(14 votes, average: 3.57 out of 5)
Loading ...A Prayer to Our Father Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer By Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson
It sounds like the beginnings of (a perfectly tasteless) joke: An Israeli Jew and a black Christian walk into a synagogue… But no! It’s real, and the inspiring setup for a spiritual, cultural, and archaeological tale of interfaith friendship and mutual challenge and discovery.
Two billion Christians worldwide consider the Lord’s Prayer the ultimate expression of their faith—but few know the stunning story of its Hebrew origins. A Prayer to Our Father is the unfolding story of an exciting journey of faith, involving a Jewish Bible scholar and an African American pastor who join forces to uncover the truth about the most beloved prayer in the Christian world.
Their provocative new book reads like a detective novel. Written by two most unlikely collaborators, the charismatic personalities of the authors are as riveting as their story. Former chaplain to the Minnesota Vikings, Keith Johnson has ministered to some of the top names in the NFL and NBA. Jerusalem-based Jewish scholar and author Nehemia Gordon has spent his career translating the Dead Sea Scrolls and studying the deep mysteries of the Jewish faith.
Johnson and Gordon’s gripping adventure begins in the ancient city of Jerusalem and takes them to the very spot in Galilee where Jesus taught the multitudes to pray. Along the way they discover a Hebrew version of the Lord’s Prayer, preserved in secret by Jewish rabbis for over a thousand years – and that’s just the beginning. Could it be that one of the four canonical Gospels was originally penned in Hebrew, before being copied in Greek or even Aramaic? Johnson and Gordon’s riveting journey and extraordinary relationship are chronicled in A Prayer to Our Father.
How many of you were Ooze Viral Bloggers when we first offered The Shack, like a year before anyone else ever heard of it? A small press book with a big message and real word-of-mouth factor…well, I think lightning is about to strike twice. The authors here had a major publishing contract but they turned it down; they wanted to do it right, and do it their way. In just a matter of months since its June 2009 publication, a burgeoning viral phenomenon has brought this book fans in 66 countries! This is a provocative and unforgettable book.
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:: Special Viral Blogger Section ::
Link-love for your review:
http://www.aprayertoourfather.com – official website
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Prayer-to-Our-Father/64724168340 – book fan page
http://www.wfae.org/wfae/18_93_0.cfm?do=detail&id=10404 – authors’ interview on NPR
http://www.sanctuarycov.org/ee-assets/my-uploads/sermons/2009_07_12_Get_A_Bigger_Box.mp3 – Keith Johnson’s message at Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, “Get A Bigger Box”
Interview Availability:
The authors are available for blog and podcast review, as well as for booking to speak at churches, universities, and public events in 2010. You will receive their contact information if you select A Prayer to Our Father this month.
Buzz
“The impressions are deep and stirring. I want to recommend this book far and wide. It is one of the most inspiring, instructive, and spiritually important works I have read in a long time.”
Dr. James D. Tabor, Chair, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
“Both Jews and Christians could learn a great deal from this book… I highly recommend it!”
Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, Congregation Kol HaNeshama, Jerusalem
“There is much power in this story. And along the way the insights gained from reading the prayer with a Hebrew lens fascinate and inspire.”
Curtiss Paul DeYoung, Professor of Reconciliation Studies, Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota
“If you enjoy detective mysteries… this book is a veritable gold mine… as we discover hidden truths and marvel together with the authors.”
Christine Darg, Exploits Ministry
“I am so thankful to the Father for this book. …Once I started reading, I could not pull myself from the book… I felt like I was on a spiritual journey with so many things confirmed and also revealed.”
James Thrash, NFL Player
“This is a wonderfully written book by two men who chose to humble themselves and honor God.”
Qadry Ismail, ESPN Sports Commentator and Ex-NFL Player
“It almost sounds like the beginning of a joke of some type: what does a white Israeli Jew have in common with a black American Christian pastor? …the answer is not a joke, but rather a wonderful journey into the Lord’s Prayer…”
Judith Koch, The Porterville Recorder (June 27, 2009)
“This book… contains thoughts and feelings about the Scriptures and also background information which are invaluable for Bible lovers.”
Diamond Wong, Hong Kong, China
Your Commitment:
Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about A Prayer to Our Father within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post to this one. Thank you!
For Podcasters & Bloggers: Suggested Review and Interview Topics
- Reggie White – The late Football Hall-of-Famer Reggie White was involved in Keith Johnson’s ministry Christian Athletes United for Spiritual Empowerment. Through this connection, Nehemia Gordon got Reggie White in to see the most important manuscript of the Hebrew Bible in a secret vault in the bowels of the Israel Museum. White later described seeing this manuscript as the best day of his life, better than winning the Super Bowl, and “an answer to prayer”. [pages 32-37]
- Hebrew Manuscript of the Gospel of Matthew – The authors examined a Hebrew manuscript of the Gospel of Matthew that was pillaged by Nazis during World War II and taken to Hitler’s “Museum of the Extinct Race” in Prague. [pages 119-120]
- Interfaith interracial collaboration – One author is a university trained white Israeli Jewish Bible scholar who works with Hebrew manuscripts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. The other is a seminary-trained African American pastor, ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church, with over twenty years experience in ministry. Their collaboration on uncovering the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer is unique.
- Prayer and Reconciliation Meeting – The authors presented their book at a “Prayer and Reconciliation” meeting hosted by Sanctuary Covenant Church of Minneapolis, MN. The event was attended by a wide variety of people of various ethnicities and denominations. At the meeting, the Lord’s Prayer was recited in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Swahili, French, and Hebrew.
- Search in Israel for the place the very spot where Jesus taught the multitudes to pray – The traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount (of which the Lord’s Prayer is a part) shown to most tourists does not fit the biblical accounts. The authors traveled around Israel in search of the true location. They discovered that the evidence in the New Testament and the oldest Christian traditions pointed to the Horns of Hattin, an archaeological site better-known as the mountain where Salladin routed the Crusader army on July 4, 1187. [pages 75-81]
- Our Father sign – Referring to God as “Father” is often thought of as a Christian thing to do, even by many Jews. During their travels in Israel, the authors came across a billboard with large red Hebrew letters proclaiming God to be “Our heavenly Father”. A quick investigation located the author of the billboard, an eccentric old rabbi who wore a Jewish prayer shawl draped across his shoulders like a superman cape. The rabbi and the authors fellowshipped on the shore of the Sea of Galilee discussing God’s role as our heavenly Father. [pages 92-95]
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matt2819
This book is absolutely amazing! I loved it!
This was written by two men with different perceptions; a Jew and a Christian. The Lord’s Prayer (The Avinu Prayer) is one which both, those of the Jewish faith and the Christian faith, can apply to their life.
