Mozart, K.35 "Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots," Rezativ - nothing to say; Aria (Gerechtigkeit) Erwache, fauler Knecht - this is rather pretty, string lance up and down around the soprano, the second verse is once again fascinating; Rezativ - nothing to say; Aria (Weltgeist) Hat der Schöpfer dieses Leben - maybe some word painting on "Wollust"; Rezatitve - nothing; Aria (Christ) Jener Donnerworte Kraft - word painting on 'Banges'

Mozart, K.35 "Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots," I will be using translations in order to comprehend the German, which I cannot, on my own, understand completely.  Sinfonia: Allegro - enjoyed this well enough, concentrating on form, first and foremost, I found myself delighting in the whole of it - must take this as the operating maxim of this classical music criticism - pay attention to form; It seems that I only have the arias to listen to - I will read the recatitives, and make similar criticisms as I have done to the music; Opening Recatitive - nothing to say; Aria (Christgeist) Mit Jammer muß ich schauen - sort of pretty, the middle part has some rather vibrant lyricism; Rezatativ 2 - nothing to say; Aria (Barmherzigkeit) Ein ergrimmter Löwe brüllet - part that begins "Doch der Jäger..." is quite pretty

Mozart, K.42a Symphony in F, "Number 43," Allegro maestoso - I like the main theme of this movement very much, it has a great luster too it, very grand, very כבוד יהוה - I am becoming convinced that much of the joy of classical music listening comes from a willingness to concentrate on the form of a piece, the conscious noting of particular themes and the expectation on a moment-by-moment basis of their returning, this opening movement, if released as a pop song would prove very confusing structurally; Andante - the contrast between the pizzicatti texture of the violins and the opening theme is a surprise; Menuetto and Trio - middle section is oddly insistent, main melodic material rockets up, rather chromatic at points; Allegro - pretty variable thematically it seemed
Mozart, K.43, Symphony No. 6 in F, Allegro - there's something that sounds like an organ in this piece, probably one of the flutes or the oboes, it's just one note, but when it comes in, it sounds very strange to my ear; Andante - you have instruments "turning into one another" in the main theme frequently (taking up certain lines abandoned certain instruments), variations in the closing section too on the main theme; Minuet - a pretty falling or rising legato line, interesting piece; Allegro - boyant piece, alright
Mozart, K.62, March in D, drum rhythym sort of interesting, used very judiciously, otherwise found it uninteresting
Mozart, K.34, Offertory in C, Scande Coeli limina, Part 1 - alright, Part 2 - tricky organ part fun

Mozart, K.61c, Recatitive and Aria for Soprano, "A Berenice," - alright, don't have much to say about either, the aria's sort of pretty I guess, can't understand most of the Italian though

Mozart K.33B - always had a fondness for this piece ever since I first heard it in "Amadeus," sounds like an engine revving at certain points - you think the tune is running out of energy, and then player turns the crank
K.33i, Recitative and aria for tenor and orchestra, "Or che il dover – Tali e cotanti sono" - alright, hadn't heard a recitative in a while, that was fun, the aria might have been a bit of a let down though, for how long it went on

Mozart, K. 31, Galimathias Musicum, 1. Molto Allegro - peppy, 2. Andante - that wavering and the crawling upwards and those pauses! - bizarre, 3.Allegro - the version I heard had an odd sliding down maneuver on the violin that sounded strange (Ars Antiqua), 4. Pastorella - wow, supposing that I heard that on the radio, I would not have thought that was a Mozart piece, wonderful, wonderful, 5. Allegro - melody is so odd, and then wierdest of all, it underwent some chord change near the end of the segment, sounded like the awkwardest thing in the world, 6. Allegretto - piece was fairly typical, except for (so much wierd stuff in this collection!) some sort up tonic seventh two-tone mixture played softly in the background near the end, what is going on with these!, 7. Allegro - alright, 8. Coro (Molto Adagio) Eitelkeit! - a choral piece - and there's a fucking organ in this one! relatively pretty too, 9. Allegro - well, this is a definitely a fragment, melody goes into some sort of odd polyphony and then just breaks off - but they play it - sounds very strange, 10. Adagio- falling theme, a bit polyphonic, 11.Molto Allegro - wierd, very repetitive, 12. Andante - again identical themes falling on top of one another, 13. Allegro - harpsichord bit, 14.Menuet - has an odd pulsating, 1-2 rhythym with plodding harpsichord accompaniment below, violin and horn play off against one another well, 15. Adagio - same sort of thing as before, climbing identical themes falling on top of one another, turning into some sort chimbing theme, then odd pulling again 16. Presto - on a page of music, somehow I imagine the notes looking like a wave that if compressed would look like a circle, 17. Fuga - these kinds of pieces exhaust me so quickly that at some point, if I am listening at all for structure, I'm listening for overall arrangement, and the entrance of the main theme

Mozart K.33, Kyrie - structure was difficult to pick out in this - sadly, that's about all I got

Whew!  I don't know if the enjoyment came from the concentration and focus spent on attempting to understand the structure of the piece or if it was just this set of pieces, but much, much more pleasant experience than a while ago.

As a means of clarification and contrast, I will now listen to an old favorite: Radiohead's Scatterbrain - wow, listening to mozart attentively definitely changed my experience listening to this song.  I now realize that I have stopped listening to music this way.  Back when I first started listening to the Beatles, I devoted much concentration and energy to listening for the song's form and, because non-classical music tends to have less complex forms than classical, I found myself becoming intimately aware of the slightest discrepancies or surprises in the expected outcome.  Overtime, I became more and more relaxed and listened for the feel of the song instead.  Before I listened to the song today, I would have said the peculiarity and worth of this song was its falling memorable melody.  Listening to it today, I see that I am aware of the melody, but the concentration spent listening to all the other elements of the piece while listening to the piece as a piece in happening (listening for structure) brought many more elements of the song into relief (like its jittery drum texture).

