Monday, April 6, 2020

Elena Butova on Amos 9:11 and the Tabernacle/Booth of David being a Temple Reference



In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: (Amos 9:11)

Amos 9:11, which James quotes in Acts 15:16, makes reference to “the tabernacle [alt. booth] of David.” That this was understood to be a temple, re-interpreted to be the New Testament Church, in part, due to James’ midrashic interpretation of this text, can be seen in the following commentary from Elena Butova:

Viewing εκκλησια as a new temple was probably familiar to members of the Jerusalem church (O’Neill, Theology of Acts, 76-77). The words of Jesus, λυσατε τον ναον τουτον και εν τρισιν ημεραις εγερω αυτον in John 2:19 demonstrate the prophetic claim, the meaning of which is clarified by John in the words, εκεινος δε ελεγεν περι του ναου του σωματος αυτου, in John 2:21. This comparison refers not only to Jesus’ resurrection in bodily form (O’Neill, Theology of Acts, 74). Paul himself, in 1 Cor 12:27, writes: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (see similar comparisons of the church to the body of Christ in 1 Cor 10:17; 12:12, 13, 20; Rom 12:5). In Eph 1:22, 23 he states, “And God . . . appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body.” Comparing the church to the body of Christ, Paul at the same time represents it as the temple of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 6:19, 20, when he states το σωμα υμων ναος του εν υμιν αγιου πνευματος εστιν (it was stated that the church community “is the physical presence of Christ in the world.” Murphy-O’Connor, Keys to First Corinthians, 104). These references could mean that the “church” of those days was identified as the body of believers who together constituted the living body of Jesus in this world.

Moreover, the words of Peter to the council, “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved” (Acts 15:11) were understood by the church. However, the Jews who upheld the temple cult would not understand Peter. The issue appeared as a result of the wrong understanding of the role of the temple cult, which the zealous Jews still maintained. The difficulty consisted in the fact that those Jews had a potential inclination to conversion, but they were injured by prejudices growing out of the gossip. The leaders of the church knew that preaching the cancellation of the ritual law to those who had not accepted Christ would end with denial of the message. That is why the elders suggested Paul show respect for the cultural issues of those who could potentially be saved from among the Jews. (Elena Butova, The Four Prohibitions of Acts 15 and Their Common Background in Genesis 1-3 [Eugene, Oreg: Wipf and Stock, 2018], 130)

This is important as it is further evidence Amos 9:11-12 and "the booth/tabernacle of David" is a reference to the Temple and another nail in the coffin of the charge that "Temple of Solomon" is anachronistic in the Book of Mormon (on this, see Amos 9 and "the booth of David")