The authors laid the ground work of the biblical text that they were going to use; Hebrew Matthew and the Hebrew Bible. The King James Version (KJV), New International Version (NIV), and others are Greek translations. There is a version of the Gospel of Matthew (Hebrew Matthew) that was written in Hebrew and text within Matthew is consistent with how Hebrew was written.
Six chapters describe the six possible locations of where Yeshua (Jesus) could have taught this prayer to his disciples. They visited each site, described what they saw, and researched Scriptures and other Hebrew materials to draw their conclusion on each location. As I was reading each chapter, it felt like I was in a treasure hunt. In the end, with what they described, I too came to the same conclusion as to where the location was.
The authors then broke down each of the eight statements of the Lord’s Prayer by devoting a complete chapter to each statement. Within each chapter they talked about Hebrew mannerisms and customs in a very understandable fashion. It is truly amazing to see when a word is translated this way or that way (Hebrew vs. Greek), how different the statement means.
This book has caused me to thirst for more. There are other books that the Jewish author has written that also intrigue me. He is an expert in translating the Dead Sea Scrolls and as a researcher deciphering ancient Hebrew manuscripts. In addition, I want to dig into the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament and of the Hebrew Matthew Version.
Below I have included the KJV version and the Hebrew Matthew Version of the Lord’s Prayer. I invite you to read both versions and think about the differences.
King James Version
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever.
Amen.
Hebrew Matthew Version
Our Father in heaven,
May your name be sanctified.
May your kingdom be blessed.
Your will shall be done in heaven and on earth.
Give us our bread continually.
Forgive us the debt of our sins
as we forgive the debt of those who sin against us.
Do not bring us into the hands of a test,
and protect us from all evil.
Amen.
Sep 19th, 2009
JaimeeHolmes
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009
A Prayer to Our Father
I got my new book from The Ooze Viral Bloggers! I am really excited to start reading A Prayer to Our Father— Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson.
http://www.aprayertoourfather.com – official website
http://www.wfae.org/wfae/18_93_0.cfm?do=detail&id=10404 – authors’ interview on NPR
An interesting thing… The intro page to the book includes both the KJV version of The Lord’s Prayer and the Hebrew Matthew version. Here they are:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. They kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer— King James Version
Our Father in heaven, May your name be sanctified. May your kingdom be blessed. Your will shall be done in heaven and on earth. Give us our bread continually. Forgive us the debt of our sins as we forgive the debt of those who sin against us. Do not bring us into the hands of a test, and protect us from all evil. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer— Hebrew Matthew Version
Should be interesting! Can’t wait to fill you in as I read through it this coming week!
Sep 21st, 2009
gdeitz
I just completed the book A Prayer to Our Father by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson. When I had the opportunity to review this book, I was very excited. I had read the promo blurb about it and was very excited as it explores the origins of the Lord’s Prayer. It is a journey that is carried out by a Christian and a Jew together. I was not disappointed with this book in the least. It appealed to my desire for knowledge, but it also added in a very personal meaning. It also didn’t hurt that much of what the book spoke on and detailed lined up with what I believe about the kingdom of God as well how faith should be lived it. I also enjoyed the simplicity with which some of the complex word meanings are outlined.
The book can in some regard be broken down into two parts. The first is a look at how the two authors came to meet each other as well as explaining how a Jew and a Christian can explore the Scriptures together. It was a good example of a dialog between the faiths. The second part is an actual break down of the prayer from its original Hebrew (the authors explain the history as to why the prayer was in Hebrew as opposed to Greek). They take each line and break it down into what it would mean to both the cultural groups and how it can play into their identity. As a Christian, I enjoyed having the Jewish perspective there as Jesus and His followers were Jewish.
There are many interesting tidbits that the authors point out and I truly enjoyed reading about the history as well as reading the slight changes in the versions of the prayer. These changes are minor, but add much to what I would believe is the truth behind the Lord’s Prayer. By having someone look at the Hebrew version, it appears that this “version” lines up with more with the remainder of the Scriptures.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys church history explained in layman’s terms.
Sep 22nd, 2009
mbjones
I just finished reading a new book this past week called, A Prayer To Our Father. It’s an intriguing book with an equaling intriguing premise. The goal of the authors (who make an unlikely pair: an African American pastor and a Jewish Bible Scholar) is to trace the origins of the Lord’s prayer, called the avinu prayer throughout (which just means Our Father).
The first half of the book traces the origins of the Lord’s prayer — specifically where it was given. It’s divided up into sections which detail the 6 probable locations, including their thoughts on which was the actual site. I won’t spoil their conclusion for you though; you’ll have to read it to discover their preferred site (and having not visited any of them, I like their reasoning and would tend to concur). It’s all speculation though because no one actually knows the precise location for the sermon on the mount — just general location derived from the Gospels and oral traditions passed down through the centuries.
The latter half of the book goes line by line through the Lord’s prayer and looks at its original Hebrew origins. Most of their thoughts seemed similar to what I’ve already been taught, but their where a few that stood out. Chief among those is the line “May Your kingdom be blessed” (from the original Hebrew Matthew) instead of “May Your kingdom come” (from the trnaslated Greek). This original rendering implies that God’s kingdom is already here to be blessed by us. And by blessed, that means our conscious submission to His authority and will. The other big “take away” for me is the comparison of test vs temptation, in that the original rendering of the Lord’s prayer has at its core more of a prayer for freedom from tests (such as what Job went through) rather than subtle temptations that we tend to face day to day. The former seems to encompass the latter and then so much more.
Anyways, it was a pretty good book, overall. I do have a few small qualms though. For one, it seemed a bit short. Particularly the latter half felt like it could have been fleshed out more. Some of the sections, honestly, felt kind of glossed over. I also wasn’t drawn into the book and story as much as I hoped to be. I think part of it is in that the authors frequently trade off and it took a bit to get used to that dynamic and part of it is that I just prefer a different writing style. In all though, as I said, it was pretty good. I’d give it 3 of 5 stars and definitely recommend checking it out if you are looking for something specifically about the Lord’s Prayer or if time allows you to.
Sep 24th, 2009
lucasland
This will be my second über-critical review for viral bloggers. The last time I had different expectations for Diana Butler-Bass’ latest, but would definitely recommend reading it and passing it on. This one, however, is not so lucky. Is it just me or are most of the reviews around here pretty glowing? Well, I’ll take your free book and I’ll give you what I really think.
Sep 27th, 2009
nonprofitprophet
I chose “A Prayer To Our Father…Hebrew Origins of The Lord’s Prayer” by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson. The title peaked my interested, as well as the background of the authors. Nehemia is in Jerusalem and is Jewish and holds so many credentials in this arena that its too much to list here. Keith is African American, has a Master’s of Divinity and is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church. But my interest was that he served as Chaplain of the Minnesota Vikings.
