Son of God – 1 John, Part 2

Posted on June 1, 2013 by admin

Who is the liar but the person who denies (ἀρνούμενος, a form of ἀρνέομαι) that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies (ἀρνούμενος, a form of ἀρνέομαι) the Father and the Son.¹ This is one of the things John wrote to his contemporaries about those who are trying to deceive you.²

It is interesting that this became a problem among believers after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, after those in Israel who rejected Jesus as Christ (or, Messiah) were compelled to accept Him as a credible prophet: Now while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, “As for these things that you are gazing at, the days will come when not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”³ And, I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!⁴ All will be torn down!⁵

Believers were not particularly troubled by the unbelief of enemies of the Gospel (enemies for your [believers’] sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers⁶) so long as the enemies defamed the Lord Jesus and threatened and harmed his followers. The trouble began when the enemies softened their approach, accepted Jesus as a prophet, even a good man—but not the Messiah, not the Christ.

John continued: Everyone who denies (ἀρνούμενος, a form of ἀρνέομαι) the Son [i.e., denies that the Son is the Christ] does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also [Table]. As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If⁷ what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.⁸ For John, what you have heard from the beginning was the Gospel, and he had written more about it previously, or perhaps it was more warning about those who are trying to deceive you (1 John 2:12, 13 NET):

I am writing to you, little children, that your sins have been forgiven because of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, that you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that you have conquered the evil one (πονηρόν, a form of πονηρός).

The note (32) on the evil one in the NET reads: “The phrase the evil one is used in John 17:15 as a reference to Satan. Satan is also the referent here and in the four other occurrences in 1 John (2:14; 3:12; 5:18, 19).” But in the definition of πονηρός they effectively acknowledge that they added the word one because the nominative case in Matthew 6:13 means “‘The Evil,’ and is probably referring to Satan.”

I think this is too limiting in both verses. When I pray, And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil (πονηροῦ, another form of πονηρός) [Table],⁹ I am not praying to be delivered from Satan only, but from the meaningless deeds that are 1) full of labours, annoyances, and hardships; from being 1a) pressed and harassed by those labours; I pray to be delivered from 1b) this time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness that causes so much pain and trouble; to be delivered from everything 2) bad, or of a bad nature or condition; from 2a) disease or blindness; as well as from that which is 2b) evil or wicked.

Likewise I believe that John wrote to young people that you have conquered the evil (πονηρόν, a form of πονηρός); not Satan only, but the meaningless deeds that are 1) full of labours, annoyances, and hardships; they are not 1a) pressed and harassed by those labours; they have overcome 1b) this time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness that causes so much pain and trouble; they have conquered everything 2) bad, or of a bad nature or condition; 2a) disease or blindness; as well as that which is 2b) evil or wicked. John continued (1 John 2:14 NET):

I have written¹⁰ to you, children, that you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, that you have known him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, that you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil (πονηρόν, a form of πονηρός)…

I fantasize sometimes what the world might be like if young people were taught that they are strong, and the word of God resides in them, that they have conquered the evil, and how all of this is true in Christ through his Holy Spirit, rather than being taught the rules their elders have devised for them. In my mother’s day the path of righteousness was that girls shouldn’t wear lipstick. My mother and her contemporaries religiously put on their lipstick every Sunday morning, some even refreshed it in the pew during the service. In my day the path of righteousness was not listening to rock music. Most of my contemporaries attend churches that rock. Why not try John’s approach? Could it be any worse?

At best these rules are equivalent to gezerot. A gezerah (singular of gezerot) according to the online Jewish Encyclopedia was a “rabbinical enactment issued as a guard or preventive measure….The Rabbis based their institution of such enactments upon the Biblical passages, ‘Thou shalt not depart from the sentence,’ etc. (Deut. xvii. 11), although at the same time they transgressed another commandment: ‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command thee, neither shall ye diminish from it’ (Deut. iv. 2; Shab. 23a; Ab. R. N. 25b).”¹¹ Perhaps any particular “preventive measure” was a good idea at a particular time in a particular place. But gezerot are not the Gospel.

The first gezerah followed swiftly after God’s first prohibition: The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed [Table]. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.) [Table]…The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it [Table].¹²

God’s Prohibition

Eve’s Knowledge of God’s Prohibition

Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard [Table], but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die” [Table].

Genesis 2:16, 17 (NET)

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard [Table]; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die’” [Table].

Genesis 3:2, 3 (NET)

The circumstantial evidence points to Adam as the originator of the first gezerah, and you must not touch it. It sounds like a good idea. “If you don’t touch it, Eve, you won’t eat it and you won’t die—whatever that means.” But in practice when Eve touched it she did not die—whatever that means. She saw with her own eyes that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, and it was attractive to the eye.¹³ She had the serpent’s assurance that she would not die—whatever that means—and that God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.¹⁴

If I take the sequence of events recorded in Genesis literally, after she took some of its fruit and ate it nothing happened, neither the serpent’s promise nor God’s. After all, God’s prohibition was given to Adam. Eve was created afterward. Perhaps it was reasonable for Adam to assume that God’s prohibition applied also to his wife, but nothing happened until Eve also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it [Table]. Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked [Table].¹⁵ I sincerely doubt that realizing she was naked was the wisdom Eve desired.¹⁶

So the Lord God expelled [Adam] from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken [Table]. When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life [Table].¹⁷ Adam and Eve and all their descendants will surely die. Perhaps Adam and Eve understood death when, The Lord God made garments from skin for [them], and clothed them.¹⁸ If not, they certainly understood it about a century later¹⁹ when their firstborn Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.²⁰ But I want to remove the serpent from the equation for a moment.

If I suppose that the serpent did not persuade Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and Eve did not persuade Adam, and if Adam raised his sons to stand guard over the tree of the knowledge of good and evil like the angelic sentries guarded the way to the tree of life, if they, or we to this very day, faithfully kept Adam’s gezerah not to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, would that be the righteousness of God? My answer is an unequivocal, “No.” It would simply mean that tanks and machine guns and the fear of death had kept us from sinning against Adam’s gezerah, which only incidentally also kept us from violating God’s prohibition.

So at worst gezerot when practiced promote actions that ignore the righteousness that comes from God, and [seeks] instead to establish [one’s] own righteousness.²¹ It is a catastrophe if those who believe and practice them do not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end (τέλος; “1d) the end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose” [Hover the cursor over τέλος in the NET parallel Greek online]) of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes.²² This people honors me with their lips, Jesus said, but their heart is far from me [Table], and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.²³ As a teaching practice gezerot are sin relative to the Gospel.

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, John continued, indeed, sin is lawlessness. And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away (ἄρῃ, a form of αἴρω) sins…²⁴ John also used ἄρῃ in his Gospel account. After Jesus died Joseph of Arimathea…asked Pilate if he could remove (ἄρῃ, a form of αἴρω) the body of Jesus.²⁵ So as Joseph sought to take away the body of Jesus from the cross, Jesus was revealed to take away (ἄρῃ) sins from us, and in him there is no sin, John continued. Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.²⁶

But there is still hope: For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.²⁷ Jesus was still revealed to take away even the sin of rejecting his righteousness for our own gezerot. Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness – the one who does not love his fellow Christian (ἀδελφὸν, a form of ἀδελφός)– is not of God.²⁸

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence, that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us²⁹ the commandment. And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.³⁰

I included the Greek text of Jesus’ quote from Isaiah for completeness.

Jesus	Septuagint	Parallel Greek Text – NET
This people honors me with their lips,but their heart is far from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:8, 9 (NET)	ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτῶν τιμῶσίν με ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων καὶ διδασκαλίας Isaiah 29:13	ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ μάτην δὲ σέβονται με διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων Matthew 15:8, 9
Translation from a contemporary understanding of ancient Hebrew
These people say they are loyal to me; they say wonderful things about me, but they are not really loyal to me. Their worship consists of nothing but man-made ritual.³¹ Isaiah 29:13 (NET)

Addendum (7/15/2015): Jim Searcy has published that the Septuagint is a hoax written by Origen and Eusebius 200 hundred years or so after Christ. “In fact, the Septuagint ‘quotes’ from the New Testament and not vice versa…” His contention is that the “King James Version is the infallible Word of God.” So, I’ll re-examine the quotations above with the KJV.

Jesus

KJV

Parallel Greek Text – NET

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:8, 9 (KJV)

Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Isaiah 29:13

ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ μάτην δὲ σέβονται μεδιδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων

Matthew 15:8, 9

If as Jim Searcy claimed the Septuagint was written after the New Testament, But in vain (μάτην δὲ) was not a part of Isaiah’s original prophecy as Jesus claimed. Rather, Jesus added it on the spot.

