Posted on 11/03/2003 9:42:20 PM PST by RnMomof7
Where is this one true Church? What is this one true Church like? What are the marks by which this one true Church may be known? You may well ask such questions. Give me your attention, and I will provide you with some answers.
1. The one true Church IS COMPOSED OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE LORD JESUS. It is made up of all God's elect - of all converted men and women - of all true Christians. In whomsoever we can discern the election of God the Father, the sprinkling of the blood of God the Son, the sanctifying work of God the Spirit, in that person we see a member of Christ's true Church.
2. It is a Church OF WHICH ALL THE MEMBERS HAVE THE SAME MARKS. They are all born again of the Spirit; they all possess "repentance towards God, faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ," and holiness of life and conversation. They all hate sin, and they all love Christ. (They worship differently, and after various fashions; some worship with a form of prayer, and some with none; some worship kneeling, and some standing; but they all worship with one heart.) They are all led by one Spirit; they all build upon one foundation; they all draw their religion from one single book - that is the Bible. They are all joined to one great center - that is Jesus Christ. They all even now can say with one heart, "Hallelujah;" and they can all respond with one heart and voice, Amen and Amen.
3. It is a Church WHICH IS DEPENDENT UPON NO MINISTERS UPON EARTH, however much it values those who preach the gospel to its members. The life of its members does not hang upon Church-membership, or baptism, or the Lord's Supper - although they highly value these things when they are to be had. But it has only one Great Head - one Shepherd, one chief Bishop - and that is Jesus Christ. He alone, By His Spirit, admits the members of this Church, though ministers may show the door. Till He opens the door no man on earth can open it - neither bishops, nor presbyters, nor convocations, nor synods. Once let a man repent and believe the gospel, and that moment he becomes a member of this Church. Like the penitent thief, he may have no opportunity of being baptized; but he has that which is far better than any water-baptism - the baptism of the Spirit. He may not be able to receive the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper;but he eats Christ's body and drinks Christ's blood by faith every day he lives, and no minister on earth can prevent him. He may be ex-communicated by ordained men, and cut off from the outward ordinances of the professing Church; but all the ordained men in the world cannot shut him out of the true Church.
It is a Church whose existence does not depend on forms, ceremonies, cathedrals, churches, chapels, pulpits, fonts, vestments, organs, endowments, money, kings, governments, magistrates or any act of favor whatsoever from the hand of man. It has often lived on and continued when all these things have been taken from it. It has often been driven into the wilderness, or into dens and caves of the earth, by those who ought to have been its friends. Its existence depends on nothing but the presence of Christ and His Spirit; and they being ever with it, the Church cannot die.
4. This is the Church TO WHICH THE SCRIPTURAL TITLES OF PRESENT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE, AND THE PROMISES OF FUTURE GLORY ESPECIALLY BELONG; this is the Body of Christ; this is the flock of Christ; this is the household of faith and the family of God; this is God's building, God's foundation, and the temple of the Holy Ghost. This is the Church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven; this is the royal priesthood, the chosen generation, the peculiar people, the purchased possession, the habitation of God, the light of the world, the salt and the wheat of the earth; this is the "Holy Catholic Church" of the Apostles' Creed; this is the "One Catholic and Apostolic Church" of the Nicene Creed; this is that Church to which the Lord Jesus promises "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," and to which He says, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world"(Matt.16:18; 28:2).
5. This is the only Church WHICH POSSESSES TRUE UNITY. Its members are entirely agreed on all the weightier matters of religion, for they are all taught by one Spirit. About God, and Christ, and the Spirit, and sin, and their own hearts, and faith, and repentance, and necessity of holiness, and the value of the Bible, and the importance of prayer, and the resurrection, and judgment to come - about all these points they are of one mind. Take three or four of them, strangers to one another, from the remotest corners of the earth; examine them separately on these points: you will find them all one judgment.