The book starts out with the first 82 pages basically talking about the authors getting to know each other and discussing possibly where the certain important events took place geographically. They would travel to this or that location and Jerusalem and measure it against recorded scripture. Though it had some interesting information, I found this section of the book really dry or bland. I wanted to get to the meat of the subject and was not so impressed with the fact finding tour.
It took until page 83 (roughly midway through the book) for the authors to finally get to the actual Lord’s Prayer, or Avinu Prayer as they called it. They broke each line down in separate chapters, and this aspect was actually interesting as it finally addressed the subject of the book. Taking the version that we Christians/Protestants have learned and repeated forever, and comparing it to the Hebrew version of Matthew, they pointed out several words, phrases, etc. that actually put the prayer into a different perspective. Using the cultural events of the day, the historical references and play on words in the prayer, this brought a better understanding of what and why we are saying what we are saying. I found this part worthy of reading. I even taught my christian education class using the section on Daily Bread.
I would recommend this book if you like to read more factual based works. I compared it to reading history or archaeology. If you don’t like reading those type topics, you may not like reading this. But the information is good. It is presented rather dry, and there really are no punch lines. I think the information could have been boiled down to cliff note style, meaning the book was about twice as big as needed be.
http://nonprofitprophet.blogspot.com/
Sep 28th, 2009
jbonewald
I was excited to select and read “A Prayer to Our Father” as my second Ooze Viral Blogger book review, primarily because I was intrigued by the prospect of the sort of synergy and dialog that might happen when a Jew and a Christian meet together to study scripture. If the book had more deeply explored that synergy and dialog it might have been a more worthy read. Unfortunately it did not.
This is not to say the book is not without its merits. The best part of the book, and what I presume was meant to be its primary focus, is its exploration of the Lord’s Prayer.
Using a little known manuscript the authors refer to as Hebrew Matthew, they explore the Hebraic origins of the Prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. I think the book does a good job of showing the various complexities related to biblical interpretation that an average church-going English reader of the text most likely would not be exposed to.
There is not a lot of ‘ground’ breaking work done on the Prayer that the average mainline seminary trained person is not going to have some working knowledge of. However, I was pleased that the book did address a number of popular misconceptions in the church about Judaism. Like the fact that Jesus was not breaking any new ground in referring to God as Father. This fact alone, I am sure would be eye-opening for your average layperson.
There is much that I did not like about this book. For instance why is over half of it devoted to an exploration of where Jesus might have given the sermon on the mount and taught the prayer? I’ve never understood the purpose of this sort of exercise. It seems to me to be nothing more than a big waste of time and effort. It may be interesting to some folks, but it does absolutely nothing for me.
The other thing that was troubling is that there was little interface in this book with modern biblical scholarship. The authors primarily build the argument of this book by working solely with a little know manuscript they refer to as “Hebrew Matthew.” Contending, based on the work of George Howard, a scholar at Macon University, that Matthew was originally written in the Hebrew language.
I am the first to admit that I am not a biblical “scholar” by any means, but you can’t just throw that sort of claim out there and build the basis of your book on it without also interacting with other already established theories of how the various texts as we know them came into being. It’s irresponsible to do so and it will not engage an educated audience in your work.
My recommendation? Use and read the last third of the book that explores the Lord’s Prayer. It will give you some insight into Judaism and the devotional aspects of this material may help deepen and enrich your prayer life. However, you can just go ahead and skip the rest of the book.
Sep 28th, 2009
patjdawson
http://patjdawson.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-review-prayer-to-our-father.html
Oct 1st, 2009
patjdawson
Book Review: A Prayer to Our Father
The premise of the book was to document the findings of a study of the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). A Christian and a Jew embarking on this journey together, putting aside differences in their faiths, and taking a fresh look at the Lord’s Prayer from the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.
Sounds interesting enough right? Well, as great as a topic that it was, the book fell very short of my expectations.
The first half of the book describes their journey from day one on how they met to how they feel like they’ve found the actual spot in which Jesus taught the sermon on the mount. They visited numerous sites that were said to be the spot in which he delivered the sermon on the mount. They critiqued each one and made their conclusion on which location he actually taught on.
It was obviously a passion of the authors to find the exact location. However, reading about it for the first half of the book wasn’t very engaging for me as a reader. It read more like a treasure hunt, which did in fact keep me engaged for a while, but it dragged on for way too long.
Once they started to dive into the Hebrew orgins of the Lord’s prayer it did pick up a bit. Obviously, some of the original language gets watered down by the time it is translated to English, so there were a few interesting points that were made. Similarly, I think their actual study and findings were watered down too much by the time they wrote the book. They didn’t expound very much on their ‘discoveries’ and a common theme that was lacking throughout the book was depth.
The pages in the book did a poor job of reflecting what must have been a complex and challenging study. Maybe that’s what they set out to write, a book that was easy to read. However, it left me very disappointed and wanting much more.
Oct 1st, 2009
Monster
A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer
The Book
I remember my father telling me that when he was in elementary school (back when prayer was still allowed in the public school system), his teacher used to start the day by having her students say the Lord’s Prayer. A Jewish classmate of his was concerned about whether or not this was “kosher” and sought the advice of his Rabbi. The Rabbi told him, “There is nothing in this prayer that a good Jew cannot say. Go ahead and pray the Lord’s Prayer with your classmates.”
It was with my dad’s story in mind that I began reading “A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer.” Co-written by Nehemia Gordon, a Jewish scholar residing in Jerusalem and Keith Johnson, an African American pastor and former chaplain to the Minnesota Vikings, it has a unique perspective that transcends the usual “interfaith dialogue” type of fare. I consider myself something of a connoisseur of books on prayer, and I was excited to add this one to my collection. The 174 page paperback was released in 2009 by Hilkiah Press.
Quote
“[The Lord’s Prayer] is so much more than a beautiful piece of liturgy. Its nine statements are full of wisdom on how to live a moral and ethical life in the presence of the Father of all mankind, and in relation to our fellow human beings” (page 173).
The Good
The book has an interesting premise: an African American Christian pastor and a Jewish scholar living in Israel team up to uncover the Hebrew roots of the Lord’s Prayer. For the most part, the book lives up to its opening pitch. After the unlikely duo is providentially brought together, they embark on a Dan Brown style adventure involving ancient manuscripts (including a Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew), religious eccentrics and sacred places. Gordon and Johnson not only study the prayer at the museum and in the library, they also spend much of the first half of the book physically hiking through the deserts and mountains of Israel in search of the place where Jesus first taught this historic prayer. The second half of the book is dedicated to their interpretation of the prayer as well as principles for personal edification and application.