Addendum: May 11, 2026
Tables comparing Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2; 1 John 2:24; 2:14; 3:5; John 19:38 and 1 John 3:23 in the KJV and NET follow.

Matthew 24:2 (NET)	Matthew 24:2 (KJV)
And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”	And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Matthew 24:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 24:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 24:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· οὐ βλέπετε ταῦτα πάντα; ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ὃς οὐ καταλυθήσεται	ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ου βλεπετε παντα ταυτα αμην λεγω υμιν ου μη αφεθη ωδε λιθος επι λιθον ος ου μη καταλυθησεται	ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ου βλεπετε παντα ταυτα αμην λεγω υμιν ου μη αφεθη ωδε λιθος επι λιθον ος ου καταλυθησεται

Mark 13:2 (NET)	Mark 13:2 (KJV)
Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”	And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Mark 13:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 13:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 13:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· βλέπεις ταύτας τὰς μεγάλας οἰκοδομάς; οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ	και ο ιησους αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτω βλεπεις ταυτας τας μεγαλας οικοδομας ου μη αφεθη λιθος επι λιθω ος ου μη καταλυθη	και ο ιησους αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτω βλεπεις ταυτας τας μεγαλας οικοδομας ου μη αφεθη λιθος επι λιθω ος ου μη καταλυθη

1 John 2:24 (NET)	1 John 2:24 (KJV)
As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.	Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

1 John 2:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 2:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 2:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
κὑμεῖς ὃ ἠκούσατε ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς, ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω. ἐὰν ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ ὃ ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ υἱῷ καὶ \|ἐν\| τῷ πατρὶ μενεῖτε	υμεις ουν ο ηκουσατε απ αρχης εν υμιν μενετω εαν εν υμιν μεινη ο απ αρχης ηκουσατε και υμεις εν τω υιω και εν τω πατρι μενειτε	υμεις ουν ο ηκουσατε απ αρχης εν υμιν μενετω εαν εν υμιν μεινη ο απ αρχης ηκουσατε και υμεις εν τω υιω και εν τω πατρι μενειτε

1 John 2:14 (NET)	1 John 2:13b, 14 (KJV)
I have written to you, children, that you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, that you have known him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, that you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one.	I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. (14) I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

1 John 2:14 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 2:13b, 14 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 2:13b, 14 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος \|τοῦ θεοῦ\| ἐν ὑμῖν μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν	γραφω υμιν παιδια οτι εγνωκατε τον πατερα (14) εγραψα υμιν πατερες οτι εγνωκατε τον απ αρχης εγραψα υμιν νεανισκοι οτι ισχυροι εστε και ο λογος του θεου εν υμιν μενει και νενικηκατε τον πονηρον	γραφω υμιν παιδια οτι εγνωκατε τον πατερα (14) εγραψα υμιν πατερες οτι εγνωκατε τον απ αρχης εγραψα υμιν νεανισκοι οτι ισχυροι εστε και ο λογος του θεου εν υμιν μενει και νενικηκατε τον πονηρον

1 John 3:5 (NET)	1 John 3:5 (KJV)
And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.	And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

1 John 3:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 3:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 3:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἐφανερώθη, ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἄρῃ, καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν	και οιδατε οτι εκεινος εφανερωθη ινα τας αμαρτιας ημων αρη και αμαρτια εν αυτω ουκ εστιν	και οιδατε οτι εκεινος εφανερωθη ινα τας αμαρτιας ημων αρη και αμαρτια εν αυτω ουκ εστιν

John 19:38 (NET)	John 19:38 (KJV)
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took the body away.	And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

John 19:38 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 19:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 19:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἠρώτησεν τὸν Πιλᾶτον Ἰωσὴφ [ὁ] ἀπὸ Ἁριμαθαίας, ὢν μαθητὴς \|τοῦ\| Ἰησοῦ (κεκρυμμένος δὲ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων), ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος. ἦλθεν οὖν καὶ ἦρεν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ	μετα δε ταυτα ηρωτησεν τον πιλατον ο ιωσηφ ο απο αριμαθαιας ων μαθητης του ιησου κεκρυμμενος δε δια τον φοβον των ιουδαιων ινα αρη το σωμα του ιησου και επετρεψεν ο πιλατος ηλθεν ουν και ηρεν το σωμα του ιησου	μετα ταυτα ηρωτησεν τον πιλατον ο ιωσηφ ο απο αριμαθαιας ων μαθητης του ιησου κεκρυμμενος δε δια τον φοβον των ιουδαιων ινα αρη το σωμα του ιησου και επετρεψεν ο πιλατος ηλθεν ουν και ηρεν το σωμα του ιησου

1 John 3:23 (NET)	1 John 3:23 (KJV)
Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment.	And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1 John 3:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 3:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 3:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν	και αυτη εστιν η εντολη αυτου ινα πιστευσωμεν τω ονοματι του υιου αυτου ιησου χριστου και αγαπωμεν αλληλους καθως εδωκεν εντολην ημιν	και αυτη εστιν η εντολη αυτου ινα πιστευσωμεν τω ονοματι του υιου αυτου ιησου χριστου και αγαπωμεν αλληλους καθως εδωκεν εντολην

Son of God – 1 John, Part 3

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 6

Back to Antichrist, Part 5

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 4

Back to Prayer

Back to Funeral, Part 3

Back to Westworld, Part 3

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 9

¹ 1 John 2:22 (NET)

² 1 John 2:26 (NET)

³ Luke 21:5, 6 (NET)

⁴ Matthew 24:2 (NET) The last clause in the KJV was: that shall not be thrown down. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ου μη for the negative particle not, where the NET parallel Greek Text and NA²⁸ had simply οὐ.

⁵ Mark 13:2 (NET)

⁶ Romans 11:28 (NET)

⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: therefore) near the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁸ 1 John 2:23, 24 (NET)

⁹ Matthew 6:13 (NET)

¹⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔγραψα here, a form of γραφω in the 1^st aorist tense, were the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γραφω (KJV: I write, 1 John 2:13b) in the present tense.

¹¹ GEZERAH (pl. Gezerot), by Solomon Schechter, Julius H. Greenstone

¹² Genesis 2:8, 9, 15 (NET)

¹³ Genesis 3:6a (NET) Table

¹⁴ Genesis 3:5 (NET) Table

¹⁵ Genesis 3:6b-7a (NET)

¹⁶ …the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise… (Genesis 3:6a NET Table)

¹⁷ Genesis 3:23, 24 (NET)

¹⁸ Genesis 3:21 (NET) Table

¹⁹ Genesis 4:25; 5:3

²⁰ Genesis 4:8 (NET) Table

²¹ Romans 10:3a (NET)

²² Romans 10:3b, 4 (NET)

²³ Matthew 15:8, 9 (NET)

²⁴ 1 John 3:4, 5a (NET) The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημων (KJV: our) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁵ John 19:38a (NET)

²⁶ 1 John 3:5b-8 (NET)

²⁷ 1 John 3:8b (NET)

²⁸ 1 John 3:9, 10 (NET)

²⁹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἡμῖν here. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

³⁰ 1 John 3:18-24 (NET)

³¹ NET note 27: “Heb ‘their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught.’”

Antichrist, Part 4

Posted on May 27, 2013 by admin

Back at Eden in Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist” she (Charlotte Gainsbourg) explained an incident that happened the past summer. She heard her son Nic crying. She searched everywhere for him. When she found him, he was playing contentedly, but the crying persisted for a time in the air in Eden.

“What you’re experiencing is panic, nothing more,” he (Willem Dafoe) said. “The screaming wasn’t real.”

She took that in as he walked away. Then she jumped him and started hitting him. He wrestled her to the ground.

“You’re just so damn arrogant,” she said.

Later she shared her own conclusion about hearing Nic cry: “Now I could hear what I couldn’t hear before,” she said, “the cry of all things that are to die.”

“That’s all very touching,” he said, “if it was a children’s book….That’s what fear is. Your thoughts distort reality, not the other way around.” But he had already experienced some of the “reality” distortion of Eden, and his words had begun to ring hollow.

“Satan’s church,” she said later.

“Satan!? Jesus!” the rationalist psychologist, who believed in neither, exclaimed.

“Nature is Satan’s church,” she asserted.

The earth was ruined in the sight of God, the book of Genesis reads, the earth was filled with violence [Table]. God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful [Table].¹ We accept the violence of animals (and even that of human beings sometimes) as “natural,” because fallen nature is natural to us. But the Creator did not: God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.”²

In “Antichrist” her husband couldn’t tolerate her conclusion about fallen nature being Satan’s church. He began to talk to her about nature.