6. This is the only Church WHICH POSSESSES TRUE SANCTITY. Its members are all holy. They are not merely holy by profession, holy in name, and holy in the judgment of charity; they are all holy in act, and deed, and reality, and life, and truth. They are all more or less conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. No unholy man belongs to this Church.
7. This is the only Church WHICH IS TRULY CATHOLIC. It is not the Church of any one nation or people; its members are to be found in every part of the world where the gospel is received and believed. It is not confined within the limits of any one country, or pent up within the pale of any particular forms of outward government. In it there is no difference between Jew and Greek, black man and white, Episcopalian and Presbyterian - but faith in Christ is all. Its members will be gathered from north, and south, and east, and west, and will be of every name and tongue - but all one in Jesus Christ.
8. This is the only Church WHICH IS TRULY APOSTOLIC. It is built on the foundation laid by the Apostles, and holds the doctrines which they preached. The two grand objects at which its members aim are apostolic faith and apostolic practice; and they consider the man who talks of following the Apostles without possessing these two things to be no better than sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.
9. This is the only Church WHICH IS CERTAIN TO ENDURE UNTO THE END. Nothing can altogether overthrow and destroy it. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten, beheaded, burned; but the true Chruch is never altogether extinguished; it rises again from its afflictions; it lives on through fire and water. When crushed in one land it springs up in another. The Pharaohs, the Herods, the Neros, the Bloody Marys, have labored in vain to put down this Church; they slay their thousands, and then pass away and go to their own place. The true Church outlives them all, and sees them buried each in his turn. It is an anvil that has broken many a hammer in this world, and will break many a hammer still; it is a bush which is often burning, and yet it's not consumed.
10. This is the only Church OF WHICH NO ONE MEMBER CAN PERISH. Once enrolled in the lists of this Church, sinners are safe for eternity; they are never cast away. The election of God the Father, the continual intercession of God the Son, the daily renewing and sanctifying power of God the Holy Ghost, surround and fence them in like a garden enclosed. Not one bone of Christ's mystical Body shall ever be broken; not one lamb of Christ's flock shall ever be plucked out of His hand.
11. This is the Church WHICH DOES THE WORK OF CHRIST UPON EARTH. Its members are a little flock, and few in numbers, compared with the children of the world; one or two here, and two or three there - a few in this place and few in that. But these are they who shake the universe; these are they who change the fortunes of kingdoms by their prayers; these are they who are the active workers for spreading the knowledge of pure religion and undefiled; these are the life-blood of a country, the shield, the defence, the stay, and the support of any nation to which they belong.
12. This is the Church WHICH SHALL BE TRULY GLORIOUS AT THE END. When all earthly glory is passsed away then shall this Church be presented without spot before God the Father's throne. Thrones, principalities, and powers upon earth shall come to nothing; dignities, and offices, and endowments shall all pass away; but the Church of the first-born shall shine as the stars at the last, and be presented with joy before the Father's throne, in the day of Christ's appearing. When the Lord's jewels are made up, and manifestation of the sons of God takes place, Episcopacy, and Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism will not be mentioned; one Church only will be named, and that is the Church of the elect.
13. Reader, THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH TO WHICH A MAN MUST BELONG, IF HE WOULD BE SAVED. Till you belong to this, you are nothing better than a lost soul. You may have the form, the husk, the skin, and the shell of religion, but you have not got the substance and the life. Yes, you may have countless outward privileges; you may enjoy great light, and knowledge - but if you do not belong to the Body of Christ, your light and knowledge and privileges will not save your soul. Alas, for the ignorance that prevails on this point! Men fancy if they join this church or that church, and become communicants, and go through certain forms, that all must be right in their souls. It is an utter delusion, it is a gross mistake. All were not Israel who were called Israel, and all are not members of Christ's Body who profess themselves Christian. TAKE NOTICE; you may be a staunch Episcopalian, or Presbyterian, or Independent, or Baptist, or Wesleyan, or Plymouth Brother - and yet not belong to the true Church. And if you do not, it will be better at last if you had never been born.