Mozart, K.30, Violin Sonata #15 in F, Adagio - alright; Rondeaux (Tempo di Menuetto) - like the way at the beginning the violin just drags on one note - as per usual with these last few pieces, liked the latter half of them better
K.31, Violin Sonata #16 in B-flat, Allegro - has a sparkling texture at certain points; Tempo di Menuetto (Moderato) - has more of a plodding nature than some of the previous, more intricate too perhaps, at one point becomes quite twinkling, licking upwards on the violing and the harpsichord

Mozart, K.29, Violin Sonata No. 14 in D - Allegro molto - like the violin when it falls sigh like an octave; Menuetto and Trio - don't know if I'm pressing too much to find something odd in the piece - alright overall

Mozart, K.26, Violin Sonata #11 in E-flat - Allegro molto - tapping, sort of insistent theme, version I heard wasn't that fast; Adagio poco andante - don't care for this one; Rondeaux (Allegro) - again, a kind of tapping theme, much more interesting than the allegro molto, though, more melodic contrast
K.27, Violin Sonata #12 in G - Andante poco adagio - climbing left hand interesting allows for a different texture than usual; Allegro - middle section starts in an interesting way
K.28, Violin Sonata #13 in C - Allegro maestoso - long trill start sort of different, I guess; Allegro Grazioso - there's always a cuteness, an interest, a difference to the latter portions of these pieces that tends to make them more memorable to me;

Mozart, K.73b, "Per Pieta, bell'idol mio" - lingering on the word abbastanza, comes in with the horn the second time around
 K.73d, Recitative and Aria for Soprano, "O temerario Arbace" - wow, surprisingly beautiful, especially the third section beginning with "per quel paterno."
K.24, 8 Variations in G on "Laat ons Juichen" - the variations keep getting better as the piece progresses, good fun this piece; I think I must have a bias towards keyboard pieces and arias.  Liking the stuff he produces in these genres better than the symphonic stuff.

Mozart, K.20, Motet in G Minor, "God is our Refuge" - don't know really how to deal with this style, pieces with polyphonic texture have always proclaimed an ineffability, a unplummable subtlety that no quick perusal can beggar; nevertheless, my dominant feeling on this was - ain't nothing special.
K. 23, Aria for Soprano and Orchestra, "Consevati fedele" - I guess the Ch'io per virtu d'amore part is kind of interesting, but most of it really not so.

Conservati fedele; Pensa ch'io resto, e peno, E qualche volta almeno Ricordati di me. Ch'io per virtù d'amore, Parlando col mio core, Ragionerò con te.

K.22, Symphony Number 5, Allegro - horny, boring; Andante - better than the previous, but not that interesting; Allegro Molto - alright 

Mozart K.15x - 15ss

K 15x - Contredanse: Allegro molto in F major - not much feeling this one
K 15y - Minuetto in G major - feel like I've heard this one before
K 15z - Gigue: Allegro non tanto in C minor - nice, symmetrical, fugeish thing
K 15aa - Allegro in B flat major - this one is like a fly, has all the wierd turns and gyrations of the flight path of that insect
K 15bb - Notturno: Allegro con spirito in D major - this one sounds frantic, a lot of pushing and pulling
K 15cc - Menuetto: Allegro moderato in E flat major - this one all over the place too, themes, at least one time, seemed to run into one another
K 15dd - Andante poco adagio in A flat major - has violins and a flute, surprisingly, didn't like it much though
K 15ee & K 15ff - Minuetto e trio in E flat major - has a commandatore, arrogant, shovy vibe
K 15gg - Cotillon: Vivace in B flat major - what contrast!  certainly can't judge a piece solely by its title, and this bittie goes to show it - whoowee.  I like this one.
K 15hh - Rondeau: Poco allegro in F major - this one's alright
K 15ii - Marcia: Andantino in B flat major - didn't do much for me
K 15kk - Andante in E flat major - maybe I'm running out of energy on these pieces, trying to make something of them - nothing for this one really
K 15ll - Presto in B flat major - this one sounds even more like a fly than 15aa
K 15mm - Adagio in E flat major - rather hymnish
K 15nn - Molto allegro in F major (fragment: 3 measures) - and something's going to happen...and, nothing's going to happen
K 15oo - Tempo di minuetto in D minor - the bass part actually makes we want to chuckle here (I don't chuckle though, in case anyone's wonderfing)
K 15pp & K 15qq - Menuetto: Poco maestoso e trio in B flat major  - middle section rather pretty
K 15rr - Minuetto in C major (fragment: 12 measures) - ahhh - whatever
K 15ss - Fuga a 4 in C major (fragment: 23 measures) - last one's got a violin going, didn't really follow it much

Mozart, K.15a-15ss, London Sketchbook

KV 15l - Contredanse: Vivace in D major - an odd trill of a theme, the bass remains unvarying in the short development section
KV 15m - Minuetto in F major - this little bit has such a sprawling theme, has some wierd minor stuff too
KV 15n - Andante in C major - some of these sound like improvisations, this was pretty
KV 150 - Marcia: Andantino in D Major - it may be that these are more enjoyable to listen to for me merely because they're played on the keyboard (I played the piano when I as young), but the act, mentally, of imagining my self playing these pieces, as they're played, seems to bring more in tune, emotionally, with given lines.  Perhaps this is something that is the case particularly with instrumental music, I don't know.  
K 15p - Allegro assai in G minor - more high-serious; don't know if this is recording specific, but the splashing was interesting
K 15q - Andante con espressione in G minor - this piece seems unbalanced, always on the verge of turning into something else, hence the espressione I guess
K 15r - Allegro giusto in G minor - surprisingly dark, with a tapping bass
K 15s - Hornpipe in C major - didn't get much out of that one, other than that at the beginning it was hard to follow
K 15t - Allegro in F major - this is like excitement, which is constantly ending abruptly, very difficult to describe; i think it is my obligation to read these pieces as if I am playing them, merely listening to them and waiting for things to happen like I might with a pop piece does not seem to be sufficient, I have to imagine myself investing in the emotion of individual bars; I hope I am not reading too much into the pieces now.  In any case, the practice makes Mozart much more enjoyable. 
K 15u - Siciliana: Andantino in F major - a call and response piece, develops into something less satisfactory than original theme
K 15v - Allegro molto in F major - this has some of that what to me was, when I first started listening to Mozart, characteristic Mozartean sadness, the pang of pain after the sight of something too gorgeous
K 15w - Allemande: Allegretto in B flat major - this one is a wagging of the head, a shaking around, very wierd, can barely follow it.

and now, for our modern piece of music: the Mission: Gabriel's Oboe - much more emotionally raw, accompaniment bit more blah than I remember

Mozart, K.15a-15ss, London Sketchbook

K.15a-15ss, London Sketchbook - I am skipping 19d, as I have read that there is no documentary evidence that the work is Mozart's.  I am glad to skip anything at this point.  The closer I get to the good stuff near the end of his career, the better.
KV 15a - Allegretto in C major - not bad, likin that these things are short
KV 15b - Andantino maestoso - liked that one better, the minor development part cadences in an interesting way
KV 15c - Menuetto in D major - an elaborate, high-flying theme
KV 15d - Rondeau: Allegro moderato in D major - don't have much to say
KV 15e - Ecossaise in G major - sounds interesting enough
KV 15f - Tempo di minuetto in C major - maybe a different kind of bass
KV 15g - Prelude in C major - did not follow this one at all, very strange
KV 15h - Contredanse in F major - a variable little bitty
KV 15i & 15k - Menuetto e trio in D major - don't have much to say, but I did zone out on this one a bit.

