magi/

BECAUSE most of this info comes from HISTORY BOOKS, so how many theologians study History Books as well as the BIBLE?

I have heard this from Dr. John MacArthur, Jr., as well as a few other conservative evangelicals too.
 

fizzyjoe

Well-known member
Oct 22, 2018
568
401
63
I don't know who I would die for till the moment comes a preacher once told me a story that a man his son and his sons friend went out on a boat ride, it capsized and both children were drowning knowing that his son was saved and the other wasn't he saved the other boy and his son died..I know that might have been off course...but if I know I am dying for the Lord by doing what I think is in his will I could in any case and for anyone...but I would not die for something other..Jesus gives us Salvation and a place for us with him if we believe John 3:16 He also said do not fear the one who can destroy the body, but the one who can destroy the body and soul...I have everything to pick me up when I die for the Lord.
An interesting story, and well thought out answer!
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
42,590
17,056
113
69
Tennessee
Good day to all my peeps from Australia.....going to be about 90 plus today, sunny, the 26th of December and enjoying my coffee at 855 AM.....Boxing day here in AU.....a national holiday as well.......hope all have a good evening......and you have had a good day.....!!!
Have a g'day mate.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,995
4,615
113
VCO,
I'm not arguing this.
If someone is so sure about who the magi were and where they come from,,,how come every biblical scholar does not know this?

Is the word magi even correct?

It matters not....what matters is that they found who they were looking for.

Some of what you say is repeated here.....but I'd say that no one knows for sure who the magi were, and I leave it at that...

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/magi/


The word MAGI is CORRECT.

NASB uses it 5 times in 4 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:12, Mat. 2:16

NIV uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Centenary Translation uses it 5 times in 4 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:9, Mat. 2:16

Darby's Translation uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Mace N.T. uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Weymouth N.T. uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Two Versions of the Spanish Bible uses the similar word - magos


Holman Christian Standard Bible - HCSB Bullet Notes

The English word "magi" is based on a Persian word.


Quoting other Sources:

Magi

[mey-jahy]
ExamplesWord Origin
See more synonyms for Magi on Thesaurus.com
plural noun, singular Ma·gus [mey-guh s] /ˈmeɪ gəs/
  1. ( sometimes lowercase ) the wise men, generally assumed to be three in number, who paid homage to the infant Jesus. Matt. 2:1–12.Compare Balthazar(def 1), Caspar(def 1), Melchior(def 1).
  2. ( sometimes lowercase ) the class of Zoroastrian priests in ancient Media and Persia, reputed to possess supernatural powers.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/magi



magi (n.)
c. 1200, "skilled magicians, astrologers," from Latin magi, plural of magus "magician, learned magician," from Greek magos, a word used for the Persian learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median tribe), from Old Persian magush "magician" (see magic). Also, in Christian history, the "wise men" who, according to Matthew, came from the east to Jerusalem to do homage to the newborn Christ (late 14c.). Related: Magian.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/magi

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@s


My turn to ask TWO questions:


HOW COME YOUR THEOLOGIANS DID NOT PICK UP ON THESE FACTS?

HOW MANY OTHER MISTAKES AND OVERSIGHTS HAVE THEY MADE?


I had no problem using the Computer to Find these comments.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,995
4,615
113
VCO,
I'm not arguing this.
. . . Magi were and where they come from,,,how come every biblical scholar does not know this?

Is the word magi even correct?

. . .


. . .
Quoting other Sources:


magi (n.)
c. 1200, "skilled magicians, astrologers," from Latin magi, plural of magus "magician, learned magician," from Greek magos, a word used for the Persian learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median tribe), from Old Persian magush "magician" (see magic). Also, in Christian history, the "wise men" who, according to Matthew, came from the east to Jerusalem to do homage to the newborn Christ (late 14c.). Related: Magian.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/magi

. . .

MORE on the MAGI:

Here is an Ancient Historian that mentions the MAGI in his writting:

Quote:
Herodotus mentions Median Magi as a Median tribe providing priests for both the Medes and the Persians. They had a "priestly caste" which passed their functions from father to son. They played a significant role in the court of the Median king Astyages who had in his court certain Medians as "advisers, dream interpreters, and soothsayers".

Classical historians "unanimously" regarded the Magi as priests of the Zoroastrian faith.

http://www.crystalinks.com/media.html End Quote.


Quote:
  • The sixth tribe were the Magi...They were a hereditary caste of priests of the Zurvanism religion that evolved out of Zoroastrianism. The name Magi implies a link with the Sumerians, who called their language Emegir, over time becoming simplified to Magi. Hungarian tradition also traces pre-European Magyar (Hungarian) ancestry back to the Magi. In time, the Sumerian-influenced religion of the Magi was suppressed in favour of a more purely Iranian form of Zoroastrianism, itself evolved from its somewhat dualist beginnings into the monotheistic faith that it is today (also known as Parsi-ism).
http://www.michaeltsarion.com/history-of-the-medes.html End Quote.