Return to Rich's Home Page of Reformed Theology
Yeah. Not sure why this is relevant, honestly. God the Father does not really have eyes at all. "Spiritual" or otherwise.
Why do you say this ? On what do you base such a statement ?
Scripture says that He does have eyes (obviously spiritual eyes).
He just doesn't have physical eyes like you do.
What do you think God's definition of an eye would be ?
So you are saying that Jesus is saying that His own flesh is useless? Is the Incarnation pointless? Does Jesus being human, taking on flesh mean anything? Or is it all just "profit nothing?"
Jesus' flesh is offered to and is of value to God, not to us.
Having His justice satisfied by the offering of the body and blood of Jesus, ... God quickens (gives life to) our spiritual life with His Spirit.
If you will, God is profitted (as to the accomplishment of His will) by the offereing of the body and blood of Jesus.
We (believers) are profitted through the life endowed to us by His Spirit.
And now we're right back where we started. We both agree that we can receive spiritual life by Jesus' words. Now, why do you think that this means that we must take Him to be speaking metaphorically?
To me, knowing how important Jesus' words are, I do not automatically say "well, He might have said that, but He doesn't really mean it to be taken literally." I mean, absent any other evidence.
Jesus, Himself stated that His method of speaking to the multitudes was through parables (i.e. metaphorically). It was common in His teaching.
Further, when Jesus privately taught His disciples the meaning of His statements to the multitude (as He did in John 6:63), ... it is a good indication that those teachings to the multitudes were metaphoric in nature.
Perhaps you'd care to explore the bible and consider how God feels about His Name. After doing that ask yourself if man really should be messing with His Name. Giving God new names is the same as adding to the scriptures, it is a sin that is specifically mentioned in the bible. What is worse, using God's name lightly or giving God a diffent name? Go call your boss by some name you made up or by some title that you've decided to give him and see how well that works.
But it is only RC's who go and give Mary a thousand pompus names, even more than God has given His Son, and who go and rename God at your whim and who go and take God's names and apply them to your Pope and see nothing wrong with any of this. Certainly those responsible for such acts will burn and what shall we say of those led astray.
It also means simply to eat..but your response tells me two things..1) The Catholic Church taught error for many years as it was taught never to "chew" the host...those folks must all be in Hell as they never did Gnaw..
and 2) I have reproved fellow Protestants for saying Catholics gnaw on the kidneys of Christ..I guess they are right..I owe them an apology .
BTW there is no reason why that word would not be used in a metaphor . It was the desire of Christ to shock the hearers and to drive off the chaff..
Also, in John 6:60 (Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?) the listeners obviously understand Jesus in the literal sense. In the next verse, John 6:61, Jesus confirms this asking if they are offended. And then in John 6:66 (666) these followers who understand Jesus literally walk away from our Lord. The only place in the NT where Jesus loses followers for a doctrinal reason.
Please read the scripture with clarity . In John 6: 60 and John 6:61 the reaction of the crowd was the suggestion of a Jew breaking the law and eating flesh and drinking blood. The murmured about this among themselves..BUT They did not leave over that . What drove them away where the words between verses 60 and 66..what were they ?
Jhn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. He just said His words were LIFE, not the works of men..
Jhn 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Jhn 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. </
A shocking thought for those that believed in salvation by their WORKS
Jhn 6:66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
They did not leave with the discourse on the bread..they grumbled ...
But it was the teaching on Election that drove them away. They could not work their way to heaven by the law. That is what caused them to leave
Of special note is what Jesus does NOT do. In all his other preachings, if there is confusion, Jesus explains his meaning. But here, Jesus lets followers depart from him. Would Jesus let a follower leave over a misunderstanding?
Quite the opposite..Jesus was very clear..THAT is what drove them away
Is the Eucharist a "hard saying"? Is the Real Presence hard to discern? Absolutely. But it is also such an incredible gift.
