Template:Epitasso

Epitasso

There is the Greek word epitasso (epetaxen) which appears 10 times and means to enjoin upon, order, command, charge. Jesus uses this word when He commanded His disciples to organize the people in small groups or companies networked together in ranks of fifty and ranks of a hundred.

• Mark 6:39 according to Westcott and Hort 1881 Greek text is as follows:

καὶ ἐπέταξεν αὐτοῖς ἀνακλιθῆναι πάντας συμπόσια συμπόσια ἐπὶ τῷ χλωρῷ χόρτῳ.

kai	epetaxen	autois	anaklinai	pantas	symposia	symposia	epi	tō	chlōrō	chortō.
καὶ	ἐπέταξεν	αὐτοῖς	ἀνακλιθῆναι	πάντας	συμπόσια	συμπόσια	ἐπὶ	τῷ	χλωρῷ	χόρτῳ.
And	he commanded	them	to make sit down	all	by companies	by companies	upon	the	green	grass.

So we can see in the literal translation which reads:

"And he commanded them to make sit down all by companies by companies upon the green grass."

The word ny companies which is symposia is repeated twice in the original text expressing a repetition in orders of tens and the word epitasso translated he commanded is a compound of Tasso which also produces taxis all of which express an order or pattern.

This word sumposion translated company is derived in part from the word pino which means "figuratively, to receive into the soul what serves to refresh strengthen, nourish it unto life eternal" and is a traditional Greek word often signifying a group of around ten men.

The phrase upon the green grass which is a term often meaning yellow green suggesting an event later in the year such as the time of the Feast of Tabernacles which was traditionally the time when Israel organized itself in the pattern of tens which allowed them to function as a nation without a central king or top down authority.

• Mark 6:40 also using the Westcott and Hort 1881 text is as follows:

καὶ ἀνέπεσαν πρασιαὶ πρασιαὶ κατὰ ἑκατὸν καὶ κατὰ πεντήκοντα.

kai	anepesan	prasiai	prasiai	kata	hekaton	kai	kata	pentēkonta.
καὶ	ἀνέπεσαν	πρασιαὶ	πρασιαὶ	κατὰ	ἑκατὸν	καὶ	κατὰ	πεντήκοντα.
And	they sat down	in ranks,	in ranks,	by	hundreds,	and	by	fifties.

Which translates:

And they sat down in ranks, in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

Here we again see the term for "ranks" is also repeated twice in original text and is from the word prasia which as a Hebrew idiom i.e. they reclined in ranks or divisions, so that several ranks formed, as it were separate plots and again this order was to be by hundreds, and by fifties" because there were 5000 men who were elders of families.

This use of a term translated rank has nothing to do with rank of authority like a military rank of authority but is a reference to a way to network the different small groups of ten so that there can be a way to ensure that everyone is accounted for and form a cohesive group without a top down authority.

This Pattern of Tens

This pattern of tens, hundreds and thousands was used by Moses and Jethro and countless other nations throughout the ages. It was one of the most predominant forms of self government used over the long history of mankind.

It was a voluntary system used by Early Israel, the Teutons, Saxons, Lumbards and many other societies. This simple pattern allowed them to provide a Daily ministration for the welfare for many people and for all early Christians through the practice Pure Religion which was the Corban of Christ which helped early Christians survive and thrive while the Imperial Cult of Rome declined and fell and its covetous practices degenerated the masses.

Each small group or "company" chose a leader of their group who would keep them connected to nine other groups. In this way, small intimate groups were able to organize a large multitude of people without having to exercise authority one over the other.

When it was used to attend to what Christ called the weightier matters it created the social bonds of a free society which kept the people free.

There was going to be a need to know that there was proper division of the bread from house to house which would aee the apostles overseeing after Pentecost.

The purpose of organizing in this fashion was more than two-fold. The apostles would receive and distribute (breaking) what people were willing to share as we see in:

Acts 2:46 And every day, they continued to gather together in the temple, breaking (klōntes | κλῶντες) bread from house to house, sharing their food with joy and simplicity of heart,

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we had gathered to break (klasai | κλάσαι) bread, Paul addressed them, and since he intended to leave the next day, he continued his message until midnight.

1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break (klōmen | κλῶμεν), is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 11:24 and after giving thanks, he broke (eklasen | ἔκλασεν) it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

We see these patterns of welfare through a network of organized congregations of elders who were heads of families throughout the history of early Christians such as in the gatherings of Justin the Martyr and others.

• “And the wealthy among us help the needy ... and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need.” "Justin the Martyr's Apology" to the Emperor Antonius Pius in 150 AD, (Ch. 65-67)

We certainly see Paul and Barnabas bring relief all over the Roman Empire during the dearths and famines the swept across the landscape as Rome declined under corruption, inflation, and decay of the social bonds which degenerated under the welfare State of the Imperial Cult of Rome.

Without that well organized network of small intimate groups spread across the Roman Empire and beyond the daily ministration as we see being done in Acts would be impossible.

Each company of elders would pick one elder to gather together with nine men like himself to create a small group of ten men who could oversee a righteous distribution to a hundred. the only alternative social safety net was those offered by Caesar or Herod or other rulers but we know those systems of welfare are a snare and make the word of God to none effect.

• Mark 6: 41 "And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed), and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all."

The “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" of Hebrews 10:25 was exemplified when the disciples were "commanded" by Jesus to make the people sit down in "ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties."

We see this same pattern of Tens when the disciples were told to make the people sit down by fifties in a company in Luke 9:14.

But this pattern of Tens was at essential at Pentecost when thousands upon thousands of Jewish citizens accepted Jesus as the Christ and king and upon their Baptism they were cast of the system of Corban that was making the word of God to none effect.

This organized gathering in Tens was to implement the welfare of The Congregation of the people, for the benefit of the people by the people's fervent charity freely provided through the hands of Jesus' disciples. The early Church practiced Pure Religion in a network of charity and hope that bound the people together in love. This righteous Corban of Christ would make the word of God to effect again.

The entire Christian conflict with Rome was rooted in the "union and discipline" of their network of Charity. The true Early Christian did not apply for benefits at the government temples of Rome nor did they take part in the Imperial Cult of Rome of social welfare provided through the Fathers of the earth who called themselves Benefactors but exercised authority one over the other.

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