Quote:

Most historians feel that a majority of the Iranians of today are descended from ... However, the first mention of Medes does not go beyond 835BC when they appear in the .... its name were exclusively chosen from a Median tribe of the same name. The actual Persian name of the Magi seems to have been Magupat which ...

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Iranian_History/The_Medes_and_the_Early_Achaemenids End Quote.



Quote:
Magi
The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. After some Magi, who had been attached to the Median court, proved to be expert in the interpretation of dreams, Darius the Great established them over the state religion of Persia.

https://www.geni.com/projects/Zoroastrianism-Magi/13185 End Quote.



I ASK AGAIN: I am not having any problem finding references in Historical Documents about the Tribe of MAGI from the time of the Medean Kingdom onward to the time of Christ.

How come your theologians do not know this History?

Perhaps you need a whole new set of Theologians.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
BECAUSE most of this info comes from HISTORY BOOKS, so how many theologians study History Books as well as the BIBLE?

I have heard this from Dr. John MacArthur, Jr., as well as a few other conservative evangelicals too.
I love history........especially the history of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.......
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
Good luck with that one.....he conflates justification with sanctification and then embellishes faith with some Cainologist law/commandment keeping, working for drivel into some pseudo religious salvic soup with no power to save a flea, much less a man......
Its sad that people think their personal righteousness is seen as (good) to god..
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
Magi -
μάγος, -ου, ὁ, (Hebr. מַג, plur. מָגִים; a word of Indo-Germanic origin; cf. Gesenius, Thes. 2 p. 766; J. G. Müller in Herzog viii. p. 678; [Vaniček, Fremdwörter, s. v.; but the word is now regarded by many as of Babylonian origin; see Schrader, Keilinschriften u. s. w. 2te Aufl. p. 417 sqq.]); fr. Soph. and Hdt. down; Sept. Dan. 2:2 and several times in Theodot. ad Dan. for אַשָּׁף; a magus; the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldæans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augurs, soothsayers, sorcerers etc.; cf. Win. RWB. s. v.; J. G. Müller in Herzog l. c. pp. 675–685; Holtzmann in Schenkel iv. p. 84 sq.; [BB.DD. s. v. Magi]. In the N. T. the name is given
1. to the oriental wise men (astrologers) who, having discovered by the rising of a remarkable star [see ἀστήρ, and cf. Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, i: 209 sqq.] that the Messiah had just been born, came to Jerusalem to worship him: Mt. 2:1, 7, 16.
2. to false prophets and sorcerers: Acts 13:6, 8, cf. 8:9, 11.*
Μαγώγ, ὁ, see Γώγ.
Μαδιάμ, ἡ, (Hebr. מִדְיָן [i.e. ‘strife’]), Midian [in A. V. (ed. 1611) N. T. Madian], prop. name of the territory of the Midianites in Arabia; it took its name from Midian, son of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1 sq.): Acts 7:29.*
 

Budman

Senior Member
Mar 9, 2014
4,153
1,999
113
Admonishing? These posts on on this thread have nothing of any sort of admonishing on my part.
Paul proclaims in verse two of chapter eight His deliverance from the Law of sin and death which he claimed to be in service to through his flesh in verse 7:23, 25. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. NOW HE CAN DO THE THINGS THAT HE WOULD BUT COULDN'T DUE TO THE LAW OF SIN IN HIS FLESH. 7:19

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

(Rom 8:2-4; 6:6,7; 1Pe 2:24)

Merry Christmas sir.
When the day comes when you yourself stop sinning, then I'll take you seriously.
 

GodsGrace101

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2018
2,225
517
113
Hahha....hilarious......more good news from the Southern Front.....I sat at a table yesterday with a Die Hard Roman Catholic family and was allowed to lay bare what it means to be justified by the blood of Christ, the use of Perfect/Aorist tense Greek verbs in the, the complete forgiveness found in Christ, what it really means to be saved and how God can see us as justified in his sight even while we fail and sin every day in some form or fashion.......what a moment......!
If they were knowledgeable catholics you didn't tell them anything they don't already know.
But so many are not....
The only part of your witness they should not have agreed with is your stance on OSAS,,,,but that must be forgiven anyone who believes it...it's your belief in Jesus and His saving grace that is all-important and which you hold dear.
 

GodsGrace101

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2018
2,225
517
113
Good luck with that one.....he conflates justification with sanctification and then embellishes faith with some Cainologist law/commandment keeping, working for drivel into some pseudo religious salvic soup with no power to save a flea, much less a man......
The above is for @VincentG ...
I just want to say that you keep repeating that some type of "salvific soup" has no power to save.

Would you agree that even if someone has incorrect doctrine they are still saved?
IOW, is it someone's doctrine that saves them or is it Jesus that saves them and their belief in Him?
 

GodsGrace101

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2018
2,225
517
113
BECAUSE most of this info comes from HISTORY BOOKS, so how many theologians study History Books as well as the BIBLE?