Quite the opposite..to a law based people that wanted to work their way to heaven. They did not have to surrender their will or repent of their sins..all they had to do is worship the host as their savior
Common sense.
What do you think God's definition of an eye would be ?
I think a better question is what is your definition of an eye?
God the Father, Eternal Spirit, may see, but He has no eyes. Eyes are biological units which turn reflected light into impulses which a brain then makes into images. God doesnt' have eyes.
Jesus' flesh is offered to and is of value to God, not to us.
Yes, it does have value to us. You border on blasphemy. You think Jesus taking on flesh does us no good? Inestimable donum, the gift of priceless value.
If you will, God is profitted (as to the accomplishment of His will) by the offereing of the body and blood of Jesus. We (believers) are profitted through the life endowed to us by His Spirit.
OK. Now if you go to work and earn money and give some to your wife to buy groceries, by your logic, you would say that your work profits you nothing. Cause your wife brought the groceries home. Your boss didn't pay you in ground beef and milk.
Man, if you can't see the connection between Jesus being sacrificed and our own benefit from that, then you truly are lost.
Further, when Jesus privately taught His disciples the meaning of His statements to the multitude (as He did in John 6:63), ... it is a good indication that those teachings to the multitudes were metaphoric in nature.
In this case, He did no such thing. All He said was "my words are very very very important." He never said "it was all a lark."
SD
With the vowels ommitted, is there potential for ambiguity?
SD
You should rely on the bible. Even a goofed up RC bible would lead a believer to enough truth to show him where to find more. Trust people who tell you not to trust people but to trust the bible only.
Trust people who tell me not to trust people? Sounds like turtles all the way down to me.
SD
Sorry, but WTF are you talking about? The Catholic Church teaching not to chew Hosts? Is this a new Sister Mary Agnes told me to behave this way in grade school so it must be true dogma? Every post, you become more ridiculous.
They did not leave with the discourse on the bread..they grumbled ...
But it was the teaching on Election that drove them away. They could not work their way to heaven by the law. That is what caused them to leave
This is a cute heresy du jour. Having been over this YOPIOS previously with you, I must wonder if you went back in time to personally interview these Israelites about this. 'Cause otherwise, I don't see how you could possibly read their minds as to knowing their motives.
Why didn't they leave after verse 44, where he said the same thing?
St. John 6.44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day.
Recap - let's compare:
St. John 6.66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
"No man can come to me, except the Father ... draw him" and "no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father". Yep, they say the same thing.
I guess they were too stupid to hear it the first time?
That kind of wholesome milk makes today's dose of Reformation Mills YOPIOS Bible-O's get all soggy.
Better luck next time.
Scripture never says the Kingdom of Heaven is "the church"
However that aside some read that verse as the unsaved in the church (that would be the work for your salvation group ,the goats) Same with a catch of fish...Lots of folks planning on making Jesus unnecessary will be thrown back
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Luk 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule
Kingdom
a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom 2) a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king 3) used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah
Heaven
1) the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it a) the universe, the world b) the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced c) the sidereal or starry heavens 2) the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings
Those Parables are about the sorting out of the visible church at the end of time
What do you think God's definition of an eye would be ?
I think a better question is what is your definition of an eye?
Why ask me, ... rather than the Author ?
Jesus' flesh is offered to and is of value to God, not to us.
Yes, it does have value to us. You border on blasphemy. You think Jesus taking on flesh does us no good?
Of course we benefit from the sacrifice, ... but the sacrifice of Jesus, in and of itself, ... does nothing immediate for us. It must be accepted by and acted upon by God.
Take your example of my being paid in cash. That cash is of no real value to feeding us, ... unless I take it and trade it for food.
Consider that our new life does not arise out of Jesus' broken body ... but out of God's Spirit ... just like it is that food that feeds you is not composed from the substance of any money you may have ... but only from the value of your money to a grocer.
Jesus body and blood is solely satisfying to the Father. Satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice, ... God breathes life into our spirits.