Alright, and now for our newly added section, the innappropriate juxtaposition of some modern piece with the above material.  And today's piece is: 
Bjork - Hyperballad - what a wonderful shimmering texture, wonderful how the chorus emerges so surprisingly, better I feel, than any of the above (too bad, nine year old Mozart - not that good yet).

Mozart Aria for tenor, "Va dal furor portata," K.19c - maybe understanding the words will help, but due to my anti-dictionary approach to language learning and my allegiance to ALG methods of cramming the linguistic nonsense in my brain, I reject the impulse to find a translation.  The music itself I found boring.

Mozart K.19 and K. 19a

Mozart Symphony #4, K.19, Allegro - I tried to derive an impression from the listening experience, but my mind reached out to find nothing in its hands.  The hands of my mind were apparently to puny or pudgy to contain this note apparatus.  I got very little from this other than than that I found nothing interesting.
Mozart Symphony #4, K.19, Andante- I got very little from this, except guilt and unhappiness at my inability to gather anything from it.  Perhaps a closer examination of the form of the whole thing will bring some pleasure in the future.  Is elegance the chief beauty of the early Mozart?  If so, will I ever know it, if I continue to place a primacy on my heart's first affections, the first buds of May, Spring time in the mens cogitens?  I will listen to it once again, perhaps interesting things will result.
Mozart Symphony #4, K.19, Andante - Second listening, nothing really got out it.  And yet I read these two comments on Youtube, the second in response to the first: "(1) Chris Hogwood and the AAM do full justice to the lightness and delicacy of this composition , which is frequently lost in ham-fisted performances by big modern orchestras.  (2) You're spot on. I think Hogwood is actually much better with classical than baroque. It goes without saying that this is an astoundingly lucid and balanced composition for a nine-year-old composer."  What am I missing?  I will say that during the last 20 seconds or so the verticality (and I find this strange to talk about) of the piece appeared.  Suddenly it was easier to remember what came before.  For this reason, I will offer of a burnt brain offering a third time to the muse.  We shall have another go at the Andante.
Mozart Symphony, #4, K.19 Andante - Third Listening, I did find it harder to concentrate on keeping my eyes open - perhaps this was merely because I wasn't constantly on the verge of a profound hypnogogia, like before.  I don't think keeping the eyes open helped.  What did help was turning the volume up (suprise!).  What was cliche and boring before became considerably warmer.  I will reexamine the allegro movement, which I found quite tedious, at a higher volume.
Mozart Symphony, #4, K.19 Allegro - I received at this louder volume, with my eyes forced open now, the impression of something rather complicated, with a lot of themes forced together, none of them very interesting, and some minor key wierdness in certain places.  I do not understand these things, when no one has the reaction I do.  Is it the third movement that will redeem the piece?  We're about to see.
Mozart Symphony #4, K.19 Presto - Well, maybe I'm still listening to the shit wrong, but this was just as unmemorable as the previous, if not more so.  The guy was nine years old?  Why am I expecting a masterpiece, you ask?  I'm not expecting a masterpiece, but I am expecting something listenable.  Those first impression ideas K.1a-f were far more memorable than all nine minutes of this stuff.  So far, I've found that the longer his pieces, the shittier and more repugnant I find them.  
Mozart Symphony in C, K.19a Allegro - Well, maybe I find this one less repugnant than the previous.  Rapidly losing interest here.  Trying to pay attention to form and themes and all that, but my attention wanes in spite of me.  Screw this situation.  If mozart sucks in these early pieces, a lot more peope should be owning up to it.
Mozart Symphony in C, K.19a, Andante - Yah, probably better than the previous.  Started out a bit interested, became less interested as the piece progressed.  Never liked his symphony stuff anyways.  Whatevs.  On to the next one...
Mozart Symphony in C, K.19a Presto - Another sucky piece.  Suppose I like the Andante stuff better.  Does everyone really find this gorgeous?  I found this quite boring.  

K.16, Symphony N.1, Molto Allegro - I like the soft part, immediately following the introduction of the rude-sounding theme.  It sounds sweet, pretty.  The minor part following the second introduction of the main theme (the repetition of the main theme) is not bad either.  I think there was some development following the minor theme (before the reintroduction, for the third time, of the main theme), but it failed to strike much at me.
K.16, Symphony N.1, Andante - This is prettier or at least stranger than the previous.  The movement is Andante, walking, but the theme is cautious and swelling.  When the theme goes quite quiet, the harpsichord accompaniment is pretty.  It has its own voice.  This portion of the work ends softly.
K.16, Symphony N.1, Presto - In the last few pieces, I have often found the scaling downward parts the most interesting.  Here, I think this is also the case, perhaps because the scale creates some dissonance with the horn, which holds one note.

Mozart Reviews/Commentaries

I love reading music commentary.  I would be even more of a reader of Pitchfork now if it happened to have classical music commentary.  Unfortunately, it sets its ambitions far lower (or higher, depending on your taste).  Nevermind, in the stead of a dearth of Mozart reviewing and commentary on individual pieces, I have decided to provide my own.  I will provide my gustatory belch at the forefront of the thing, which I also name in supplemantary fashion, my vatic judgment, my splenic fart, etc. etc.  The reasoning of the thing will come after.  Discouraged by a mountain of criticism that tries to reason itself out of or into its original disinclinations or inclinations, I am going in Emersonian fashion, straight from the mens to the page, as much as possible.  Now, I had actually started all this craziness, a while before  - so, this first post will contain quite a few entries.  Hopefully, any chumchucker like myself looking for the latest Mozart scoop will be capable of finding a few shady judgments like his own for musing.  Oh, and also, the reasoning part of the thing, I am only variably fond of.  We shall see how much it ultimately enters into our high and holy composition.