“The kind of nature that causes people to do evil things against women?” she asked. He agreed.

If you continue to follow my teaching, Jesus said to those who had believed him, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.³

We are descendants of Abraham, they protested, and have never been anyone’s slaves!⁴

I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus answered, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin.⁵ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants.⁶ But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! You people are doing the deeds of your father [Table].⁷

We were not born as a result of immorality (πορνείας, a form of πορνεία)! They protested again. We have only one Father, God himself.⁸

If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here.⁹ You people are from your father the devil, Jesus continued, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.¹⁰ The one who belongs to God listens and responds to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, because you don’t belong to God.¹¹

“That kind of nature interested me a lot when I was up here,” she continued. “That kind of nature was the subject of my thesis. But you shouldn’t underestimate Eden….I discovered something else in my material than I expected. If human nature is evil then that goes as well for the nature of…”

“…of the women,” he finished her thought, “female nature.”

“The nature of all the sisters,” she agreed. “Women do not control their own bodies. Nature does. I have it in writing in my books.”

“The literature that you used in your research was about evil things committed against women,” he clarified for her. “But you read it as proof of the evil of women? You were supposed to be critical of those texts. That was your thesis. Instead you’re embracing it. Do you know what you’re saying?”

“Forget it,” she said. “I don’t know why I said it.”

Later he attempted to drive his point home. But by that moment in the film it seemed like he was trying to persuade himself, more than her, that the strange visions and dreams he was having in Eden weren’t real.

“Good and evil have nothing to do with therapy,” he assured her. “Do you know how many innocent women were killed in the 16^th century alone just for being women? I’m sure you do—many—and not because they were evil.”

“I know. It’s just sometimes I forget,” she said without conviction.

“The evil you talk about is an obsession. Obsessions never materialize. It’s a scientific fact.”

She caught up with him in the shed later and attacked him. She feared that he would leave her. As he wrestled with her and fended off her blows he protested that he loved her. Just as it seemed that their fighting would become fucking, she hit him in the groin with a heavy object (a toolbox, I think, by the sound of it; I winced both times I saw it). Though he lost consciousness from the pain, he still had an erection. She massaged it to a bloody ejaculation. Nature, it seems, also controlled his body.

I, too, have nothing but a woman’s word for the way my body responded when I was unconscious from driving all night to get home to her. I awoke refreshed and whole. In “Antichrist” he awoke to find a whole drilled through his calf and a heavy grinding stone bolted to his leg. While she was outside disposing of the wrench under the shed, he attempted to escape, dragging his hobbled leg.

She found him hiding in a fox’s lair and dug him out. She dragged him back to the shed. She grabbed scissors and hid them from him as she began to masturbate with his hand. I expected that he was about to be emasculated. But she exposed and put her own clitoris in between the scissors’ blades instead.

I remember the Sunday afternoon during my first divorce when I considered cutting off my penis according to Jesus’ command. He said, “You would need to cut off your head.” It was the way He knew my thoughts from afar that persuaded me He was speaking. I had gotten well beyond the act to its aftermath in my mind. There was no way I would call for help and have to explain why I cut off my own penis. I had considered cauterizing the wound because stitching seemed out of the question. I wasn’t sure if I could stop the blood flow or not.

“That will kill me for sure,” I said.

His answer was “precisely” or “exactly,” something to that effect. I had been studying Romans. At that moment I began to take Jesus’ command to cut off my penis (literally, a hand or a foot)¹² more figuratively, and Paul’s insight—we have been buried with [Christ] through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life¹³—more literally.

“Antichrist” is a horror movie. She was not studying Paul’s letter to the Romans. No still small voice intervened to enlighten her. She snipped off her clitoris with the scissors. As she writhed in pain, he recovered the wrench and freed himself from the grinding stone. And though he didn’t believe in Satan’s church, he joined her in worship. He choked her to death with his bare hands, after he silenced her voice by crushing her larynx.

As he limped away, the last man standing, he had a vision. He was surrounded by women, the victims of gynocide, I think. When asked at Cannes to account for “Antichrist,” Lars Von Trier resisted. But if the featurette on the DVD was edited honestly, eventually he said something to the effect that it was the hand of God.

Though Trier claimed not to know, the closing scene of “Antichrist” reminded me of a scene Jesus described: The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them – and now, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, something greater than Solomon is here! [Table]¹⁴ The people of Ninevah and the queen of the South were portrayed by the victims of gynocide, while he, the rationalist psychologist, was this generation.

Antichrist, Part 5

Back to Torture, Part 5

Back to Romans, Part 91

¹ Genesis 6:11, 12 (NET)

² Genesis 6:13 (NET) Table

³ John 8:31, 32 (NET)

⁴ John 8:33 (NET) Table

⁵ John 8:34 (NET)

⁶ John 8:37a (NET)

⁷ John 8:40, 41a (NET)

⁸ John 8:41b (NET) Table

⁹ John 8:42a (NET) Table

¹⁰ John 8:44 (NET) Table

¹¹ John 8:47 (NET)

¹² Matthew 5:30, 18:8; Mark 9:43-46 (NET)

¹³ Romans 6:4 (NET)

¹⁴ Matthew 12:41, 42 (NET)

Romans, Part 44

Posted on May 25, 2013 by admin

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, Paul continued, by the mercies (οἰκτιρμῶν) of God…¹ The Greek word οἰκτιρμῶν (a form of οἰκτιρμός), translated mercies, is the noun that corresponds to the verb translated compassion in, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion (οἰκτιρήσω, a form of οἰκτίρω) on whom I have compassion (οἰκτίρω).² It was translated mercy again in Paul’s conclusion written to the Colossians: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy (οἰκτιρμοῦ, another form of οἰκτιρμός), kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.³

Jesus said, love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Be merciful (οἰκτίρμονες, a form of οἰκτίρμων), just as your Father is merciful (οἰκτίρμων).⁴ The Greek word οἰκτίρμων is essentially the adjective of the noun οἰκτιρμός and the verb οἰκτίρω. Taken together these three passages give me some understanding of what it means to present [my body] as a sacrifice in Paul’s conclusion: Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service.⁵

It took me some time to get here. At first I thought the phrase by the mercies of God (διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ θεοῦ) applied only to Paul’s exhortation. I thought that because of God’s mercies to me it was reasonable that I present my body as a sacrifice to Him. My religion had no rite or ritual for accomplishing this, but it did have a saying: Those who attend faithfully on Sunday morning love the church; those who attend faithfully Sunday morning and Sunday evening love the Pastor; but those who attend faithfully on Sunday and Wednesday evening prayer meeting love the Lord. I assumed that presenting my body as a sacrifice had something to do with attending church every time the doors were open and doing whatever the Pastor said: Obey your leaders and submit to them, the author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work.⁶

I might have continued trying to prove how much I loved God rather than being transformed by his love. But I continued studying the Bible and the Holy Spirit brought Scriptures to mind that disagreed with, or severely limited, the points my various Pastors made in their sermons. It was a difficult and confusing time. But eventually I began to see the Bible, not as a rule book, but as a way to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent.⁷

The Bible changed then from a discussion of many things into a discussion of primarily one issue from many perspectives, namely, this eternal life in Jesus Christ. In that light it was easier to recognize that the phrase by the mercies of God (διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ θεοῦ) also described how to present my body as a sacrifice: διὰ (through) the mercies of God, sharing in his compassion, clothed with [his] heart of mercy, his kindness, his humility, his gentleness, and his patience…forgiving one another…Just as the Lord has forgiven [me], being merciful just as he is merciful.

Do not be conformed⁸ to this present world,⁹ Paul added more detail. I assume that this present world is equivalent to the works of the flesh:¹⁰ hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, and envying.¹¹ I didn’t leave sexual immorality (πορνεία), impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery and murder¹² out of this list because I think they are any less the works of the flesh. Given my background and upbringing they are the obvious works of the flesh while hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, and envying might seem virtuous if directed against sin or sinners or heretics or people who don’t accept my interpretation of the Bible.

The word translated envying for instance is φθόνοι (a form of φθόνος). Pilate knew that [Jesus’ accusers] had handed him over because of envy¹³ (φθόνον, another form of φθόνος). If I were writing myself as a character in a movie it would make perfect sense for that character to envy Ingmar Bergman, a creative genius, a talented and successful director of both theater and film. So much in his films seems like anti-religious agitprop. I have never heard that he repented or showed any signs of faith in Jesus. By all rights I, like Bess from Lars Von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves,” should say of Ingmar Bergman, “He will go to hell; everyone knows that.”