The Bad
I’ve read a number of similar books over the years that take the reader on a King Solomon’s Mines type romp through the Bible Lands in search of whatever the Holy Grail du jour may be. At their climax, all of these books contain virtually the exact same sentence: “Overcome with emotion, we realized that we may have found the very spot on which Yeshua stood when he taught the Avinu Prayer to the Jewish multitudes” (page 81). Fill in the blanks with your choice of Moses and the Ten Commandments, Solomon and his wisdom, St. John the Divine and the Revelation, and you get the idea. I don’t mean to cast doubt on what I’m sure was an emotional moment for the authors, but the whole “we’ve found Noah’s Ark” thing is more than a little clichéd by now.
I also would have liked to see a little more scholarly support for the authors’ conclusions. Gordon and Johnson appear to accept rather uncritically the idea that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew, citing Origen and a few other church fathers in support. But what does Bart Ehrman or N.T. Wright think? What’s the scholarly consensus? These questions are never addressed in any detail.
In addition, I thought the expository sections of the book were a little light. Quite frankly, almost any preacher with a modern English translation of the Lord’s Prayer could have arrived at the same interpretations without ever viewing the microfilms of Hebrew Matthew.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that “A Prayer to Our Father” is well-written and gives a unique Jewish/Christian perspective on the Lord’s Prayer. Although it was a quick and engaging read, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to seasoned spiritual seekers or those desiring a deeper treatment of the subject. This book will better serve those who want a solid devotional exploration of what is surely the most famous prayer in the world.
Oct 1st, 2009
sheyduck
A Prayer to our Father by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson was one of my two recent reads for viralbloggers. I very much enjoyed pouring through this book in a couple of days.
I deeply appreciate that this book is co-authored by a Jew and a Christian. I further appreciate that they acknowledge in the introduction that this is significant. The camaraderie they share makes the story they tell even more powerful. The shared respect for each other, for texts, for tradition, for the process, and for the pursuit of Truth is admirable.
Gordon and Johnson devote 6 chapters to their quest to find the most probable location of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. I was skeptical that this was off point for discovering meaning in the Avinu Prayer (as they call the Lord’s Prayer, based on the first word of the Hebrew version), yet I was drawn into this quest along with them, and enjoyed the rich history of the region. This quest, or the way they narrate it, draws together the 20 centuries that have passed since Jesus walked there.
I read two other books on this prayer earlier this year, for the season of Lent(this one by Willimon and this one by Claiborne & Wilson-Hartgrove). I would place A Prayer to Our Father along side these on matters of information and insight. I would, however, recommend it ahead of either of these as a single source because of the way they tell the story. This book is worth reading for the experience of having read it.
If you pray the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, the Avinu Prayer, you should read this book.
Oct 2nd, 2009
mhasty
A Prayer To Our Father by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson is VERY hard to get into. In the first 50 pages all the authors do is talk about how they met, how they want got to the point of wanting to work together and how they come together despite their differences in order to write on the Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer (The Avinu Prayer). The writing is very hard to read and seems more like a diary for personal use of the authors that for actual education of the reader. The authors begin using terms, such as the Avinu Prayer before they explain them. Overall this was not an enjoyable read.
http://thegreatrescue.blogspot.com/2009/10/prayer-to-our-father-hebrew-origins-of.html
Oct 2nd, 2009
TgotK
“A Prayer to Our Father” is a journey through the misunderstandings of New Testament literature. The authors, despite their varied backgrounds and experience, both have managed to produce a entertainingly unscholarly work about the backgrounds of the Lord’s prayer.
The first section of the book, focused on finding the location of Jesus’ delivery of the Sermon on the Mount shows a complete misunderstanding of how the Gospel’s are written and are to be read. The Gospel writers were focused on getting across theological points about a Man, not the latitude and longitude of a speech. It is doubtful that Matthew 5-7 was delivered all at one time and one place, if we understand 1st century historiography correctly.
The second half of the book gives a line-by-line analysis of the Hebrew version of the Lord’s prayer. The reason they are doing this to the Hebrew is based off of a largely uncritical acceptance of a late manuscript as the “original Matthew.” They reach this conclusion mostly by jumping and with the assistance of misquoting Papias (who stated that Matthew wrote down “logia,” not his Gospel in Aramaic/Hebrew).
This book should only be read as a reference to uncritical and unscholarly research on a Biblical text.
Oct 3rd, 2009
Warren Wade
I, like other reviewers of this book have noted, found the concept behind this journey to be one of the more intriguing component of this study of the Lord’s Prayer. Far too few attempts have been made to journey with a Jewish brother through our shared testament and, especially, the New. Most Christian studies, I would presume, that involve some form of reflection and etiology would be executed with preconceived notions derived from the perspective of a person coming from that faith tradition. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this approach. It is understandable to undertake, as a Christian, a study of the Jewish heritage and words with the intent to arrive at a new-found conclusion by studying the context of the literature; however, the basic premise of this book, that two individuals from different faith traditions who cherish a similar sacred text could enthusiastically and collaboratively study the components of one tradition derived from the other and the contexts that inform that tradition, is refreshing. Their journey together through the Hebrew texts surrounding the Lord’s Prayer was informative, especially for a Jewish history and Israeli geography novice, such as me.
What was simultaneously interesting by way of random archeological facts and somewhat boring by way of the flow of the book was the first half of this book. While it does lay a sort of frame work for the second half of the book, so much more time could and should have been dedicated to a discussion around some of the findings and their implications, socially, historically and religiously. The story does carry a sort of adventure feel to it which could have made for great fiction but detracted from the theological robustness of this book.
Knowing that the “implications” of the findings would be different for each author, I can understand why the majority of these findings were discussed in somewhat vague, Abrahamic-faith tradition language. And, don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad thing. More conversations need to take place regarding the shared tradition and similarities between the traditions in order to promote interfaith peace and cooperation as we achieve God’s calling. But, as a Christian looking for more insight about the Lord’s Prayer and what that means for my life, I found myself not entirely motivated by the amount of time dedicated to research, discovery and shared experience and implications.
That being said, the last 90 pages of this book offered almost tidbits of theology which both piqued my curiosity and whet my appetite. The breakdown of every line in the Lord’s Prayer and spending an adequate amount of time discussing both the Hebrew text and the contexts in which they were written provided new insight to this reader. And, while each section revealed something new to me, the part and analysis of that prayer that most grabbed me and, I think, has the most devastating effect on many contemporary theologies while also being inspirational and excited is “Your Will Shall Be Done on Heaven and on Earth.”
Although disappointing that only a few pages were dedicated to this section, the addition of the word “shall” (an appropriate addition that was not included in the Greek version) is extremely significant. Nehemia discusses the implications:
“While the Greek version of the Avinu Prayer contains a call to action to do God’s will, the Hebrew contains a statement of fact: ‘Your will shall be done in heaven and on earth.’ (128-129)
While I am not sure that what follows this statement throughout the rest of the chapter about what this change means is entirely new nor incredibly insightful (e.g. “These Hebrew words…express the idea that our heavenly father is all-powerful” (129)), to me this change is of monumental importance.