K.1a – fragment, not much feeling evoked, a question, and then the resolution out of nowhere

K.1b – has a wonderful way of exploding at the beginning, notes launching in all different directions, somehow resolves more neatly than the previous

K.1c – far more elegant, seems to contain two real ideas unlike the previous two fragments, yet I prefer K.1b to this

K.1d – weird, probably like full four ideas at work, seems to repeat at least the first idea in part, don’t like many of the ideas very much, first idea has that odd ascending line, seemingly going up to nowhere, second line, casually descending, very cautiously, perhaps in an ungainly fashion resolves the first; third line an interesting development of the first, fourth line, I guess emerges from the third; fifth seems most unnatural and unnecessary of all; third line repeated again, with resolution

K.1e – first line: opens sweetly, then the sweet opening is taken rapidly through the resolution mill, repeated; second line, development, questioning of the first, also taken through the resolution mill at the same speed, repeated; third line, becomes rougher, resolved with sliding downward scale, repeated; fourth line, flat questioning of third, resolved in the same with a scale; end

K.1f – most memorable and pleasurable of these early minutes, the hopping first theme sounds like a schoolboy taunting a master whose grabbing hand always remains just out of reach; repeats; somehow the development revs back into the first theme; very pretty

KV6 Allegro – early morning start of a piece that resolves into a short lived sentimentality, seems to try to repeatedly get up out of bed; texture thicker than previous pieces, violin and piano, bustling Alberti Bass beneath, consequently seems to lack the one-instrument restraint of the previous pieces; this is some wacko piece; first theme with many slight variations that resolve momentarily into that sentimental sequence at the end, repeated again; seems to be repeated again, but this time with a few more variations between the early start opener and the imploring, sentimental closer; repeats itself again, but only part of itself, near the beginning; slides down, starts again in new key (?); starts again in new key (?); starts again; starts again; starts again; maybe this latter bit was part of a larger latter half of the piece repetition?; wow not my favorite piece

KV6 Andante – all in all, much prettier than the previous Allegro; on a side note the repetitions with the slight variations or the more complex movement of the piece (I don’t know which is occurring here just yet – makes this piece for modern listeners, such as myself, very difficult to tell where things are going and consequently what just happened); the movement of this piece is so weird; in the first theme (1), the line questions up, then questions down, then questions down again (repetition), then rounds/questions up; this pattern shouldn’t be that complicated but it sounds complicated; after this the line continually questions upward, while maintaining its gravity on the tonic; after this the violin sweetly lances up to the sixth, and then again but lands on the second, this is the most enjoyable portion of the piece; (2) this all repeats; (3) theme 1, but starts higher up, but quickly runs into seriousness, which is quickly escaped from into a variation on the sixth and second violin lancing upward; (4) 3 repeats

KV6  Minuet I and II – not exactly sure where the first one ends and the second begins, neither very memorable, the second one I like better though; (1) first minuet and its (2) “sad” variation shorter than the second, not too much to say about either; (3) second minuet, more interesting, the mere tone of the violin, I think on the tonic, provides a more ethereal atmosphere for the jumpy piano; (4) variation on 3, goes, in the violin, from I (tonic), to II, to V an octave up, somehow, I find this sort of pretty; (5) return to theme 1, weird stuff, ends with highest note on a tonic, setting up for what comes next

KV6 – Allegro Molto - interesting, better than the Minuets that proceeded it; (1) first theme memorable for the portion where the violin goes up high to the tonic, and descends, and rounds off to the V; repeats (2); (3) third, quite varied variation on the first, variation on the violin portion that goes up high ripples nicely and prettily;

K7 – Allegro Molto – quite a different experience hearing these keyboard sonatas with violin with harpsichord instead of piano; far more sparkling and effervescent; (1) sparkling descending scale of a theme with slaps, segues into something more contained anticipatory (Alberti Bass), first theme lasts a whole minute and four seconds, then (2) repetition, (3) variation opens much like 1, minor key variation lasts a very short time, everything seems to fit better than a lot of the earlier stuff, which in a way makes it less interesting, in my recording no repetition of that second variation

K7 – Adagio – why do the Adagio sections always seem so consistently better to modern ears?  This was certainly better than the adagio in K6, and I think the best long form stuff that he’s done yet, it has an odd tapping chord in the harpsichord, played throughout, gives the piece a peculiar feel; (1) opening theme itself very elegant and pretty, the way the harpsichord bass climbs upward is wonderful, from here a theme develops in the harpsichord line that is wonderful, at one point this drops off, and the violin is left singing on one note, while the harpsichord slowly climbs, then (2) repetition, variation (3) starts on minor chord, but moves into much of the same material available in the first section, as it appears to me, no repetition again of this section in the recording, why?

K7 – Menuetto I and II – strange enough piece, I guess, lots of a little repetitions, I think I had an idea where the second Menuetto began, but I am at not all sure; Menuetto 1 I guess broken into two different portions both repeated twice, neither very memorable; Menuetto II much more memorable, opening bar is dark with a sly smile at the end, bar after that has an odd skittering theme that is very strange; return to Menuetto I,

K.2 – Minuet in F – famous early piece, a hemming and hawing of a piece, with that famous meditative pause on the minor chord

K.3 -  Allegro in B Flat – always had much fondness for this charming little piece, a working out of a conceit

K.4 – Minuet in F – this minuet has an odd mixture of themes, the opening bar is very pretty, but then it is juxtaposed with something else

K.5 – Minuet in F – not one of my favorite, nevertheless, I find the explosion that probably occur like 2 bars in a good deal of fun

K.5a – Allegro in C – my least favorite so far, oddly ornate descending theme opens, progresses into something else

K.8 Allegro – Overall, nonplussed by this piece.  Opening chipping theme, lasts about a minute, with various, weird, uninteresting development; then repeats; development in minor key, odd things going on with the violin hanging out down in its lower registers, played only once with coda

K.8 Andante – Has such a small, strange, head-nod of a theme; the portions that follow this are pretty, the violin rests low mournfully at one point while the harpsichord crawls upward; these parts both repeat

K.8 Menuet I and II – Some of these pieces seem to have a polyphonic appeal; it’s as if he knew that the appeal of the basic theme wasn’t enough, so he had the other parts dance around to it create some interest; contrasting theme in the middle is a real bad boy march, don’t have much to say about it otherwise; first part repeats; can’t tell the difference between the first and the second minuet (unless the second is played in the middle of the first)

K.9 Allegro Spiritoso – somehow the opening theme seems like good carriage music, it is content music, not over hasty or enthused, just happy and content to be happy; theme is repeated; development in the minor, preceded by a strange scale, and then a tinkling part emerges, which though unique sounding, I do not find enormously attractive; all of this is repeated (development part included)