OK. Now if you go to work and earn money and give some to your wife to buy groceries, by your logic, you would say that your work profits you nothing. Cause your wife brought the groceries home. Your boss didn't pay you in ground beef and milk.
And I cannot eat what my boss paid me. What my boss paid me must be presented to one who so values what my boss paid me, ... that he/she gives me food in trade for it. Then I may eat.
In this case, He did no such thing. All He said was "my words are very very very important." He never said "it was all a lark."
He said ... "The flesh profits nothing ... it is the spirit which brings life, ... my words are spirit and they are life."
Hmmm .. Paleo-Hebrew had vowels. It also used letters that look Greco-Phoenecian, and not the standard Aramaic.
Take a look at the alphabets.
1=North Semitic alphabet (Paleo-Hebrew); 2=Earliest Greek character (9th-6th centuries BC; 4-5 Eastern branch (4. Ionic; 5. Attic); 7=Western branch; 9=Classic Greek; 10=Names of the letters (those in parentheses; names of letters now discarded in classic Greek.
Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek alphabets.
Are "aleph" (a), "he" (e), "jod" (i), "ajin" (o) not vowels?
Of course, considering the manuscripts are all in standard Hebrew and not Paleo-Hebrew, obviously we know that IF they were written prior to the Babylonian Captivity that they were translated into a new alphabet and updated language at that time.
Cause I'm talking to you.
Of course we benefit from the sacrifice, ... but the sacrifice of Jesus, in and of itself, ... does nothing immediate for us. It must be accepted by and acted upon by God.
Yes, of course. So why are you trying to downplay it? IT does not profit us nothing, it profits the entire everlasting life.
Jesus body and blood is solely satisfying to the Father. Satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice, ... God breathes life into our spirits.
I don't see where you get this from that one verse. The sacrifice is an exchange of gifts, like all sacrifices. We offer to God and He blesses us with His favor. He doesn't do an end around on us, but rather blesses us with what is at hand. We do nto offer Jesus to Him and get credited in some spiritual bank accoutn that then mystically we receive from. No. We receive from God blessing and grace from sharing in the very same sacrifice.
And I cannot eat what my boss paid me. What my boss paid me must be presented to one who so values what my boss paid me, ... that he/she gives me food in trade for it. Then I may eat.
Exactly. It's amazing how your words are so very true, yet yoru position is so very wrong.. The "Food" given in trade is nothing other than the very Victim Himself, who is our Spiritual nourishment.
None of this means it is a metaphor.
He said ... "The flesh profits nothing ... it is the spirit which brings life, ... my words are spirit and they are life."
Yes, exactly. I just wish you would think about what this actually says. The flesh, our flesh, our worldly body profits nothing from the exchange. It is our spirit, our eternal part that profits from eating and drinking Jesus. His words are what give us our very life. So we should do what He says, and believe it.
Jesus is not saying that His flesh is worthless.
SD
Only if you don't know how the words are supposed to be pronounced. nd vn thn, mst wrds wldnt b dffclt t fgr t.
Now, if you are a native Greek speaker, and you are trying to translate the Hebrew scriptures into Greek, and you don't consult with someone who actually knows what potentially ambiguous words mean in context, then sure, you might run into trouble.
Seems I was not alone in this teaching..You can tell you do not know the pre vatican 2 church
http://www.saint-malachy.org/jjob_Mass/050_CommunionRite1.htm
The reality of almost all the assembly receiving communion is a phenomenon of the last fifty years. Many older Catholics were drilled by the piety of another time, such as "you cannot let the host drop, your hands cannot touch the vessel containing the bread nor the cup, it's a sin to chew the host, etc." The miracle of transubstantiation and the extreme reverence to be expressed for the awesome mystery of the eucharist was translated into the pattern used for receiving holy communion. No wonder some became very scrupulous and stressed out when they prepared to receive! No wonder that an intensely privatized feeling was cultivated! No wonder that it continues in those instances where the same out-dated ritual behavior is taught at first communion!