Yet when I search myself I find instead that I hope against hope for God’s mercy. I can’t find an explanation for it apart from the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control [Table]¹⁴ that floods into me and through me from the Holy Spirit. I am not as creative or talented or successful as Ingmar Bergman, but I have received a superabundance of mercy and grace while he suffered unspeakably from religious minds, his own as well as those of others. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your¹⁵ mind, Paul continued in Romans, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect (τέλειον, a form of τέλειος).¹⁶

Love never ends (πίπτει, a form of πίπτω),¹⁷ Paul wrote the Corinthians. According to the definitions listed in the NET online Bible this means that love never 1) descends from a higher place to a lower; love never 1a) falls, 1a1) is thrust down 1b) (metaph.) falls under judgment, or comes under condemnation; love never 2) descends from an erect to a prostrate position 2a) falls down 2a1) is prostrated, or falls prostrate;¹⁸ love never 2a2) is overcome by terror or astonishment or grief or under the attack of an evil spirit or of falling dead suddenly; love never 2a3) is dismembered like a corpse by decay 2a4) prostrates itself 2a5) renders homage or worship to one 2a6) falls out, falls from, perishes or is lost; love never 2a7) falls down, or falls into ruin 2b) is cast down from a state of prosperity 2b1) falls from a state of uprightness; love never 2b2) perishes, comes to an end, disappears, ceases; love never 2b3) loses authority, or no longer has force 2b4) is removed from power by death 2b5) fails of participating in, or misses a share in [Christ’s salvation because love (ἀγάπη) is his salvation and his righteousness in a word].

This was in contrast to prophecies, that will be set aside…tongues, that will cease…and knowledge, that will be set aside.¹⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when what is perfect (τέλειον, a form of τέλειος) comes, the partial will be set aside.²⁰ Love not only transcends this coming perfection, it facilitates it according to John: whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected (τετελείωται, a form of τελειόω). By this we know that we are in him.²¹

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ,²² Paul wrote the Ephesians. It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature (τέλειον, a form of τέλειος) person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.²³ I have begun to wonder: if the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers aren’t encouraging me to be perfected in God’s love, are they acting as ambassadors for Christ²⁴ or emissaries of the religious mind?

Paul wrote the Colossians, I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God – given to me for you – in order to complete (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω; or, fulfill) the word of God, that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature (τέλειον, a form of τέλειος; e.g., perfected in and by God’s love) in Christ [Table].²⁵

When I consider the justice of God’s mercy in and through Christ I am reminded of Friedrich Nietzsche. Jesus said, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.²⁶ The soul cannot be killed with weaponry. But Friedrich Nietzsche came about as close to being a soul killer as I can imagine a human being becoming. Who can calculate his devastating impact on the souls of academics and the intelligentsia? But if I imagine him in torment in hell for all eternity, cursing his nonexistent god, I realize that I can imagine no greater destruction of the personality I know as Friedrich Nietzsche than to find him one day clothed and in his right mind,²⁷ and sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Addendum: April 27, 2026
A table comparing Romans 12:2 in the KJV and NET follows.

Romans 12:2 (NET)	Romans 12:2 (KJV)
Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.	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.

Romans 12:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Romans 12:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Romans 12:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ εὐάρεστον καὶ τέλειον	και μη συσχηματιζεσθε τω αιωνι τουτω αλλα μεταμορφουσθε τη ανακαινωσει του νοος υμων εις το δοκιμαζειν υμας τι το θελημα του θεου το αγαθον και ευαρεστον και τελειον	και μη συσχηματιζεσθαι τω αιωνι τουτω αλλα μεταμορφουσθαι τη ανακαινωσει του νοος υμων εις το δοκιμαζειν υμας τι το θελημα του θεου το αγαθον και ευαρεστον και τελειον

Romans, Part 45

Back to Son of God – 1 John, Part 3

Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 6

¹ Romans 12:1a (NET)

² Romans 9:15 (NET) Table Select David’s Forgiveness, Part 2 for a table comparing the Greek of Romans 9:15 with that of the Septuagint.

³ Colossians 3:12, 13 (NET) Table

⁴ Luke 6:35, 36 (NET) Table

⁵ Romans 12:1 (NET)

⁶ Hebrews 13:17a (NET)

⁷ John 17:3 (NET)

⁸ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had συσχηματίζεσθε, a 2^nd person plural form of συσχηματίζω in the present tense and imperative mood, where the Byzantine Majority Text had the infinitive form συσχηματιζεσθαι.

⁹ Romans 12:2a (NET)

¹⁰ Galatians 5:19-21 (NET) Table

¹¹ Galatians 5:20, 21a (NET) Table

¹² Galatians 5:19-21 (NET) Table

¹³ Matthew 27:18 (NET)

¹⁴ Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

¹⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υμων here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁶ Romans 12:2 (NET)

¹⁷ 1 Corinthians 13:8a (NET) Table

¹⁸ At the end of the movie “The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King” as the newly crowned king approached, the Hobbits—Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin—bowed. The king said, “My friends, you bow to no one.” Then he and all present knelt before them. In the context of the fruit of the Spirit love certainly does not fall prostrate before rules or laws: Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:23b NET). On the contrary, Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10 NET). The fear that I might love too much, be too joyful, too peaceful, too patient, too kind, too good, too faithful, too gentle, or too controlled by the Holy Spirit, that I should intervene and hold myself aloof from being engulfed, buoyed up and carried along by that living stream that makes glad the city of God, that I should draw back to some Aristotelian mean between the extremes, is not from God. In this sense then I understand “Love never falls prostrate” (or never “renders homage or worship”), not that Love is god, but that God is love.

¹⁹ 1 Corinthians 13:8b (NET) Table

²⁰ 1 Corinthians 13:9, 10 (NET) Table

²¹ 1 John 2:5 (NET)

²² Ephesians 4:7 (NET)

²³ Ephesians 4:11-13 (NET)

²⁴ 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NET)

²⁵ Colossians 1:25-28 (NET)

²⁶ Matthew 10:28a (NET) Table

²⁷ Luke 8:35 (NET) Table

Saving Demons, Part 1

Posted on May 17, 2013 by admin

If senseless ¹ Gentiles, chosen for salvation to make Israel jealous, reject the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness to pursue their own righteousness derived² from a select subset of the law and their own religious rules, will that open Christ’s salvation to demons and fallen angels?

On the surface of it the question seems absurd to me, too speculative, though I appreciate the symmetry of the pattern. My problem, however, is that I remember when I believed that Paul’s “commandment”— So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus³—was a pious fiction, a mind game based on the flimsiest of pretexts: Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?⁴

Now, of course, I believe that Paul’s “commandment” was a carefully wrought conclusion based on a solid truth. And so I believe that I, too, have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!⁵ Furthermore, I now believe that this death facilitates forgiveness and the new resurrected (eternal) life by creating the distinction between me (the new man born of the Spirit) and the sin in my flesh (Romans 7:14-20 NET).

For we know that the law is spiritual – but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin [Table]. For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me [Table]. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil (κακὸν, a form of κακός) I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me [Table].

As John the Apostle wrote, We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one (πονηρός) cannot touch him.⁶ That experience prompts me to keep an open mind and a running account as touch points come up. One of the first things that came to mind was Jesus’ response to the religious leaders’ charge that He blasphemed by claiming to be the Son of God: Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?⁷

When I wrote about it before I focused on verses in Exodus where the Holy Spirit called human judges elohim (הָאֱלֹהִים).⁸ But Jesus apparently quoted Psalm 82:6 as well. The note (84) in the NET reads: “The problem in this verse concerns the meaning of Jesus’ quotation from Ps 82:6. It is important to look at the OT context: The whole line reads ‘I say, you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.’ Jesus will pick up on the term ‘sons of the Most High’ in 10:36, where he refers to himself as the Son of God. The psalm was understood in rabbinic circles as an attack on unjust judges who, though they have been given the title ‘gods’ because of their quasi-divine function of exercising judgment, are just as mortal as other men. What is the argument here? It is often thought to be as follows: If it was an OT practice to refer to men like the judges as gods, and not blasphemy, why did the Jewish authorities object when this term was applied to Jesus? This really doesn’t seem to fit the context, however, since if that were the case Jesus would not be making any claim for ‘divinity’ for himself over and above any other human being – and therefore he would not be subject to the charge of blasphemy. Rather, this is evidently a case of arguing from the lesser to the greater, a common form of rabbinic argument. The reason the OT judges could be called gods is because they were vehicles of the word of God (cf. 10:35). But granting that premise, Jesus deserves much more than they to be called God. He is the Word incarnate, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to save the world (10:36). In light of the prologue to the Gospel of John, it seems this interpretation would have been most natural for the author. If it is permissible to call men “gods” because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word ‘God’ of him who is the Word of God?”