When a Christian reads this change and hears the words of Jesus time and time again throughout the New Testament that “the Kingdom of God is upon you” and that it is now, not set in some ephemeral plane sometime after we die, it should inspire. As people suffer under in the Kingdom of Man, to know that God wants us to enact the Kingdom of God here and now on this earth should provide fresh motivation. It should spur the believer to decisive action and announce the Gospel as the good news to the poor, the sick, the homeless, the hungry, the orphan and the oppressed. For, as the Hebrew rendition of this prayer suggests, God’s will shall be done on earth. As Christians, it is our responsibility to make that happen.
At the end, while the book’s conclusion makes sense structurally (with a resounding “Amen” chapter), I found myself left hanging, confused that this brief journey was over. I was hoping for more substance. And, again, while the journey of two men from two different faith traditions was unique and interesting, personally, I would be interested in Mr. Johnson expanding on his findings, shedding more light to the implications this Hebrew prayer may offer to a Christian in a supplemental sequel. All in all, as a light, well-written book, it’s worth reading.
Visit my blog at warrenwade.wordpress.com for more reviews. Please, I’m new at this. Leave me comments, ideas, questions and concerns.
Oct 6th, 2009
jroddy
I recently finished “A Prayer to Our Father” and have mixed reviews of it. I was excited to dive into this book based on the premise of a Christian and a Jew looking into the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer. I believe that we as Christians miss out on some of the nuances of the Hebrew Scriptures because we don’t read them with a Hebrew mind. So I was really looking forward to gaining some insight on this prayer that means so much to my life. While I think some of the insights in the book were very helpful, I mostly felt that I was eating an appetizer. After finishing each chapter I kept wishing that there was more or that the authors would have gone deeper.
I did thoroughly enjoy the personal stories shared in the book. I found the authors journey fascinating from the moment that they met to their meetings in the Holy Land. I really found myself longing even more for a trip to the Middle East to see and experience the land where Jesus walked and where many of the stories of the Hebrew Scriptures take place.
Overall I would recommend this book to someone not looking for heavy academic information but maybe a new perspective on the Lord’s Prayer.
Oct 7th, 2009
kevinstewart
If there is a prayer that is universal to the Christian faith it would be the prayer Jesus gives as a model in response to his disciples request: “Lord, teach us how to pray.” This prayer, better known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” is recited by Catholic and Baptist alike, football and baseball players, even the particularly irreligious are still somewhat familiar with this prayer. I can remember kneeling down before every game in high-school to “Get an Our Father” before the game started. I guess we needed all the help we could get!
But what was the real purpose and meaning of the most beloved prayer in the Christian world? I must be honest, I heard it so much growing up that I never asked myself that question. But that is exactly the question A Prayer to Our Father sets out to answer. Written by an unlikely pair of authors, a Jewish Bible scholar and a former chaplain for the Minnesota Vikings, this book is an adventure that begins in Jerusalem and takes them presumably to the very place in Galilee where Jesus first spoke this prayer. Along the way these two discover a Hebrew version of the “Lord’s Prayer” called the Avinu, which means “Our Father.” (Turns out we weren’t too far off when we called it an “Our Father.”) The second half of the book is an exploration of the Hebrew origins of this prayer. This book caused me to think of the “Lord’s Prayer” in ways that I never have before.
To see original post in its entirety go to: http://kevinstewart.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/a-prayer-to-our-father/
Oct 11th, 2009
mwwestmoreland
I read this for some light reading before bed, which means that I read this with my “academic hat” off. If you want a fast-paced, entertaining read about two men searching for the so-called Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer, then you should definitely check out A A PRAYER.
If I were sitting in my office or out doing research and stumbled upon a text such as this, I would be very hesitant to pick it up and read it. It’s not a book for an academic or any serious biblical literature/language scholar. This text would never be considered as “publication worthy” at even third tier academic presses. But this should not be seen as a harsch critique of the text. The book accomplishes exactly what it stated it would on the back cover. It tells of the authors exciting story and encourages the reader to “join them on this provocative exploration of the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer!”
The text shared a joyful story of two men of different faiths coming together in search of the meaning behind a world famous/influential prayer. I read much of A PRAYER with a smile on my face, no so much because of the text itself but for the story they told. It was encouraging.
Again, as for the quality of scholarship presented in the text itself, I would be hesitant to even mention the book to colleagues. But this is alright; the authors were not writing to appease academics.
Best regards to Gordon and Johnson. May you both be blessed.
Oct 12th, 2009
taddelay
A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson’s new book, A Prayer To Our Father for review. The book is a joint Jewish/Christian study of the Avinue (lit. “Our Father”), the Lord’s Prayer. Nehemia plays the part of the Jewish theology geek from Israel, and Keith plays the part of the Christian pastor-jock from Minneapolis, an odd couple that struck up a friendship when Nehemia met Keith while giving tour guides in Israel. Nehemia’s tutorship in ancient Hebrew eventually turned to his suggestion that they launch into a deep study of the Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew as we read it today in English is based on Greek manuscripts, often hundreds of years removed from original authorship. The Gospel texts were passed around under various names for several hundred years, in varying formats, until they settled into standardized texts under the currently assumed names we read today. By the time we have fully standardized Greek manuscripts of a Gospel, it has been redacted unknowable numbers of times and is at the very least changed by translation. Any linguist will attest that translating is always tinged by agenda, even if unknowingly, and no translation will perfectly match it’s original source in meaning. Because of this confusion (as well as the early Church references to Matthew originally being written in Hebrew, not Greek or Aramaic), Keith and Nehemia sought the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Matthew, and produced this book specifically on the Avinue prayer from Matthew chapter 5.
This is the Avinue, the Lord’s Prayer, as they translate it to English from Hebrew Matthew. Notice the differences with the standard English versions translated from Greek:
Our Father in Heaven
May your name be sanctified
May your kingdom be blessed
Your will shall be done in heaven and on earth
Give us our bread continually/daily
Forigive us the debt of our sins as we forgive the debt of those who sin against us
Do not bring us into the hands of a test
And protect us from all evil
Amen
Pros
They consistently took pop-shots at common Chrisitan myths, such as the idea that it was revolutionary for a Jew to refer to God as “Abba/Father.” That was an eye opener for me. It was embarrassing, really, to see how many places the Scriptures reffered to God as “Avi,” the Hebrew equivalent of the Aramaic abba. Even Genesis, a book put together five hundred years before Christ, names the forth person of all time as Avi’el (lit. “Father, god” or Abel in English).
The Hebrew refresher was much appriated throughout, as I have not studied Hebrew in a year. It was good to feel the linguistic geek in me resurface.