http://www.sawaltonstudio.50megs.com/marilyn/mk92.html
According to our belief the wafer is truly the Body of Christ. As such, the host in the Pre-Vatican II days was surrounded with rules and regulation. We were not allowed to eat after midnight and should not drink for an hour before communion. In fact, our teacher told us to be very careful while brushing our teeth. We must not swallow any toothpaste or it would spoil our fast. Most especially, no one...no one was allowed to touch the host except the priest. Even he could only hold the host between his forefinger and his thumb. The communicant knelt at the altar rail that separated the priest from his flock. He and an altar boy would start at one end and serve communion to the faithful. The altar boy held a golden palate under one's chin, just in case the host fell. After we received the host, we were told NOT to chew the host. That would be the utmost sacrilege!
Also seems Mary has an opinion
http://www.tldm.org/directives/d146.htm
BOW YOUR KNEES
"Remember, My child, shout it from the roof. My Son is with you until the end of your time. It is truly His Presence, His Real Presence, His divine Presence, His Body and His Blood. Do not treat Him with disrespect! Bow your knees; cover your head! Do not chew Him!" - Our Lady, June 8, 1974
DESECRATION
"My child, you ask why I cry? I shed tears of great anguish. I watch anew the desecration to My Son's Body being committed upon earth. "None shall place their hands upon His Body! My Son has given you in trust those He has chosen among mankind to represent Him, your priests. None others shall carry My Son to mankind! You shall not defile His Body by giving Him into the hands of women, or those that have not been prepared by the Father as legally ordained priests in the houses of God. Laziness, preoccupied with the world and the pleasures of the flesh! Return to your habits and set an example as a man of God in the House of God-an example that will gather the sheep, not scatter them!" - Our Lady, November 1, 1974
They did not leave with the discourse on the bread..they grumbled ... But it was the teaching on Election that drove them away. They could not work their way to heaven by the law. That is what caused them to leave This is a cute heresy du jour. Having been over this YOPIOS previously with you, I must wonder if you went back in time to personally interview these Israelites about this. 'Cause otherwise, I don't see how you could possibly read their minds as to knowing their motives.
Just read the word herman instead of all your "Catechisms
You will be amazed what you will learn. The fact is they did not leave when He gave the bread of life discourse ..deal with hit
Why didn't they leave after verse 44, where he said the same thing?
Not really ..He did not say that it is the Fathers choice and not there word in that verse.
St. John 6.44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day. Recap - let's compare: St. John 6.66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
Well let me turn it on you ..Why did they not leave right after the first bread teaching ? Here?? Jhn 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Jhn 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?
That kind of wholesome milk makes the belief that a pice of bread saves you but Jesus does not.... YOPIOS Bible -O's get all soggy. Better luck next time Herman
BTW You really do need to know the REAL Catholic Church..you know the one with the Latin Mass..you have never learned the faith of the fathers..your ignorance of it shows all over the place.
I ask again are the generations of Catholics for hundreds of years damned because they did not gnaw as ordered in John6 ??
Only if you don't know how the words are supposed to be pronounced. nd vn thn, mst wrds wldnt b dffclt t fgr t.
That's a "yes" then? Maybe 99% is clear from context, but there is room for ambiguity. Especially, I would think in more figurative and prophetic passages.
SD
Huh? My Tanakh has vowels.
SD
That is precisely correct. In Hebrew, these are consonants, not vowels.
aleph is a silent gutteral.
he is actually an "H", not an "E".
yod is a "Y", not an "I".
ayin is also a silent or barely aspirated gutteral.
In written Hebrew, vowel sounds may be added by the use of dots and dashes -- called "points" -- to clarify pronunciation. They are written either above, below, or inside the letter. Some of these are for vowels. Others indicate whether, for example pei has a "P" or an "F" sound. In Torah scrolls used in synagogues, the text is unpointed. This is true as well for modern Hebrew. Most written Hebrew in Israel is written without vowels indicated.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.