I have heard this from Dr. John MacArthur, Jr., as well as a few other conservative evangelicals too.
Are you not aware that the history of that time must be studied together with the bible in order to understand what the bible is saying?

Do you think someone 2,000 years from now would understand what "hang tight" means if they did NOT also study our history??
 

GodsGrace101

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2018
2,225
517
113
The word MAGI is CORRECT.

NASB uses it 5 times in 4 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:12, Mat. 2:16

NIV uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Centenary Translation uses it 5 times in 4 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:9, Mat. 2:16

Darby's Translation uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Mace N.T. uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Weymouth N.T. uses it 4 times in 3 verses. Mat. 2:1, Mat. 2:7, Mat. 2:16

Two Versions of the Spanish Bible uses the similar word - magos


Holman Christian Standard Bible - HCSB Bullet Notes

The English word "magi" is based on a Persian word.


Quoting other Sources:

Magi

[mey-jahy]
ExamplesWord Origin
See more synonyms for Magi on Thesaurus.com
plural noun, singular Ma·gus [mey-guh s] /ˈmeɪ gəs/
  1. ( sometimes lowercase ) the wise men, generally assumed to be three in number, who paid homage to the infant Jesus. Matt. 2:1–12.Compare Balthazar(def 1), Caspar(def 1), Melchior(def 1).
  2. ( sometimes lowercase ) the class of Zoroastrian priests in ancient Media and Persia, reputed to possess supernatural powers.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/magi



magi (n.)
c. 1200, "skilled magicians, astrologers," from Latin magi, plural of magus "magician, learned magician," from Greek magos, a word used for the Persian learned and priestly class as portrayed in the Bible (said by ancient historians to have been originally the name of a Median tribe), from Old Persian magush "magician" (see magic). Also, in Christian history, the "wise men" who, according to Matthew, came from the east to Jerusalem to do homage to the newborn Christ (late 14c.). Related: Magian.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/magi

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@s


My turn to ask TWO questions:


HOW COME YOUR THEOLOGIANS DID NOT PICK UP ON THESE FACTS?

HOW MANY OTHER MISTAKES AND OVERSIGHTS HAVE THEY MADE?


I had no problem using the Computer to Find these comments.
LOL
I don't own any theologians.

If YOU had no problem using the computer to find these comments...
Do you suppose theologians know LESS than you or more than you?

They don't need the computer.
 

GodsGrace101

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2018
2,225
517
113
MORE on the MAGI:

Here is an Ancient Historian that mentions the MAGI in his writting:

Quote:
Herodotus mentions Median Magi as a Median tribe providing priests for both the Medes and the Persians. They had a "priestly caste" which passed their functions from father to son. They played a significant role in the court of the Median king Astyages who had in his court certain Medians as "advisers, dream interpreters, and soothsayers".

Classical historians "unanimously" regarded the Magi as priests of the Zoroastrian faith.

http://www.crystalinks.com/media.html End Quote.


Quote:
  • The sixth tribe were the Magi...They were a hereditary caste of priests of the Zurvanism religion that evolved out of Zoroastrianism. The name Magi implies a link with the Sumerians, who called their language Emegir, over time becoming simplified to Magi. Hungarian tradition also traces pre-European Magyar (Hungarian) ancestry back to the Magi. In time, the Sumerian-influenced religion of the Magi was suppressed in favour of a more purely Iranian form of Zoroastrianism, itself evolved from its somewhat dualist beginnings into the monotheistic faith that it is today (also known as Parsi-ism).
http://www.michaeltsarion.com/history-of-the-medes.html End Quote.


Quote:

Most historians feel that a majority of the Iranians of today are descended from ... However, the first mention of Medes does not go beyond 835BC when they appear in the .... its name were exclusively chosen from a Median tribe of the same name. The actual Persian name of the Magi seems to have been Magupat which ...

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Iranian_History/The_Medes_and_the_Early_Achaemenids End Quote.



Quote:
Magi
The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. After some Magi, who had been attached to the Median court, proved to be expert in the interpretation of dreams, Darius the Great established them over the state religion of Persia.

https://www.geni.com/projects/Zoroastrianism-Magi/13185 End Quote.



I ASK AGAIN: I am not having any problem finding references in Historical Documents about the Tribe of MAGI from the time of the Medean Kingdom onward to the time of Christ.

How come your theologians do not know this History?

Perhaps you need a whole new set of Theologians.
Oh for goodness sake VCO.
Must you always be rightj?
I didn't say you're wrong .... I said we can't be SURE.
Don't have a cow.
 

Hevosmies

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2018
3,612
2,633
113
Oh for goodness sake VCO.
Must you always be rightj?
I didn't say you're wrong .... I said we can't be SURE.
Don't have a cow.
Hi I didn't say anything on this particular topic, but I just dropped in to say that rest assured: I am right on that topic too.