Oh, and they decide on the age old debate of how the name of God, YHWY, is supposed to be pronounced (in case you ask, they settle on “Yehovah”), although I’m not sure if such a debatable claim being settled with such immediate certainty is a good thing or not for credibility.
But seriously, the book could serve as a great introduction to basic Biblical linguistics and criticism. And Biblical criticism is something that I think more Christians ought to be exposed to, with all the usurping questions that scholarship can create to question, twist, do violence to, and recreate a faith.
Cons
Even while only coming to a grand total of 172 pages, the book felt stretched. The duo’s search for the place where Christ most likely gave the sermon on the mount took up nearly a third of the book. And they came to a conclusion all right (at the expected last of 8 failed treks described in detail, I might add), but when you are on detailed-trek 3 of 8 and you know which one they will decide is the right one, do you really want to keep reading? There was lots of this stretching of the material, and I’m pretty sure I could have gotten half the book’s content with Google search (although the Jew-sight was appreciated).
The duo also consistently refer to a gospel that a disciple named Matthew wrote, and that irritated me in a way. There was not even a hint of doubt cast on Matthew’s authorship, the fact that a semi-stable and consistent version of Matthew didn’t exist for a couple hundred years after supposed authorship, or the fact that we cannot verify original authorship’s language anyways aside from a few references from 3rd century church fathers who could be notoriously sloppy with their side references to history. For a book on the Hebrew Matthew, I was expecting at least a little scholarship on the authorship of Matthew, a solid reasoning to believe the original source was Hebrew, or even a defense of the idea that a disciple named “Matthew” wrote the piece. Alas, given the surprising lack of scholarly evidence that Jesus himself existed, maybe we can let Matthew slide. Still, if you are going to write a biblical examination, at least prove to me that what you are writing on is legit if you claim the establishment has it wrong on the source.
Suspending disbelief is great for a church service, but if you are writing a book on ancient Hebrew manuscripts, of which we have no originals, I would prefer you acknowledge the whole thing could easily be a fraud and give defense, if only for the sake of being intellectually honest.
—
A quick warning: if you believe the Bible as we have it today is exactly the same as some original manuscript actually written by a guy the book is named after, be forewarned that Nehemia and Keith will make light work of this view in a mere side note in the opening pages. You should probably stay away from this book (or any Jewish thought on Scripture… or scholarship in general for that matter)
In the end, it’s a quick and easy read. You pick up lots of Hebrew and the authors bring a skimmed scholarship to the highschool level. Though I would suggest this book to anyone familiar with the history of Jewish belief on the Bible, if you haven’t read any Jewish perspective, scholarship, language, or philosophy before, this could be a great place to start.
Oct 12th, 2009
Brian294
Ever watch The Discovery Channel? Picture two guys going on multiple journeys to Israel to find the places where Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount and where Jesus was tested in the desert. Their writing style was colorful and I wished they had filmed their expedition for others to see.
But why did they spend nearly half the book chronicling their expedition? It played an essential inspirational role to discover the meaning behind the words.
What also made this book unique was that they relied heavily on Hebrew Matthew, not the Greek or Latin versions that were derived afterward. Things that are ambiguous in Greek were crystal clear in Hebrew.
I was happy to see that in the chapter titled, “May Your Kingdom Be Blessed” they recognized the fact that God’s kingdom is both present and future. It’s not just a future event, but a present reality. Very good kingdom theology.
I also loved how they used so much Hebrew scripture to shed light on the Lord’s prayer. Very Hebraic! I will pass along this book to my Messianic Jewish friends. I know they’ll love it.
Shalom,
Brian
Oct 13th, 2009
edan0889
I don’t like to loan out books. I rarely get them back. However A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer By Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson is a hard book to hold on to. Throughout the story, I kept thinking about one friend or another who would like to read it. Even now I struggle with the selfish desire to keep it for myself versus a sense of guilt for not passing it on for a friend to enjoy.
To read more of my review go to my blog at:
http://edan0889.blogspot.com/2009/10/prayer-to-our-father.html
Oct 15th, 2009
pomotheo
Part of my commitment with theOoze is to review the books I sign up for and they send me! They are nice enough to give the option but I choose to generally review the ones I request. Kind of like an all you can eat buffet…. Anyways, I was going to skip the review for this book but it was short enough that when I found time I cracked it open and took a read.
A Prayer to Our Father. Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson is a 171 page large print narrative adventure about an African American pastor and Jewish academic combining to investigate the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer.
What I enjoyed about this book was the concept of investigating the ‘original’ text of Matthew which is purported to be a Hebrew text, not Greek. The con of the book is the fact only 1/2 of the pages were devoted to the investigation of the actual prayer component. The other issue I have is the lack of corroborating evidence for the conclusions they make. It is dangerous to make claims implicitly or explicitly and passing them on to t he masses as fact (or not framing them as mere ideas so that people won’t treat them by default as ‘fact’ because they show up in a printed book).
The book opens with the introduction of the union between to the two unlikely characters. I thought it would have made a great blog post to follow…. Perhaps I don’t resonate with the racial and religious distinctions, to fully appreciate the combination of African American Christian w/ Jewish academic/scholar, but for me that’s not a compelling enough reason to make me read the book.
The introductory components, or half the book, dealt with their travels and anticipation discovering the Hebraic origins of the Matthean account and how it might impact our interpretations today. That is, as I suggested earlier, is an interesting premise. But half the book doesn’t deal with the question it poses.
The first half is introduction and then six chapters searching for the physical location where Jesus may have spoken the Beatitudes. How this was relevant to the question escaped me, and spending time in Israel for three weeks taught me one thing–everyone claims to have something, but the original never exists. They pretty much concluded the same thing, and at the end of the day, it was six chapters wasted (although would have made a nice blog series
)
I also didn’t appreciate the pro-Israeli stance of the book, albeit I should have expected it.
Half-way through I met the discussion about the actual prayer broken down into each section. This was interesting to dive into some of the Jewish traditions that impact how we interpret the Lord’s Prayer (Prayer to Our Father) today.
What I did not jive with, however, was the lack of scholarship. Mind you, this wasn’t an exegesis of Matthew 5, (although perhaps it should have been thus giving the academy a chance to respond). More work to substantiate claims would have propelled the book to the level of ‘resource’ rather than a simple recollection of two men’s journey of discovery.
One particular issue I had in the investigation was the treatment of the name of God. Johnson seems to ignore the fact that the consensus on the origins of the term Jehovah is a result of a mistranslation by English scholars unfamiliar with Jewish traditions. Do a Google search on it.
I could not find any corroborating evidence in my quick search, not suggesting there isn’t any, to substantiate his claim that the English variant of the proper name of God–Jehovah–is merely a translation from the guess of what the proper name of God may have sounded like 2000+ years ago: Yehovah and not Yahweh.