K.9 Andante – WTF did he have on his mind when he was composing this?  This is the strangest sounding piece – the opening bar questions, but the resolution in the following bar or two doesn’t sound right; then later you have a strange staccato ascending scale that plops itself downward at the end of it; the piece is full of irregular meter; the minor development of the theme is not anywhere near as strange as the major theme; the major theme repeats

K.9  Minuet I and II – the opener ripples in a rather pretty way, the development of this theme less interesting, opening theme returns, new theme (?) in minor, not too interesting, opening theme returns

K.10 Allegro – same format, theme, development, repetition of theme; all in all, pretty unmemorable, don’t have much more to say

K.10 Andante – has an odd alternation of two notes of varying intervals in the left hand that repeats itself again and again, very strange effect occurs in left hand trill about two minutes into this section, sounds like gypsy;

K.10 Menuetto I and II – odd pecking theme, that except for the fact that it pecks, I do not care for;

K.11 Andante – Don’t really have much to say on this section other than that the arrangement of ideas seemed very hard to follow – I don’t think I really understand these London violin sonatas

K.11 Allegro – An unpleasant mixture of ideas, sounds forced, labored

K.11 Menuetto – Theme with a note that fidgets upward at the beginning – can’t say that I really like it

K.12 Andante – This seems like a trotting theme, light, delicate, and sort of polyphonic

K.12 Allegro – when I first heard this theme, I thought I heard two themes completely unrelated to one another, bound together, in a weird way; by the end of the piece, I was used to it; the middle section is interesting

K.13 Allegro – As usual, have less to say on the allegro theme.  Liking the throaty base of the harpsichord. 

K.13 Andante – Has an odd ascending scale in thirds. 

K. 13 Menuetto 1 and 2 – Like this the best so far, another scale, this time descending, makes the theme, makes the whole of it sound zany

K. 14 Allegro – seems to do a lot of leaping up and down, begins with an upward scale, coda has some stuff that sounds sort of sly

K. 14 Allegro – another allegro, Mozart most have found something he really liked to put another in the same piece, the theme ascends upward getting squeakier and squeakier and more strained sounding, interesting, best allegro I’ve heard recently

K. 14 Menuetto 1 and 2 (In Carillon) – sounds like chipping wood, violin played pizzicatti in a pretty way later on

K.15 Allegro – the Allegro here had a seriousness that to me sounded strange and not like the other pieces, can’t say that I affect it much

K.15 Allegro Grazioso – a bit more interesting, but not much more interesting, I tried to track the moving parts of the piece, the relation of themes to one another, the return of certain themes, but my selection of themes was so small, that by the end of the minute and half I was left with an impression of disjointedness, of no theme really relating to another

Sweet Poesy

Poesy

καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον δέδοται τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ· ἐκείνοις δὲ τοῖς ἔξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὰ πάντα γίνεται,

12 ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσιν καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν,

καὶ ἀκούοντες ἀκούωσιν καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν,

μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς.

Mysteries for gospel morons Mysteries for students,

Granted by the rabbi with assurance

There will be a reprieve from your confusion

And a time for comfort and kind words

The rabbis in waiting sit wait eagerly in expectation

Joying in their cerebrums at Yeshua’s kingly disposition

His hard Hebraic disposition, momentarily softening for his disciplined idiots

But the package form of the allowance?