The psalm itself reads (Psalm 82 NET):

God (elohim, אֱלֹהִים) stands in the assembly of El (‘ēl, אֵל); in the midst of the gods (elohim, אֱלֹהִים) he renders judgment [Table]. He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah) Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! Vindicate the oppressed and suffering! Rescue the poor and needy! Deliver them from the power of the wicked! They neither know nor understand. They stumble around in the dark, while all the foundations of the earth crumble [Table]. I thought,⁹ ‘You are gods (elohim, אֱלֹהִים); all of you are sons of the Most High’ [Table]. Yet you will die like mortals; you will fall like all the other rulers.” Rise up, O God (elohim, אֱלֹהִים), and execute judgment on the earth! For you own all the nations.

And the note (4) in the NET on gods reads: “The present translation assumes that the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, ‘gods’) here refers to the pagan gods who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Canaanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).”

In the prophetic Song of Moses we read: They made him jealous with other gods (zûr, בְּזָרִים), they enraged him with abhorrent idols [Table]. They sacrificed to demons, not God (‘ĕlôha, אֱלֹהַ), to gods (elohim, אֱלֹהִים) they had not known; to new gods (ḥāḏāš, חֲדָשִׁים) who had recently come along, gods your ancestors (‘āḇ, אֲבֹתֵיכֶם) had not known about [Table].¹⁰ And Paul wrote: I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God.¹¹ So I can side with the unbelievers Jesus addressed and believe that Psalm 82 was about Israel’s judges, or I can take the psalm at face value and believe that it was the pagan gods who made unjust legal decisions and showed favoritism to the wicked.

If God meant to save these demons, these rebellious angels, these fallen sons of the Most High, the first step would be that they die like mortals so they could be resurrected to a new life: And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever”¹² (e.g., immortality corrupted by sin).

On the other hand the letter to the Hebrews reads: Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. For surely his concern (ἐπιλαμβάνεται, a form of ἐπιλαμβάνω) is not for angels, but he is concerned (ἐπιλαμβάνεται, a form of ἐπιλαμβάνω) for Abraham’s descendants.¹³ Once again death played a pivotal role but God’s ἐπιλαμβάνεται (taking hold to rescue) might be limited to human beings here. Of course when I turn that around and say, “Hebrews 2:16 limits God’s mercy to human beings,” I feel more like Gollum,¹⁴ saying, “It’s mine! My precious,” than an obedient follower of Jesus, who commanded, Freely you received, freely give.¹⁵

Addendum: April 17, 2026
Tables comparing Psalm 82:2; 82:3; 82:4; 82:7 and 82:8 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Psalm 82:2 (81:2); 82:3 (81:3); 82:4 (81:4); 82:7 (81:7) and 82:8 (81:8) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Psalm 82:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 82:2 (KJV)	Psalm 82:2 (NET)
How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.	How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.	He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)

Psalm 82:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 81:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε διάψαλμα	ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; (διάψαλμα)
Psalm 81:2 (NETS)	Psalm 81:2 (English Elpenor)
“How long will you judge with injustice and to sinners show partiality? Interlude on strings	How long will ye judge unrighteously, and accept the persons of sinners? Pause.

Psalm 82:3 (Tanakh)	Psalm 82:3 (KJV)	Psalm 82:3 (NET)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.	Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.	Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.

Psalm 82:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 81:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κρίνατε ὀρφανὸν καὶ πτωχόν ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε	κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε
Psalm 81:3 (NETS)	Psalm 81:3 (English Elpenor)
“Give justice to orphan and poor; of lowly and needy maintain the right.	Judge the orphan and poor: do justice to the low and needy.

Psalm 82:4 (Tanakh)	Psalm 82:4 (KJV)	Psalm 82:4 (NET)
Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.	Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.	Rescue the poor and needy. Deliver them from the power of the wicked.

Psalm 82:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 81:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐξέλεσθε πένητα καὶ πτωχόν ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ ῥύσασθε	ἐξέλεσθε πένητα καὶ πτωχόν, ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ ῥύσασθε αὐτόν
Psalm 81:4 (NETS)	Psalm 81:4 (English Elpenor)
Deliver needy and poor; from a sinner’s hand rescue them.”	Rescue the needy, and deliver the poor out of the hand of the sinner.

Psalm 82:7 (Tanakh)	Psalm 82:7 (KJV)	Psalm 82:7 (NET)
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.	But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.	Yet you will die like mortals; you will fall like all the other rulers.”

Psalm 82:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 81:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνῄσκετε καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πίπτετε	ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πίπτετε
Psalm 81:7 (NETS)	Psalm 81:7 (English Elpenor)
but you all are dying like human beings, and like one of the ruers you fall.”	But ye die as men, and fall as one of the princes.

Psalm 82:8 (Tanakh)	Psalm 82:8 (KJV)	Psalm 82:8 (NET)
Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.	Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.	Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth! For you own all the nations.

Psalm 82:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 81:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀνάστα ὁ θεός κρῖνον τὴν γῆν ὅτι σὺ κατακληρονομήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν	ἀνάστα, ὁ Θεός, κρίνων τὴν γῆν, ὅτι σὺ κατακληρονομήσεις ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι
Psalm 81:8 (NETS)	Psalm 81:8 (English Elpenor)
Rise up, O God, judge the earth, because you will gain possession of all the nations.	Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Saving Demons, Part 2

Back to Romans, Part 43

¹ Romans 10:19 (NET)

² Philippians 3:9 (NET)

³ Romans 6:11 (NET) Table

⁴ Romans 6:3 (NET)

⁵ Galatians 2:20, 21 (NET)

⁶ 1 John 5:18 (NET) Table

⁷ John 10:34 (NET) Table Table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁸ Exodus 21:6; 22:8, 9 (NET)

⁹ NET note 13: “Heb ‘said.’”

¹⁰ Deuteronomy 32:16, 17 (NET)

¹¹ 1 Corinthians 10:20a (NET) Table

¹² Genesis 3:22 (NET) Table

¹³ Hebrews 2:14-16 (NET)

¹⁴ In “The Lord of the Rings” movies Sauron’s ring of power gave Gollum a corrupt immortality, dead in [his] transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1 NET) Table.

¹⁵ Matthew 10:8b (NET) Table

Fear – Exodus, Part 4

Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin

Here I continue to see the Lord cultivating the fear that is a conviction to act in accordance with his word in Israel. It happened at midnight – the Lord attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.¹ But the plague of the firstborn did not touch the Israelites who heard the word of the Lord and marked their doors with the blood of the Passover lamb: For the Lord will pass through to strike Egypt, and when he sees the blood on the top of the doorframe and the two side posts, then the Lord will pass over the door, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.²

Pharaoh got up in the night, along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house in which there was not someone dead [Table]. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and said, “Get up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, serve the Lord as you have requested [Table]! Also, take your flocks and your herds, just as you have requested, and leave. But bless me also” [Table] ³

And so the descendants of Israel (and others) left Egypt: There were about 600,000 men on foot, plus their dependents [Table]. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and flocks and herds – a very large number of cattle [Table].⁴ A note (94) in the NET reads: “The ‘mixed multitude’ (עֵרֶב רַב, ’erev rav) refers to a great ‘swarm’ (see a possible cognate in 8:21[17]) of folk who joined the Israelites, people who were impressed by the defeat of Egypt, who came to faith, or who just wanted to escape Egypt (maybe slaves or descendants of the Hyksos). The expression prepares for later references to riffraff who came along.”

In this context of cultivating a fear of the Lord that is a conviction to act in accordance with his word I begin to see a purpose for hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 14:1-4 NET).

The Lord spoke to Moses [Table]: “Tell the Israelites that they must turn and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you are to camp by the sea before Baal Zephon opposite it [Table]. Pharaoh will think regarding the Israelites, ‘They are wandering around confused in the land – the desert has closed in on them’ [Table]. I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them. I will gain honor because of Pharaoh and because of all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So this is what they did [Table].

It happened as the Lord promised Moses (Exodus 14:5-7 NET):

When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and the king and his servants said, “What in the world have we done? For we have released the people of Israel from serving us!” Then he prepared his chariots and took his army with him. He took six hundred select chariots, and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, and officers on all of them.

If I am correct in seeing this fear that is a conviction to act in accordance with the word of the Lord as the functional equivalent in the Old Testament of the fruit of the Spirit,⁵ the desire and the effort brought forth by God for the sake of his good pleasure,⁶ because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy,⁷ and the love of God⁸ that is the fulfillment of the law,⁹ then the contemporary Gentile response to the events of Exodus is telling. It is a clear revelation of the ασεβεια in human hearts, the ungodliness (ἀσέβειαν, a form of ἀσέβεια) and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness;¹⁰ namely, the learned consensus that the Exodus didn’t happen as described in the Bible. It is difficult to believe that God would do such things for anyone (the descendents of Israel), let alone for everyone (For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.¹¹).