Again, to me this is a startling claim, and I’m surprised a reference to the issue was never made. IT makes me wonder to what extent I can trust their conclusions on this particular topic. More insight and scholarship is needed (post some links or resources if you know of any.)
All in all, half of the book was interesting, the other half unnecessary. Of the half that was interesting, there were more questions raised than answers. I appreciate exposure to the initial question, but thought they could have done a much better job laying out the historical/textual evidence.
This isn’t, btw, the next ’shack’, or at least I hope not.
http://www.pomotheo.com/2009/qod/many-questions-on-a-prayer-to-our-father-book-review/
Oct 17th, 2009
ahub101
http://important-topics-ahub.blogspot.com/2009/10/review.html
Review: A Prayer to Our Father – Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer
A Prayer to Our Father by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson is the latest book that I have received as an Ooze Viral Blogger. While I was awaiting the arrival of the book I began to question my choice. Am I really interested in a book that does what so many others have done (that is, commented on the Lord’s Prayer)? After having read the book, I am glad to say that I enjoyed my time with the book, especially since it had so much in it that I did not expect.
A Prayer to Our Father is short (170 page), easy to read, moderately insightful, and quite entertaining. The premise of the book is that a devout, intellectual Jew named Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson and an African American Elder in the United Methodist Church (miraculously?) meet and team up to deliver a book that Chronicles their adventure to better understand the Lord’s Prayer, or the “Our Father”/ “Pater Noster”.
Due to the complex nature of Gordon and Johnson’s meeting, their journey, and the meaning of the Hebrew version of the Lord’s Prayer, the book can be divided into four major sections. The first section comes after the introduction and chronicles how the two very different authors, from two quite different backgrounds were able to come together. In the second section, the authors tell the very interesting story of how they came to be friends, and their discovery that the Lord’s Prayer, and the whole of the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew (though this was new to them, this is not new to biblical scholars, though it is often undervalued).
The third section of the book was one of the most exciting parts for me, because it involves the two authors trying to find the actual place where Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount, which contains the Lord’s Prayer. The description of the place where Jesus probably preached the famous sermon will stick with me and be an incredible mental picture that will enliven that text for me.
In the fourth part, the authors explain and comment on the Lord’s Prayer using insights gained from the Hebrew text, which often brings clarity and insight to the passage. Though this part of the book was good, it was not great. However, I still believe that the gems that can be gathered from this section make this part of the book worth a glance.
Another major component of the book is that it involves a Jew and a Christian getting together and meeting on common ground. This provided insights that could not have been gleaned otherwise.
All in all, the book was mostly a pleasure to read (though there were moments where it got bogged down and the insight was almost anti-insightful to me). I would recommend this book, especially for the storyline and the discovery of the spot where the Sermon on the Mount was probably preached.
Check out the book’s website here.
Listen to an interview with the authors here.
Oct 17th, 2009
staucody
Jesus’ teachings become so fresh and so much more challenging when one places him firmly in his tradition, learning who he really was. Nehemiah Gordon, an Orthodox Jewish Bible scholar, and Keith Johnson, an African American Pastor and NFL chaplain, came together on common ground to uncover the history and origins of a shared treasure- Christians call it “The Lord’s Prayer.”
A Prayer to Our Father recounts the time they spent together, from visiting all of the possible locations for Jesus’ teaching on prayer, to investigating the ancient manuscripts of Hebrew Matthew. Along the way they make some exciting discoveries, but the most exciting aspect of the entire journey is the interaction between Nehemiah and Keith, the way they find common ground and learn from the unique perspectives they each bring to the table. A basic understanding of history from the last 1,600 years puts this work in proper perspective- it’s a thing of beauty that it was even created.
The last section of the book is extremely useful for group study, as they break down line for line the Hebrew “Our Father,” providing fresh teaching on this sacred passage. The nine lines contain deep moral and ethical teaching, and about how one can relate to Our Father and to our fellow human brothers and sisters.
Oct 19th, 2009
Bill Nieporte
A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson, Hikkiah Press, 2009.
What an amazing little book!
As a Christian with Jewish ancestry, it always warms my heart when members of these two traditions are willing to set aside their prejudice and discover their common roots.
In this book, a Jewish scholar and a African-American Christian pastor become friends and begin a quest to understand the Jewish roots of what is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer.”
The book has three primary strengths.
First, those who thirst for knowledge about Lord’s prayer will find this book helpful. Especially, I believe, those Christians who look to the words of this prayer as a model for their own Christian devotion.
Second, the story of how the two authors met and developed their friendship can be a model for developing more interfaith dialogue. It has certainly challenged me to seek more opportunities to connect to those of other faiths and traditions in my own community.
Finally, the book put a hunger in this reviewer’s heart to rediscover the joy of studying scripture in its original language. I honestly believe I have forgotten more Hebrew and Greek in the last twenty years since seminary then I had originally been taught. As a result, I have less to offer in preaching and teaching than I should.
Just went and purchased a software program to help start refreshing my knowledge of Greek. Hebrew will be next. Maybe one of the Rabbis in my community might become my tutor.
This review is also posted at http://nieporte.name/?p=409
Oct 20th, 2009
bwriley4
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this easy-to-read book about the “Our Father” or Avinu prayer – the Lord’s Prayer as it is often called. The authors do an excellent job of weaving together story and teaching in a way that compels you to read to the end.
I thought I had a good general knowledge of historical matters related to the Bible. However, this book introduced me to the theory that Matthew first wrote his gospel in Hebrew. I hate to admit that I had never heard that previously, but I hadn’t. My point in confessing this is that even though the concept was new to me, the authors quickly helped me understand the validity of their point of view.
The real strengths of the book include:
1. The authors’ journey together in writing this book encourages the reader that unity can be found in the teachings of Jesus.
2. The authors’ use of personal story make the book a compelling read and help the reader experience what it would have been like to hear Jesus teach the “our Father” prayer.
3. The authors demonstrate clear rationale for their point of view regarding the Hebrew origin of the Book of Matthew and the historical location of the Sermon on the Mount. This really encourages the reader to venture more deeply into Hebrew culture.
The one weakness of the book results from one of the book’s key strengths. Although it is wonderful to see a Jewish scholar and an evangelical Christian explore the words of Jesus together, the applications they draw lack strength because they wrote to the lowest common denominator – the points upon which they could both agree. There still are great applications and conclusions drawn, but I would love to see others write further about the Avinu prayer and its applications to followers of Jesus.
This review will also be posted at http://charisshalom.fjministries.com in the near future.