Μυστήριον

The promise of the absence of resolution

And an unresolved theory from whom no theology returns unpunished

Yes theology has no quittance from the device

Softened by its blanket confusing axioms

War t orn by myriads of mouths whose lips and tongues

Have tasted and seen the ruder now tumurous

Trappings of Yeshuas thought

But have not tasted of the blue, the delightful Hypocrene

Of the same, the unsung undersong

Born up in thought by the vigorous thrusting of

Discipled action the laboring and weekly meditations of monks

Now at the vantage of two thousand years

I pronounce our failing humanity

The prophets words distorted by us

I do not like you Yeshua when you speak this way

But let my thoughts remain a pox and a tizzy

On personal sense of right conduct and display

For Iyyob in time thought thoughts as blasphemous

But piety right poisoned his hagagah transgressions

And now only remains memory of his better days

His chaster ways and the chronicle of turpitude and frailty

That led him in the rightness of action and discourse so

Available to readers to day in that memorable chronicle of his

Outcome in the forty third chapter of his book

Readers everywhere rejoice as they slap the book cover on the table

Iyyob go’eled by Elohim at last

Human unwisdom surpassed

And everything stupid and us drowned pebblelike in the stream

Poem #2

Sucky talk and discourse is disgusting

Maelstroms of uneasiness barren pleasures

Variated digressions by arrogant freaks

The pleasure their own not to ours tethered

Tigress of conversation why do you chide

At the roarers and belchers that clear the path

Thy yawnings are alike good for nothing

Pointless screams at conversational gas

If you had tasked them for their laughter

And had the bourn of their witless woes

Would there be time for your correction

Or a space for your correctional crow

Tigers sit company tight with hyenas

Een in sunny sun drenched peopled arenas

Poem #3

Apple glasses and plum desktop monitors

Drinkable pellucid venomous expensive

Quadriform eidolon meaningless poesy-riddle

Tedium in writing yes tedium read

Poesy sweetened tight mannered crafted

Stradivarius obsidian countertop blinged

Precious for purchase for life also precious

In fact much too precious for my likening

Beliken away fat brother and self

The worst that results is flacid confection

One without width substance or zing

Take your example from the Pharoahs erections

Erections starry pointing awe-spiring murtherings

Of body of alma of napsh why not cuerpos

I suppose theres time on land for any fat thing

Poem #4

It is very hard to write well

Pull up the bucket and theres nothing but sand

Abrahams offspring much outnumber my

Attempts at remembrance untidily lammed

But wait theres a jewel in the pail in the back

Next to the blooming rosens grown fine in the dirt

Hairy Old weed but sure family favorite

At least to unconcerned with truth-telling folk

Harold Bloom was the jewpher too plain

Yes its that imprecise whining fat Shem

Introduction to plays master Cakebeer the one

Crows nest king of my poesy barkening

Barken on bark on cries my better mentor true

Poem #5

Cake and beer unmitigated pleasure poet

Ostrich feathered courtesan of my fire offering

Bier up beercake you know no homegoing

I tell you youll remain at home with me

My home is long wide open and chapped

Like my kneese uglier as vacationess as can be

But trust me a roll in the hay is not for her making

The violent they say do bear it away

But beercake learn quick u are to concerting

To amicable to playn gayms to fun

Develop a solitude I should quoth emerson

Hes better at saying shit in the long run

Preaching got boring

Poor preaching inevitably abounds.   As long as preachers are taught to engage in uniform processes of exegesis and then spit their product out in four-point sermon fashion onto the heads and shoulders of their unprivileged listeners, as long as preachers consider themselves “preachers” and not teachers, MOST OF ALL, as long as preachers find their selected passage as boring as their congregation does, sermons will suffer, invective and hymn-sermon alike will pass in and out of memory, and I will get more and more mad.  It makes me mad enough and guilty enough as it is (for feeling so mad), that I will probably find myself rounding about on the madness every really bad sermon in a month or so, finding myself just as mad as before, just as inexplicably, just as stupidly.  Certainly, my main concern, my primary criterion for good-sermon manufacture should be truth, right?  Shouldn’t orthodoxy pump me up with as much good feeling as any Shakespeare sonnet?  Why should I feel a profound sense of rupture and disconnect every time I hear Hebrew poetry read in lisped, affected English?  Why should I bridle every time I read YHWH and hear Lord?  Why should I find myself stung at these re-appropriations, this way of referring to God and thinking about God that has become dead and hollow?  Why should I feel jaded after I see eyes behind the pulpit follow their English translation and look up to greet onlookers with a mouth full of clichés about said passage, clichéd ways of talking, clichéd ways of thinking, clichéd ways of feeling?

If listeners greeted pastors’ sermons in the same manner that they might a commentary, we would have a more valuable way of dealing with and thinking about the preacher.   Preaching is teaching.  So let the preacher’s words be hailed as teaching.  The few examples we have of preaching in the NT (I will make the claim that the idea barely exists in the OT), always occur in the context of the spread of the good news, the euangelion.   The listeners are most frequently non-converted individuals, or at the very least, individuals that remain non-converted with respect to a specific action, like dealing with Judaizers in the later parts of Acts.  --- The preaching of Jesus is a kind that I have never heard from the pulpit, one that fattens the ears and makes sluggish the eyes and heart.  It batters up the understanding, and prevents truth from making an entrance.  It’s told parabolically, a word that has its backing in the foregrounding Hebrew the word mashal, which makes it a likening or a tokening.  

I suppose someone might also suggest any of the epistles, especially those titled hortatory, as something resembling what an ideal preacher might attain to.  But what variety we have!  Even among Paul, the difference in style from passage to passage (and book to book) is extraordinary.  Contrasting Romans 1 with Romans 8 or Ephesians 1 with the long, beautiful close of Romans should produce many poor attempts.  Rhetoricians  SHOULD want to aspire to such models.  How about Hebrews?  Highly cryptic, radically different in its conceptualization of Christ as great high priest, written in a high style, and with a fair amount of allusiveness and quoting.  James is a book of fire, and only a theologian could find it an epistle of straw.  Its style is gorgeous, its tropes memorable, and its thinking is new and old (new in all the best ways – new troping, new style – and old in all the best ways – plum full of ancient truth, like the dangers of the tongue bits).   

But of course, even if these writers had been taken as models by the modern preacher, even if they had aspired to their rhetorical fireworks, we should have only more anxious failure and probably, even quite frequently, disastrous failure out of their mouth.  The problem would be the same, though perhaps less urgent and clear.  What is the problem again?  Poor sermons that seem like the boiled down channelings of a Sibyl who spent all her days poring over the blandest of Bible commentaries. 

So, what, then, is the solution?  The solution is for the Sibyl to channel the matter of her heart, the pulse of her interest, to the congregation.  Now the sermonizer is paid, so hopefully the matter will not stray inordinately far from the passage at hand.  The Sibyl is paid to be interested in the passage, let’s hope, more interested than her congregation.  The Sibyl should devise the sermon around her interests, her fixations, her doubts, her hopes, her aspirations, in all their disgusting and puny particularity.  The more pecuniary and embarrassing, the better.  The more fundamentally the personality of the speaker is received, the more easily the sermon is judged.   If this type of sermon-casting abounded, orthodoxy or truth would be the only standard by which one would need to judge a sermon.  All sermons would be listenable, and those that would find themselves less memorable and less listenable, would merely find themselves that much less pleasing and memorable.  Not all personalities are equally well-received by all.  One person deems one speaker a petulant bore, while another sees the makings and foundation of a dry, delightfully caustic spirit.  Another finds in a demurred girl a right model of a caring and sympathetic individual, while another sees in the same quiet figure, an individual empty of thought and controversy.  This is not to say that there must of necessity be some sort of relativity in these personalities.  By no means are all personalities equal. 

I suppose I am also setting up a model for a preacher full of individualized sentiments, who says things like, and I have never heard this and most certainly regret never having heard this, “Well, I’m really not actually that fond of verse 7 of psalm 118, but I have tried to get myself into the spirit of it.  It presents moist difficulties to my heart.  My heart wants to cut and moan, but this verse blandly presents me with the love of God.  I will channel .  I will tap into its natural reserves…etc. etc.”  This individual might speak quite faithfully with respect to his disposition, but quite pointlessly to a congregation that shares none of his sentiments.  The truth is that even in a situation like this, with such an individualized, selfish speaker, we have at our behest an individual, IN THE FLESH!  He has not been translated for us.  He has not been taken from his natural habitat, force-fed acai-berry juice, and planted in a cage with occupants of suspicious species relation.  So, and I do not think this thought is that radical (but I do not know how to explain it), the individual will find individuals.   There is more sympathy in the 4D instantiation of a female mind then in an internet, pixilated caricature.  Mind has been bodied forth carnally.  Let us take a sip of that carnality.  Let the children take a sip.  Let us have the whole pot, scrape the grub and fur from the bottom and put it in the cup! - the solidity will only add texture to the vintage. 

What I suppose I am preaching is, let the teacher channel his inner Emerson and let the congregation do the review of the personality.  Let the congregation judge the character of the preacher.  I look forward to a day when it could be said about a particular preacher, that his deceitfulness has ruined his sermons.   His deceitfulness will be so much all up in the congregants’ grill that they will grow tired of this old sinner and send out to the farm for a better hand. 

I was going to end this with a quote from Emerson’s Self-Reliance, but it’s easy enough to find online legally, so I feel no need to quote tidbits from that gorgeous prose-poem to satisfy any lingering sense of duty.  Go read it yourself.  Especially if you happen to preach.  Especially.