But orchestrating the events to cultivate such a fear could have the opposite effect, creating a fear that caused Israel to flee, in their hearts if not with their feet (Exodus 14:10-12 NET).

When Pharaoh got closer, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified (yârêʼ, וַיִּירְאוּ). The Israelites cried out to the Lord [Table], and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? What in the world have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? [Table] Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’” [Table]

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint used ἐφοβήθησαν (a form of φοβέω) here. The next occurrence of ἐφοβήθησαν in the New Testament is in Matthew’s Gospel when Christ, our Passover lamb, [was] sacrificed.¹² Now from noon until three, darkness came over all the land [Table]. At about three o’clock Jesus shouted [the opening line of Psalm 22] with a loud voice…“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Table]¹³ Apparently some bystanders didn’t know Aramaic (the language of Judah’s Babylonian/Persian captors and didn’t recognize the Psalm in that ancient tongue: Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? [8/19/2017: For a different take on this see, DID THE MESSIAH SPEAK ARAMAIC OR HEBREW? (PART 2) BY E.A.KNAPP]). They said, This man is calling for Elijah¹⁴ (e.g., Eli, Eli—My God, My God). Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.¹⁵

Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from¹⁶ top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised¹⁷…Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified (ἐφοβήθησαν, a form of φοβέω) and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!”¹⁸

I doubt that the Centurion and his companions on Golgotha saw the curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place ripped, though they may have seen or at least heard the commotion afterward. I assume they witnessed the earthquake and the tombs opening. Whether they saw any of the dead come out of their tombs depends on how limiting verse 53 is meant to be taken, They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.¹⁹ I’m not sure I can make that kind of determination based only on ἐκ, which can mean out of or away from. But whatever they saw and heard frightened them like the Israelites were frightened when they looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them.

But Moses, who was privy to God’s plan, said, Do not fear (yârêʼ, תִּירָאוּ)! Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again.²⁰ The word translated fear above was θαρσεῖτε (a form of θαρσέω) in the Septuagint. When Jesus’ disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage (θαρσεῖτε)! It is I. Do not be afraid.”²¹

Israel crossed the sea on dry ground. The Egyptians were drowned when they attempted to follow. When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared (yârêʼ, וַיִּירְאוּ) the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.²² And so, for the moment, God had successfully cultivated that combination of faith and fear that is the functional equivalent of: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,²³ and the fruit of the Spirit,²⁴ the desire and the effort brought forth by God for the sake of his good pleasure,²⁵ because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy,²⁶ and the love of God²⁷ that is the fulfillment of the law.²⁸

Addendum: April 15, 2026
According to a footnote (82) in the NET Jesus quoted from Psalm 22:1 in Matthew 27:46. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with that of the Septuagint.

Matthew 27:46b (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 22:1b (BLB Septuagint) Table	Psalm 22:1b (Septuagint Elpenor)
Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες	ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός μου πρόσχες μοι ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με	Ο ΘΕΟΣ, ὁ Θεός μου, πρόσχες μοι· ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με
Matthew 27:46b (NET)	Psalm 22:1b (NETS)	Psalm 22:1b (English Elpenor)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?	God, my God, attend to me; why did you forsake me?	O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me?

Tables comparing Exodus 12:23; 14:5; 14:6 and 14:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 12:23; 14:5; 14:6 and 14:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 27:47 and 27:51, 52 in the NET and KJV follow.

Exodus 12:23 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:23 (KJV)	Exodus 12:23 (NET)
For HaShem will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, HaShem will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.	For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.	For the Lord will pass through to strike Egypt, and when he sees the blood on the top of the doorframe and the two side posts, then the Lord will pass over the door, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

Exodus 12:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 12:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρελεύσεται κύριος πατάξαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ ὄψεται τὸ αἷμα ἐπὶ τῆς φλιᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν σταθμῶν καὶ παρελεύσεται κύριος τὴν θύραν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσει τὸν ὀλεθρεύοντα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ὑμῶν πατάξαι	καὶ παρελεύσεται Κύριος πατάξαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ ὄψεται τὸ αἷμα ἐπὶ τῆς φλιᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν σταθμῶν, καὶ παρελεύσεται Κύριος τὴν θύραν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσει τὸν ὀλοθρεύοντα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ὑμῶν πατάξαι
Exodus 12:23 (NETS)	Exodus 12:23 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord will pass by to strike the Egyptians, and he will see the blood upon the lintel and on both doorposts, and the Lord will pass by the door, and he will not allow the destroyer to enter into your house to strike.	And the Lord shall pass by to smite the Egyptians, and shall see the blood upon the lintel, and upon both the door-posts; and the Lord shall pass by the door, and shall not suffer the destroyer to enter into your houses to smite [you].

Exodus 14:5 (Tanakh)	Exodus 14:5 (KJV)	Exodus 14:5 (NET)
And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned towards the people, and they said: ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?	And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?	When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and the king and his servants said, “What in the world have we done? For we have released the people of Israel from serving us!”

Exodus 14:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 14:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὅτι πέφευγεν ὁ λαός καὶ μετεστράφη ἡ καρδία Φαραω καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν καὶ εἶπαν τί τοῦτο ἐποιήσαμεν τοῦ ἐξαποστεῖλαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν ἡμῖν	καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὅτι πέφευγεν ὁ λαός· καὶ μετεστράφη ἡ καρδία Φαραὼ καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν, καὶ εἶπαν· τί τοῦτο ἐποιήσαμεν τοῦ ἐξαποστεῖλαι τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν ἡμῖν
Exodus 14:5 (NETS)	Exodus 14:5 (English Elpenor)
And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had escaped. And the heart of Pharao and his attendants was turned against the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, sending away the sons of Israel so they are not subject to us?”	And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had fled: and the heart of Pharao was turned, and that of his servants against the people; and they said, What is this that we have done, to let the children of Israel go, so that they should not serve us?

Exodus 14:6 (Tanakh)	Exodus 14:6 (KJV)	Exodus 14:6 (NET)
And he made ready his chariots, and took his people with him.	And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:	Then he prepared his chariots and took his army with him.

Exodus 14:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 14:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔζευξεν οὖν Φαραω τὰ ἅρματα αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ συναπήγαγεν μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ	ἔζευξεν οὖν Φαραὼ τὰ ἅρματα αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ συναπήγαγε μεθ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ
Exodus 14:6 (NETS)	Exodus 14:6 (English Elpenor)
Then Pharao hitched up his chariots and led away all his people together with him,	So Pharao yoked his chariots, and led off all his people with himself:

Exodus 14:7 (Tanakh)	Exodus 14:7 (KJV)	Exodus 14:7 (NET)
And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them.	And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.	He took 600 select chariots, and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, and officers on all of them.

Exodus 14:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 14:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λαβὼν ἑξακόσια ἅρματα ἐκλεκτὰ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τριστάτας ἐπὶ πάντων	καὶ λαβὼν ἑξακόσια ἅρματα ἐκλεκτὰ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τριστάτας ἐπὶ πάντων
Exodus 14:7 (NETS)	Exodus 14:7 (English Elpenor)
and he took six hundred choice chariots and all the cavalry of the Egyptians and the third-ranked officers over all of them.	having also taken six hundred chosen chariots, and all the cavalry of the Egyptians, and rulers over all.