Oct 22nd, 2009
misterlib
http://misterlib.com/2009/10/27/a-prayer-to-our-father/
I just finished this book, and I was more enthusiastic about the idea of the book than actually reading the book. It’s not that the content was bad, in fact it was very good, but the authors weren’t very compelling. When I think back on the story, it was a good story that tied in a lot of really good insights into the Lord’s Prayer. I think one of the most impacting insights for me was in the line “Do not lead us into temptation,” which they translated as “Do not bring us into the hands of a test” from Matthew in Hebrew. They said that the word in Greek versions of Matthew could be translated as either temptation or test, but that in the Hebrew, it translates as test. It is actually the same word used when the Pharisees ‘test’ Jesus. They quoted a prayer from a little-known Isrealite sage named Agur that is actually recorded in Proverbs:
“Two things I ask of you, O Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
They point out that many versions of the Lord’s Prayer say temptation, and many say test, but if you look elsewhere, it says that God doesn’t tempt. So for us to ask God to not lead us into temptation is like saying, “God, can you please refrain from doing what you don’t do.” But God does test. He tested Abraham. He tested Job. Psalm 138:23 says “test me and know my anxious thoughts.” So for us to ask God not to test us, is saying that we are recognizing that we are depraved. Agur knew this and asked God not to make him rich or poor. This is new to me, and something that I am looking forward to praying for the rest of my days.
Oct 27th, 2009
everydayliturgy
Co-authors Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson explore the Hebrew foundation of the Lord’s Prayer in their book A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer.
The authors intend for this book to be very exciting. They are excited people. They are Hebrew nerds, and they go on a dramatically and suspensefully told quest to plumb the depths of time and manuscripts to flush out the Hebrew underpinnings of the Lord’s Prayer, or in Hebrew, the Avinu Prayer.
Gordon and Johnson do not publish anything radical, controversial, or suspect. They back up their suspicions and hunches with adequate scholarship. The book proves to be part theological book and part travelogue as the pair criss-cross continents and the Holy Land in search for the authentic roots of the Lord’s Prayer.
Their quest is admirable, and achieved, but its not one I really wanted to go on. If you are a language nerd or think of reading a Hebrew dictionary or studying Hebrew as a fun and enjoyable activity, I suggest you buy this book. You’ll enjoy it.
Myself on the other hand, the book started boring me about half way through. I just am not interested in the peculiarities of Hebrew to Greek to English translations, and most of their insights I had read in N.T. Wright’s book The Lord and His Prayer.
The book does try to be exciting, and it deserves much credit on that point. It just didn’t click with me. There are many books I read (and review) that people would find boring as well, so this book is in the eye of the beholder, and at $19.95 for a paperback (a high price in my opinion) I would suggest that unless you are a Hebrew nerd or transfixed by the Holy Land buy Wright’s The Lord and His Prayer instead (it’s $8 on Amazon).
Oct 28th, 2009
artzar
This Prayer is one of the best known passages in the Bible, appreciated by those who are not practitioners of Judaism or Christianity. You can find it. in the Parliaments of the world, in places of education, metro stations and public markets. It became a common platform where Christians can meet and communicate with each other.
The book “A Prayer to Our Father” / A prayer to Our Father “- made available by courtesy of the” Ooze Viral Books “- was a surprise to me primarily through approach. Nehemia Gordon, a learned Jew of Jerusalem and Keith Johnson, an African-American pastor, approaches the subject by personal paths. Apparently two directions for understanding and a common denominator found in God and in the form of relationship: Our Father. Personal prospects interact with the text of Scripture resulting emphasis on a meditative moment.
For me it was a useful exercise to know the new details of the context of prayer, of its cultural meaning and its role in Jewish and Christian religious practice.
How to interpret a prayer without spiritualize it? I know that sometimes, some evangelicals are guilty of excessive spiritualization of biblical texts. It is fascinating to see the intertwining Old Testament essence through Gospel values and ethos further into the Christian faith.
It is a successful attempt from my perspective to see the elegant interaction between Hebrew and one teaches a Christian, open to receive information one at the.
The book brings in me the desire to explore more Jewish manuscripts of biblical texts.
A Prayer to Our Father can serve as a good start to reach the issue criticism biblical language can satisfy the taste for biblical history of some not so accustomed to the pretentious terminology.
Beyond a liturgical piece, the Lord’s Prayer reveals how to live morally and dependence of the One who made us and he became a father not only by Creation but also through salvation.
More in Romanian version on
http://www.blog.punctul.com
Nov 3rd, 2009
MicahMin
This short, exciting read sent me to my telephone to tell a far-away friend, “you MUST read this book.” Engaging, intriguing, and fascinating are the three best terms I have to describe this terrific book. The scholarship and candid dialogue from unlikely co-authors will at once teach and inspire. The Jewish and Christian perspectives on the Lord’s Prayer provide important historical interpretation that will be meaningful and helpful to all who read this volume.
Nov 15th, 2009
spiritofburning
“A Prayer to Our Father: Hebrew Origins of the Lord’s Prayer” by Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson chronicles the journey, both physical and spiritual, of two men of different faiths, as they seek out the Hebrew origins of the Lord’s Prayer. Gordon, a Jewish scholar, and Johnson, a pastor, meet in Jerusalem in interesting circumstances. What begins as a chance encounter becomes a Bible study and later shifts into a journey to discover a truer meaning to the Lord’s Prayer.
The first half of the book is dedicated to telling the story of Gordon and Johnson’s trip through Israel, in search of the location where Yeshua gave the Sermon on the Mount and originally spoke the Lord’s Prayer. They visit the six most-likely locations, evaluating each possibility by referencing descriptions in various religious documents. The research is thorough, and the authors use it well to make a strong case for their choice. They eventually decide on the Horns of Hattin, which provides the best acoustics and easiest access, and it most closely matches descriptions in the Bible and other religious texts.
The second half explores the prayer in detail, explaining the differences between the original Hebrew and the later Greek and English translations. The authors provide explanations of the original Hebrew words when the English translations of those words differ greatly from translations from Greek or when the Hebrew words have ambiguous meanings. They also take time to explain what these words would have meant to the Jews listening to the prayer when it was first spoken. These cultural references provide the reader with new insight and a different perspective on the Lord’s Prayer. It is fascinating to compare the two versions to see where the similarities and differences lie.
“A Prayer to Our Father” offers the reader a chance to explore what is likely to be a familiar prayer in a new way. The authors have clearly devoted much of their time to the study and understanding of the prayer, and their enthusiasm and eagerness to share the research and discoveries shines through the text. The authors’ academic approach to the subject makes the book an interesting read for readers of many different beliefs.
Nov 18th, 2009
BLePort
I admit that this book lost me early on. I know we are supposed to try to engage it, but it felt like a lot of scholarly assumptions were being made without support from the first pages. I think I zoned out from there.
The “Jewish” side of Christianity is all the buzz nowadays, and rightfully so, but some books seems to be sent to print more as a bandwagon addition than an actual contribution. This book is more of a personal narrative; a devotional of sorts.
Mar 7th, 2010
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