Prettyizations of the KJV

The Hebrew original of Judges 5 is difficult.  It is perhaps the most ancient Biblical text we have - I think I remember some scholars giving dates like 1200, 1300 BC for this gorgeous thing.  It contains many striking images and contains many striking topical movements.

But this post is about my favorite verse of the poem, one for which the KJV translation finds itself, in my opinion, better than original, more originary in its memorability and troping.

The Hebrew reads for verse 20 of chapter 5 of Judges: זבלון עם חרף נפשו למות ונפתלי על מרומי שדה׃. 

Nice.  Of course, the idea is pretty enough in itself, and this must ultimately lend much memorability to the verse.  And thankfully for us, the prettyness being ideated and not phonological, it finds itself perfectly translatable.  

Before we immediately unveil the KJV rendering, let's turn to the unfortunate NIV construal:

"The people of Zebulun risked their lives; so did Naphtali on the terraced fields."

Terraced fields?!  This will not do at all, no no no no. The terraced fields rendering of "maromey lladeh" probably reflects some etymological/archeological reading and so is useful enough for the linguists among us, but as poetry it will ultimately have to bow the knee.  

How bout the ultra-literal (and usually satisfactory on that Level, except for its unfortunate exclusion of YHWH from its OT bits) NASB? We have, according to the wise New American magistrates: 

"Zebulun was a people who despised their lives even to death,
And Naphtali also, on the high places of the field."

Much better than the NIV.  Yes.  Also interestingly reflects the longer first clause in the Hebrew in proper length, giving the parallelism a bit of its originary, uneven keel.  

Shall we try the Message on for size?  Oh, how, how will it fit??!

"But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death, as did Naphtali on the battle heights."

This seems to me, and there will be those that disagree, a most unfortunate rendering.  The parallelism has been hampered - and with a cliche at that!  Life and limb!  Blechh!  No thank you.  Cliches go in the mental ear and out the mental ear.  There is no twist, there is only communication.  It might as well be an extra long preposition or a noun like "mom".  Too ordinary and too long for being so ordinary.  

Overall the Message here seems to have given a more martial feel to a verse that seemed straight nobility to me in the Hebrew.  Life and Limb, battle heights.  I think of bombs going off in Gaza, steep plateaus, and desert landscapes, instead of the sheer 'heights' and the great losses no doubt experienced on them in 12th century BC.  The message can do that, if it likes, but the effect here is unfortunate.  

One more, before the KJV bomb hits.  And what shall it be (the wheel turns) - and Fortune's outstretched digit marks  - THE WYCLIFEE BIBLE!  

A most ANCIENT bible, if my memory does render me right, one chock full of homey English phrases, and as I now examine, titillating sidebar explanations!  Do enjoy!

And Zebulun and Naphtali offered their lives to the death, in the country of Meromei, that is interpreted, high.

AhHHH, how charming, how lovely.  This rendering makes me want to go to the country of Meromei, have tea, and then write travel material on just why Meromei is high.  Not bad, but its whipcrack sidebar ultimately distracts from the primary thrust of the thing.  

So, now for the KJV.  

Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeaporded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.  

How glorious the rendering.  First, the innovation of "jeaporded" - a pretty skewing of 'scorned.'  Second, destroying the parallelism for one pithy thought, a risky move that pays off.  Third, "unto" instead of "to".  What a lovely touch!  And finally, we have the lustrously long "high places of the field."  Saying it to oneself makes we want to resort to nasty, sex-themed cliches, like OMG my brainjustOrgasmed HAHAHA.  No, what we have here is something more streched and Miltonic, like "adamantine chains and penal fire."  OOOOOOH!  Sounds like a recipe for chilbains, don't u think?  I got something to heat me up on a cold day, and it's not Campbells!

I probably have not convinced you of the KJV's glory here, especially with all that above, tedious buildup.  No doubt the constipation was tremulendous.  The board here at Lambwich.org apologizes.  

Also, it should be noted that the main thrust of this whole thing, that the KJV here is pretty darn awesome, is not anywhere near my own idea, but one borrowed in a hackneyed, ugly fashion from Harold Bloom's book on the KJV, which changed how I read Biblical poetry and, I suppose, also the Bible generally.  He, I suppose, is to be thanked for all this mess, so if you're REALLY UPSET with your three to five minutes of lost time, send your mail to him (throw a word in for me, too, as this took much longer than three to five minutes to write, ahirhirhir...). 

Translations Continue to Screw Us

Oh, how I hate translations...

The ambiguities of the originals are continuously sacrificed for the anxiously desired precision of the translations.  Reading a post by an individual with "Greek and Hebrew credentials," claiming that the "accepted translation" of aionion (Greek) and 'olam (Hebrew) is 'eternal' is beyond frustrating.

"Accepted translation"!

WTF does THAT mean?

All translations are screwings.  Screwings over of original texts whose intentions, mindsets, and proclivities in all their ambiguity and flavor are continuously jeaporded on the heights to the death by derived substitutions.

To say that 'olam means 'forever' or 'eternal' is, at base level, insidious and wrong.  'olam means 'olam.  You learn what 'olam is by seeing 'olam in its natural habit.  The same wonderful logic applies to the Greek aionion and the word related to it, aion.

Let's go see how aionion  and aion perform in their natural habitat shall we?

Rev 20:10 And the slanderer wandering them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where were also the beast and false-prophet and they will be tortured day and night into aions of the aions.

Aions of the aions seems to be referring to a period of time.  A very long one certainly.  More examples.

According to Luke 1:70 As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from aion.
According to John 12:8 Peter says to him, "You will not wash my feet into the aion."
To the Hebrews 1:2 In the last of these days he spoke to us in his son, who he made heir of all things, through whom he also made the aions.

Oh screw it.  Why am I engaging in this pointless exercise when I can give indication that many scholars think as I do about these two words (and, in fact as Rob Bell does)?  Here goes.  Enjoy the commentary.

Once again, for reference, these are the words usually translated as 'forever' or 'everlasting' in the OT and NT.  Enjoy.

Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible

Matt. 25:46: Everlasting punishment--life eternal. The two adjectives represent the same Greek word (aionion) aionios -- it must be admitted (1) that the Greek word which is rendered "eternal" does not, in itself, involve endlessness, but rather, duration, whether through an age or succession of ages, and that it is therefore applied in the N.T. to periods of time that have had both a beginning and an ending (Rom. 16:25), where the Greek is "from aeonian times;" our version giving "since the world began." (Comp. 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 1:3)--strictly speaking, therefore, the word, as such, apart from its association with any qualifying substantive, implies a vast undefined duration, rather than one in the full sense of the word "infinite."