Matthew 27:47 (NET)	Matthew 27:47 (KJV)
When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”	Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

Matthew 27:47 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 27:47 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 27:47 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τινὲς δὲ τῶν ἐκεῖ ἑστηκότων ἀκούσαντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Ἠλίαν φωνεῖ οὗτος	τινες δε των εκει εστωτων ακουσαντες ελεγον οτι ηλιαν φωνει ουτος	τινες δε των εκει εστωτων ακουσαντες ελεγον οτι ηλιαν φωνει ουτος

Matthew 27:51, 52 (NET)	Matthew 27:51, 52 (KJV)
Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.	And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Matthew 27:51 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 27:51 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 27:51 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ ἐσχίσθη \|ἀπ᾿\| ἄνωθεν ἕως κάτω εἰς δύο καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐσείσθη καὶ αἱ πέτραι ἐσχίσθησαν	και ιδου το καταπετασμα του ναου εσχισθη εις δυο απο ανωθεν εως κατω και η γη εσεισθη και αι πετραι εσχισθησαν	και ιδου το καταπετασμα του ναου εσχισθη εις δυο απο ανωθεν εως κατω και η γη εσεισθη και αι πετραι εσχισθησαν

And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

Matthew 27:52 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 27:52 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 27:52 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα ἀνεῴχθησαν καὶ πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων ἠγέρθησαν	και τα μνημεια ανεωχθησαν και πολλα σωματα των κεκοιμημενων αγιων ηγερθη	και τα μνημεια ανεωχθησαν και πολλα σωματα των κεκοιμημενων αγιων ηγερθη

Fear – Exodus, Part 5

Back to Fear – Numbers, Part 2

Back to Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 3

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 4

¹ Exodus 12:29 (NET) Table

² Exodus 12:23 (NET)

³ Exodus 12:30-32 (NET)

⁴ Exodus 12:37b, 38 (NET)

⁵ Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

⁶ Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

⁷ Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

⁸ 1 John 2:3-5a (NET)

⁹ Romans 13:10 (NET)

¹⁰ Romans 1:18 (NET)

¹¹ Romans 11:32 (NET)

¹² 1 Corinthians 5:7b (NET) Table

¹³ Matthew 27:45, 46 (NET) Table

¹⁴ Matthew 27:47 (NET)

¹⁵ Matthew 27:49 (NET)

¹⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the preposition ἀπ᾿ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απο.

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἠγέρθησαν here, a plural form of ἐγείρω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular ηγερθη (KJV: arose).

¹⁸ Matthew 27:50-52, 54 (NET)

¹⁹ Matthew 27:53 (NET)

²⁰ Exodus 14:13 (NET) Table

²¹ Matthew 14:26, 27 (NET) Table

²² Exodus 14:31 (NET) Table There are no more occurrences of ἐφοβήθη (the word the rabbis chose in the Septuagint) in the New Testament.

²³ Romans 10:9 (NET)

²⁴ Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

²⁵ Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

²⁶ Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

²⁷ 1 John 2:3-5a (NET)

²⁸ Romans 13:10 (NET)

Son of God – 1 John, Part 1

Posted on May 6, 2013 by admin

This is what we proclaim to you, John wrote, what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen (ἑωράκαμεν, a form of ὁράω) with our eyes, what we have looked at (ἐθεασάμεθα, a form of θεάομαι) and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life – and the life was revealed, and we have seen [ἑωράκαμεν, a form of ὁράω] and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us).¹ John, by making the word of life—what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched—equivalent to—the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—has defined eternal life as something more than a future time without end.

Eternal life is the Lord Jesus, the life He lived, the righteousness that comes by way of [his] faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness,² and the love that is the fulfillment of the law,³ as well as a place with Him in heaven. As Jesus prayed, Now this is eternal life – that they know (γινώσκωσιν, a form of γινώσκω) you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.⁴ If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, another form of γινώσκω) me, He said to Thomas, you will know (γνώσεσθε, another form of γινώσκω) my Father too. And from now on you do know (γινώσκετε, another form of γινώσκω) him and have seen (ἑωράκατε, another form of ὁράω) him.⁵ The person who has seen (ἑωρακὼς, another form of ὁράω) me, he replied to Philip, has seen (ἑώρακεν, another form of ὁράω) the Father!⁶

What we have seen (ἑωράκαμεν, a form of ὁράω) and heard we announce to you too, John continued, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). Thus we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. Now this is the gospel⁷ message⁸ we have heard from him and announce to you, John continued, God is light, and in him there is no darkness (σκοτία) at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness (σκότει, a form of σκότος), we are lying and not practicing the truth.⁹

The reason the translators added gospel to the text above is quoted in a footnote below.¹⁰ Jesus said, or John wrote, light has come into the world and people loved the darkness (σκότος) rather than the light, because their deeds were evil (πονηρὰ, a form of πονηρός; or, full of labours, annoyances, hardships). For everyone who does evil (φαῦλα, a form of φαῦλος; or ordinary, or, worthless) deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.¹¹

When I read the Bible and said, “yea, verily, amen, Lord,” and didn’t believe what it said, I was walking in darkness. It was a foolish thing to do, considering the psalm, O Lord, you examine me and know [Table]…even from far away you understand my motives [Table].¹² I stepped into the light when I began to argue with Him. And I wasn’t always reverent about it. But his Spirit was patient with me. He made me honest with Him, what I believed and what I didn’t believe, and eventually with myself (which is not easy), and patient enough to wait for understanding, where I was wrong or had misunderstood his word (as opposed to running off, saying, “none of it is true,” or, “it means whatever you want”).

But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, John continued, we have fellowship with one another [e.g., with others walking in the light] and the blood of Jesus¹³ his Son cleanses us from all sin.¹⁴ This is so important, Faith 101. It is equivalent in my mind to, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.¹⁵ Honesty is impossible apart from this knowledge. Walking in darkness I wasn’t such a bad guy. In the light I discovered how sinful the sin in my flesh actually is, and I mourned. Walking deeper into the light I discovered how corrupt my righteousness is, and I grieved.

If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.¹⁶ As Paul wrote, For God has consigned all people to disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, a form of ἀπείθεια) so that he may show mercy to them all.¹⁷

Addendum: April 5, 2026
Tables comparing 1 John 1:5 and 1:7 in the KJV and NET follow.

1 John 1:5 (NET)	1 John 1:5 (KJV)
Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.	This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 1:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 1:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία \|ἐν αὐτῷ\| οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία	και αυτη εστιν η επαγγελια ην ακηκοαμεν απ αυτου και αναγγελλομεν υμιν οτι ο θεος φως εστιν και σκοτια εν αυτω ουκ εστιν ουδεμια	και εστιν αυτη η αγγελια ην ακηκοαμεν απ αυτου και αναγγελλομεν υμιν οτι ο θεος φως εστιν και σκοτια εν αυτω ουκ εστιν ουδεμια

1 John 1:7 (NET)	1 John 1:7 (KJV)
But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.	But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 1:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 1:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 1:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ᾿ ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας	εαν δε εν τω φωτι περιπατωμεν ως αυτος εστιν εν τω φωτι κοινωνιαν εχομεν μετ αλληλων και το αιμα ιησου χριστου του υιου αυτου καθαριζει ημας απο πασης αμαρτιας	εαν δε εν τω φωτι περιπατωμεν ως αυτος εστιν εν τω φωτι κοινωνιαν εχομεν μετ αλληλων και το αιμα ιησου χριστου του υιου αυτου καθαριζει ημας απο πασης αμαρτιας

Son of God – 1 John, Part 2

Back to Antichrist, Part 5

Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 1

¹ 1 John 1:1, 2 (NET)

² Philippians 3:9 (NET)

³ Romans 13:10 (NET)

⁴ John 17:3 (NET)

⁵ John 14:7 (NET) Table

⁶ John 14:9b (NET) Table

⁷ NET note 13: The word “gospel” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to clarify the meaning. See the note on the following word “message.”

⁸ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ἀγγελία here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had επαγγελια.

⁹ 1 John 1:3-6 (NET)

¹⁰ NET note 14 on the word “message”: The word ἀγγελία (angelia) occurs only twice in the NT, here and in 1 John 3:11. It is a cognate of ἐπαγγελία (epangelia) which occurs much more frequently (some 52 times in the NT) including 1 John 2:25. BDAG 8 s.v. ἀγγελία 1 offers the meaning “message” which suggests some overlap with the semantic range of λόγος (logos), although in the specific context of 1:5 BDAG suggests a reference to the gospel. (The precise “content” of this “good news’ is given by the ὅτι [Joti] clause which follows in 1:5b.) The word ἀγγελία here is closely equivalent to εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion): (1) it refers to the proclamation of the eyewitness testimony about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the author and the rest of the apostolic witnesses (prologue, esp. 1:3-4), and (2) it relates to the salvation of the hearers/readers, since the purpose of this proclamation is to bring them into fellowship with God and with the apostolic witnesses (1:3). Because of this the adjective “gospel” is included in the English translation.

¹¹ John 3:19, 20 (NET)

¹² Psalm 139:1, 2 (NET)

¹³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had χριστου (KJV: Christ) following Jesus. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁴ 1 John 1:7 (NET)

¹⁵ Romans 8:1 (NET) Table

¹⁶ 1 John 1:8-2:2 (NET)

¹⁷ Romans 11:32 (NET)

Antichrist, Part 3

Posted on May 4, 2013 by admin

Like John’s antichrists Trier’s antichrists were not necessarily tyrannical globalists, but people who had not been perfected in God’s love and did not keep his commandments. Unlike John’s antichrists there was no indication in the film that they had ever known God and then departed from that knowledge. Trier’s antichrists are not named. We are introduced to them “he-in’-and-a-she-in'” as Otis (played by William Fichtner in the movie “The Amateurs”) described fucking. But I want to try to reconstruct the story of “Antichrist” in temporal order.

