Grasping the core issue of theodicy–how God can be all that we customarily attribute to him (Good, Loving, Knowing, All Powerful) and, at the same time, His being just / righteous while “evil” exists and even prevails–is a conundrum that has plagued humans for thousands of years. The issue is framed like this: if God is all powerful, and He is, powerful beyond all human comprehension, and if God is love, and He is, loving beyond all human comprehension or comparison, then why is the world, life, our experience faced so often (or at all) with such sorrow, misery, pain, disappointment, and even downright awful evil, evil beyond human comprehension? How do the results of life ‘square’ with God’s power and love, and we might add His infinite and all knowing (Omniscience)? Theodicy is the issue of God’s justice (“theo” references “God,” and “dicy” is a shortened form of the Latin word from which we get “dictator,” i.e. It will help us greatly here to think of another idea that appears as a far afield concept, namely the ancient issue of theodicy. If rejoice is something that is not purely an inward, subjective feeling, though feelings may inevitably follow, what does that word really mean? The Implications of Rejoice as an Objective Frame But that’s not what happens to ordinary folks like you and me, even as new creations in Christ, especially in the context of the adjoining word in the verse (“always,” as we’ll come to later). #Gaudete christus est natus translation professionalSo, you and I create, as a volitional act of will, an deep, inward, glow? Skilled professional actors can, and they are trained and paid to do so on command. But even this alone doesn’t capture the essence of a present tense, active voice, imperative command verb. One of the above English translations seeks to convey this by the use of an exclamation point. That is, the verb is given as a command, and it is in the present tense and active voice (meaning that you and I, the implied subject of the verse, are to do the action, “to rejoice”). It is this, in the Gr mss, the word translated “rejoice,” is the imperative form of: Strong’s G5463. objective / framework), let us consider another important fact about “rejoice” in this verse, something not apparent from English translations. Or is “rejoice” an objective concept (as opposed to subjective) by which I am to frame how I see ‘life’ itself, as it unfolds for me, as God’s redeemed one?īefore we try to answer this question (subjective / feeling vs. “ Be happy” and “ celebrate” have some overlap of meaning with “ rejoice,” but such phrases convey something more outward, effusive.īut what about the word “ rejoice” itself? Is it referencing a feeling, like a warm inward glow that comes over a person perhaps on the occasion of a wonderful letter with great news from an old friend? The verb in the verse is translated in most Bibles by the term “ rejoice,” we also see “ celebrate,” “full of joy,” “joyful,” “full of joy,” “joy ye / you,” “be cheerful,” “be happy,” and the ever popular “have simcha.” The lively, beautiful hymn Gaudete, such in Latin, is available on YouTube here: Latin Semper means “ always.” Gaudete is the title of a famed medieval Christmas song and is suitable translated by our English “ rejoice:” And here is the Latin / Vulgate translation: Semper gaudete.
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