The Encyclopedia Dictionary of the Bible (Catholic Bible Dictionary), p. 693

ETERNITY: The Bible hardly speaks of eternity in the philosophical sense of infinite duration without beginning or end. The Hebrew word olam, which is used alone (Ps. 61:8; etc.) or with various prepositions (Gn. 3:22; etc.) in contexts where it is traditionally translated as "forever," means in itself no more than "for an indefinitely long period." Thus, me olam does not mean "from eternity" but "of old" (Gn. 6:4, etc.). In the N.T. aion is used as the equivalent of olam.

Dr. F.W. Farrar, The Eternal Hope, p. 198

That the adjective is applied to some things which are "endless" does not, of course, for one moment prove that the word itself meant "endless," and to introduce this rendering into many passages would be utterly impossible and absurd.

Dr. F.W. Farrar, Mercy and Judgment, p. 378

Since aion meant "age," aionios means, properly, "belonging to an age," or "age-long," and anyone who asserts that it must mean "endless" defends a position which even Augustine practically abandoned twelve centuries ago. Even if aion always meant "eternity," which is not the case in classic or Hellenistic Greek-- aionios could still mean only "belonging to eternity" and not "lasting through it."

Hasting's Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 542, art. Christ and the Gospels

There is no word either in the O.T. Hebrew or in the N.T. Greek to express the abstract idea of eternity.

(Vol. III, p. 369) Eternal, everlasting--nonetheless "eternal" is misleading, inasmuch as it has come into the English to connote the idea of "endlessly existing," and thus to be practically a synonym for "everlasting." But this is not an adequate rendering of aionios  which varies in meaning with the variations of the noun aion from which it comes.

The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. IV, p. 643

Time: The O.T. and the N.T. are not acquainted with the conception of eternity as timelessness. The O.T. has not developed a special term for "eternity." The word aionoriginally meant "vital force," "life;" then "age," "lifetime." It is, however, also used generally of a (limited or unlimited long space of time. The use of the word aion is determined very much by the O.T. and the LXX. Aion means "long distant uninterrupted time" in the past (Luke 1:10), as well as in the future (John 4:14).

Lange's Commentary American Edition, Vol. V, p. 48

On Ecclesiastes 1:4. The preacher, in contending with the universalist, or restorationist, would commit an error, and, it may be, suffer a failure in his argument, should he lay the whole stress of it on the etymological or historical significance of the words, aion, aionios, and attempt to prove that, of themselves, they necessarily carry the meaning of endless duration.

Dr. MacKnight

I must be so candid as to acknowledge that the use of these terms, "forever," "eternal," "everlasting," shows that they who understand these words in a limited sense when applied to punishment put no forced interpretation upon them.

The Parkhurst Lexicon

Olam (aeon) seems to be used much more for an indefinite than for an infinite time.

G. Campbell Morgan, God's Methods With Men, pp. 185-186

Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the word "eternity." We have fallen into great error in our constant usage of that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our "eternal," which as commonly used among us, means absolutely without end.

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. XII, p. 96

Under the instruction of those great teachers, many other theologians believed in universal salvation; and indeed the whole Eastern Church until after 500 A.D. was inclined to it. Doederlein says that "In proportion as any man was eminent in learning in Christian antiquity, the more did he cherish and defend the hope of the termination of future torments." Many more church historians could be quoted with similar observations.

Philippson, Israel Religionslehre (11:255)

The Rabbi teach no eternity of hell torments; even the greatest sinners were punished for generations.

Dr. Alford Plumer, An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, pp. 351-352

It is often pointed out that "eternal" (aionios) in "eternal punishment" must have the same meaning as in "eternal life." No doubt, but that does not give us the right to say that "eternal" in both cases means "endless."

Dr. Edward Plumptre (Eschatologist)

I fail to find, as is used by the Greek Fathers, any instance in which the idea of time duration is unlimited.

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 15, p. 485

It is possible that "aeonian" may denote merely indefinite duration without the connotation of never ending.

G. T. Stevenson, Time and Eternity

(Page 63) Since, as we have seen, the noun aion refers to a period of time, it appears very improbable that the derived adjective aionios would indicate infinite duration, nor have we found any evidence in Greek writing to show that such a concept was expressed by this term.

(Page 72) In 1 Cor. 15:22-29 the inspired apostle to the Gentiles transports his readers' thoughts far into the future, beyond the furthest point envisaged elsewhere in holy writ. After outlining the triumph of the Son of God in bringing all creation under His benign control, Paul sets forth the consummation of the divine plan of the ages in four simple, yet infinitely profound words, "God all in all." This is our God, purposeful, wise, loving, and almighty, His Son our Lord a triumphant Savior, Who destroys His enemies by making them friends.

Jeremy Taylor, author of Systematic Hellology, which advocates the common belief in eternal torment, later writes a modified view in Jeremy Taylor's Works, Vol. III, p. 43.

Though the fire is everlasting, not all that enters it is everlasting . . . . "The word everlasting signifies only to the end of its period.

Dr. Nigel Turner, Christian Words, p. 457

All the way through, it is never feasible to understand aionios as everlasting. 

Dr. (Prof.) Marvin Vincent, Word Studies of the New Testament, Vol. IV

(Page 59) The adjective aionios in like manner carries the idea of time. Neither the noun nor the adjective in themselves carries the sense of "endless" or "everlasting." aioniosmeans enduring through or pertaining to a period of time. Out of the 150 instances in the LXX (Septuagint), four-fifths imply limited duration.

(Page 291, about 2 Tim. 1:9) "Before the world began" (pro chronon aionion) Lit. Before eternal times. If it is insisted that aionion means everlasting, this statement is absurd. It is impossible that anything should take place before everlasting times.

Charles H. Welch, editor of The Berean Expositor, wrote in An Alphabetical Analysis, Vol. I

(Page 52) What we have to learn is that the Bible does not speak of eternity. It is not written to tell us of eternity. Such a consideration is entirely outside the scope of revelation.

(Page 279) Eternity is not a Biblical theme.

Dr. R.F. Weymouth, The New Testament in Modern Speech, p. 657

Eternal: Greek: "aeonion," i.e., "of the ages." Etymologically this adjective, like others similarly formed, does not signify "during," but "belonging to" the aeons or ages.