Carmen Welker’s responds to Orthodox Jew Miriam Levinson’s post concerning “Jesus”: Part 3

MIRIAM LEVINSON WROTE:

As for your phony link of John 8:58 to Exodus 3:14, the Christian bibles had to deliberately mistranslate Exodus 3:14 to "I am what I am," instead of correctly translating it as "I will be what I will be." But they needed to fabricate a claim that Jesus was saying he was God in John 8:58, and if they used the correct translation of "I will be," then they would have had Jesus making the incomprehensible remark of "Before Abraham was born, I will be." That the translators KNOW the Hebrew word "ehyeh" means "I will be" is proven in the Christian translations of Exodus 4:15, which is correctly translated, "I will be with your mouth...."

CARMEN’s RESPONSE:

First of all, John 8:58 doesn’t exist because in later Greek translations a story appears in the text of a woman caught in adultery, which was inserted as verses 1-11, and caused some re-numbering. The story is nonexistent in the Peshitta and does not appear in the four earliest Greek manuscripts of John.

But for this response’s sake, I will retain the “Greek” numbering.

John 8:58 Y’shua said to them, Amen, amen I say to you that before Awraham existed, I was! 59. And they took up rocks to stone him, and Y’shua hid and departed from the temple and passed their midst and left. (AENT)

Author Andrew Gabriel Roth responds:  In Semitic thought, the phrase “Ena-na” (I am) conveys a thought of eternal existence reserved only for Elohim. This naturally leads to the following question “Who are you?”

John 8:25. The Yehudeans said, “Who are you?” Y’shua said to them, Even if I should begin to speak with you, 26. I have much against you to say and to judge, but He who sent me is true and I speak those things which I heard from Him. These things are what I speak in the world. 27.And they knew not the Father that he spoke concerning them. 28. Y’shua again said to them, When you lift up the Son of man, then you will know that I am, and I don’t do a thing from my own will but as my Father has taught me. Likewise that I speak. 29. And He who sent me is with me and does not leave me alone because my Father is pleased at all times with the things that I do. (AENT)

So, how has Y’shua negated or nullified Exodus 3:14?

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moshe, "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be]," and added, "Here is what to say to the people of Isra'el: 'Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.'" 15 God said further to Moshe, "Say this to the people of Isra'el: 'Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [ADONAI], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya'akov, has sent me to you.'This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation. (CJB)

You mentioned Exodus 4:15, and here it is from Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible: 14 At this, ADONAI's anger blazed up against Moshe; he said, "Don't you have a brother, Aharon the Levi? I know that he's a good speaker. In fact, here he is now, coming out to meet you; and he'll be happy to see you.  15 You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and his, teaching you both what to do.  16 Thus he will be your spokesman to the people, in effect; for you, he will be a mouth; and for him, you will be like God. 

Since YHWH did this for Moshe and Aharon, WHY couldn’t He do the same thing for Y’shua?