ARAMAIC WORD STUDY – LOCKED IN TIME – ‘ALMA  עלמא Ayin Lamed Men Aleph

Romans 12: 2  “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

“When we get that (knowing God loves us for who we really are) sorrow and regret have less control over us.”  Unknown

In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us we are not to conform to this world, in the Greek he uses the word aion which means spaces of time or present time. Note this has a time factor to it. Possibly he is saying we are not to conform to this present age.  The Aramaic word carries the same idea but it is much deeper in meaning. 

The Aramaic word is ‘alma. This is an absolutely fascinating word as it means to surround like being surrounded in time.  Paul is warning us not to be conformed to this world surrounded by time. This temporal world, this world that will eventually come to an end when time ends.  It is more than a world system, it is a world system that is temporary and will end when time ends.  We are not to conform to this system guided by time. 

To be sure the Aramaic does not contradict the Greek it just offers a little deeper insight.  What is this world system?  Government, fads, entertainment and/or culture?  Can any of that be wrong?  Some of it can, some of it, maybe not.  I grew up in a fundamentalist church where we could not drink, smoke, go to movies or dances. When I was a student at Moody Bible Institute we were not allowed to go to movies.  Not even when The Cross and the Switchblade was being shown which had a definite Christian message nor Fiddler on the Roof which, although was not a Christian film it did honor the name of God.  We were not allowed to drink, even if it was communion wine which was fermented. We were not allowed to dance even though the Bible is full of references to dancing.  However Moody had a basketball team and a soccer team. Isn’t that part of the world system?  Isn’t even that controlled by time? Where do you draw the line?

I think maybe the Aramaic gives us some help. “Alma is a world system but a world system locked in time.  We are not to conform to this system that is locked in time.  The word conform in the Aramaic is dema which is to imitate, to try and resemble. In other words we are not to make this world system guided by time our home, our place that we long to be. 

Elvis Presley has many demas  imitators, they dress like him, they fix their hair like him, they talk like him and try to sing like him. Sometimes the imitators look and sound more like Elvis Presley than Elvis himself. If you meet an Elvis imitator He will stay in character such that you will never really know who that imitator is or what kind of person he is. All you see is someone else.

What Paul is saying is do not imitate the world to the point where you completely loose your Christian identity. We are believers in God, our home is in heaven, not this world, not the things that will soon pass away.  In other words, whatever  you do, do as unto God. If you play baseball or basketball do as unto God.  

Tim Tebow was a Heisman trophy winner twice in College football. He went on to play pro football and when he left that he became a sports announcer and now he is playing minor league baseball.  To even make these teams he had to become part of that world system.  But he never tried to imitate the world system.  He kept his Christian identity. When he played in sports he played as unto God.  When the door to professional football closed, he did not fuss or get depressed like many would, that was not what he found his identity in.  He did not consider himself a professional football player he considered himself a child of God.  If the door to football close he just searched for the next thing he and God would do together. 

You see ‘alma is a world system locked in time.  Tim Tebow is not locked into that system where time ages him to the point where he can now longer play professional sports.  Time is not a factor for he no longer lives in time as you and I.  One day we will leave this ‘alma but we leave nothing behind because we do not try to imitate ‘alma and make it our home.  We can enjoy Elvis Presley without trying to become Elvis.  We can enjoy this world without trying to become this world.