This will definitely be a spoiler for those who haven’t seen the film. My take is not Lars Von Trier’s understanding, nor that of the actors. I assume that anyone remotely interested in my understanding would be offended by the pornographic nature of this movie and not watch it all the way through anyway. And I use pornographic in a technical, not an eye-of-the-beholder, sense here.

Conan O’Brien asked his guest Amanda Seyfried about her role in a biopic about Linda Lovelace of “Deep Throat” fame: “How do you portray a porn star without being incredibly explicit? Do you know what I mean?” Ms. Seyfried answered, “Well, you don’t actually have sex on film.”¹ In other words people who get paid to pretend to have sex on film are actors, ὑποκριταί in Greek. People who get paid to actually have sex on film are prostitutes; πορνοσ (pornos) is the Greek for a male prostitute. Our word pornography (writing about prostitutes) comes from the Greek compound of πορνοσ (pornos) and γραφή (graphē). The body doubles for Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg in “Antichrist” were porn actors, and a few shots in the film do qualify under this technical definition.

Before the film began she (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and their toddler son Nic went to Eden, a secluded cabin in the woods, to finish her thesis on Gynocide. It was a study of man’s inhumanity to woman, witch-hunts and the like. She couldn’t finish when she realized it was not a simple story of evil men persecuting virtuous women, but that the women were evil, too. As she absentmindedly, or vindictively, (it was never quite clear to me) forced the left shoe on her son’s right foot, and vice versa (causing a deformity that became apparent in an autopsy report) she became cognizant of her own evil as well.

The film actually begins with beautiful slow motion black and white footage of he (Willem Dafoe) and she fucking. Just because I believe that fucking does not, or the feelings associated with fucking do not, fulfill the law, does not mean that I have anything against fucking or those feelings. Fucking my wives or the feelings I had while fucking them or wanting to fuck them are beyond compare, except perhaps for the feeling I had when they wanted to fuck me. I miss it. And the opening scene of “Antichrist” spawned many a wonderful memory (as well as some that were not so wonderful).

Nic, their toddler son, awoke from his nap, climbed out of his crib, watched his mother and father a moment, turned quietly away, investigated an open window, and fell to his death. Granted, in real life the likelihood that a toddler would not demand some parental attention might be extremely low. But “Antichrist” is a horror movie, only the worst possibilities can happen. During the funeral procession she collapsed and was hospitalized. Her doctor thought she had an abnormal reaction to grief. Her husband, a psychologist, disagreed.

“I could have stopped him,” she told her husband, apparently coming into the light. “You didn’t know that he had started waking up lately. I was aware that he would sometimes wake up and crawl out of bed and walk about.” She started to sob, “He woke up and was confused and alone.”

He assumed, and we in the audience assume at this point, that she was suffering from psychological guilt. What we learn later, but he never knew, is that she saw Nic watching them and chose not to interrupt her husband to attend to her son. We also see that fucking is her narcotic and anesthetic of choice. The perfect wife?

What I realized the second time through the film was that her doctor’s “abnormal reaction to grief” and her husband’s diagnosis of psychological guilt both missed the point. She suffered from the actual guilt of maternal negligence and needed actual forgiveness. But there was no forgiveness to be found. This is “Antichrist,” not “Breaking the Waves.” Her doctor gave her mood drugs and her husband gave her psycho-babble, as she “bled out” from actual guilt. But “actual guilt” was not a category her doctor or her husband would recognize as legitimate, apart from a criminal indictment and conviction.

Why didn’t she come fully into the light? with her husband at least? Why didn’t she tell him she saw Nic, knew he was awake, and knew he was walking about unsupervised? Jesus (or John) said, everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.² He didn’t seem like the kind of man who would, or could, forgive her for a judgment mistake that claimed his son’s life. And she feared that he would leave her. In other words, theirs was not a love (ἀγάπη) affair by definition, no matter how good their fucking was.

He didn’t know (because he hadn’t experienced), In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.³ Receive the Holy Spirit, Jesus said. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.⁴ For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins [Table].⁵ And she was not perfected in love either because, There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first [Table].⁶

He arranged to get her out of the hospital, brought her home and became her therapist. “You’ve always been distant from me and Nic,” she said in one of their sessions, “now that I come to think of it, very, very distant.”

“Okay,” he said, ever the patient therapist. “Can you give me some example of this?”

“Like last summer, for instance, [when she went with Nic to Eden] you were terribly distant last summer, as a father and as a husband.”

“Well, actually it was to honor your wish. You wanted peace to write.”

“Perhaps I didn’t mean it,” she said.

That sounds just like a woman, I thought. But as I imagined the scene that preceded her writing retreat at Eden, I learned something about me as a husband and father. I, too, have tried to play the patient therapist with my wife and children. If she asked me for my blessing to take Nic and go to Eden without me for the summer, I would have thought, “No way! I’ll miss you, and Nic. I’ll miss talking with you, eating with you, being with you and, yes, fucking you. Why can’t you write here!?” But then I would have thought how selfish that seemed, and I would have said, “Okay.”

In other words, I wouldn’t have come into the light with my wife. I probably haven’t done so at various times in the past. And I see now that the truth—that I would miss her terribly, that I was angry that she would ask such a thing, that I felt that my initial reaction was selfish, so, yes, I would respect her desire to go to write her thesis and agree to it as much as it was in me to do—would be a much better basis for a love (ἀγάπη) affair. But I thought that “controlling” my emotions (rather than sharing them with her) was the “right” thing to do.

She didn’t finish her thesis that summer. He hadn’t even asked about it. When she told him he wondered why she had given up. “The whole project just seemed less important up there,” she said. It had become “glib” to her, “or even worse, some kind of lie.” He learned nothing about his obvious distance from her. He kept his focus on her. He decided that she had a phobia.

“What scares you about the woods?” he asked.

“Everything.”

So he took her back to Eden.

Antichrist, Part 4

Back to Antichrist, Part 5

Back to Torture, Part 5

Back to Hypocrisy

¹ Amanda Seyfried Interview

² John 3:20 (NET)

³ 1 John 4:10 (NET) Table

⁴ John 20:22b, 23 (NET)

⁵ Matthew 6:14, 15 (NET)

⁶ 1 John 4:18, 19 (NET)

Romans, Part 43

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin

So I ask, Paul began the eleventh chapter of Romans, God has not rejected his people, has he?¹ referring to his fellow countrymen.² In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, he concluded finally, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts (χαρίσματα, a form of χάρισμα) and the call (κλῆσις) of God are irrevocable (ἀμεταμέλητα, a form of ἀμεταμέλητος).³ Just as you were formerly disobedient (ἠπειθήσατε, a form of ἀπειθέω) to God, but have now received mercy (ἠλεήθητε, a form of ἐλεέω) due to their disobedience (ἀπειθείᾳ, a form of ἀπείθεια), so they too have now been disobedient (ἠπείθησαν, another form of ἀπειθέω) in order that, by the mercy (ἐλέει, a form of ἔλεος) shown to you, they too may now receive mercy [Table] (ἐλεηθῶσιν, another form of ἐλεέω). For God has consigned (συνέκλεισεν, a form of συγκλείω) all people to disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, another form of ἀπείθεια) so that he may show mercy (ἐλεήσῃ, another form of ἐλεέω) to them all.⁴

A note in the NET acknowledged that them “has been supplied for stylistic reasons.” The original Greek reads simply, “to all.” I don’t want to get involved in a “universal salvation” argument. It seems to go nowhere. After throwing Scripture around and philosophical opinions about free will the argument devolves into something like, “Well, I could never believe in a god who sent (or, would not send) anyone to hell.” I know I will trust Him as long as He pours his faithfulness (πίστις) into me through his Spirit,⁵ whether He sends or does not send people to hell or not. I do want to consider some of the things about God’s mercy that Paul outlined in Romans 9-11 in a table below.

What Jesus’ obedience, death and resurrection means to his Father, according to Paul

OLD TESTAMENT

Jesus’ obedience, death and resurrection

NEW TESTAMENT

For [God] says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Romans 9:15 (NET) Table Quotation Table

Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.

Romans 11:30, 31 (NET) Table

God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden.

Romans 9:18 (NET)

So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.

Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all.

Romans 11:32 (NET)

It may be arbitrary on my part to place—God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden—exclusively under the Old Covenant, if that is seen as a limit to God’s choosing. My point is simply its logical relationship to I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Paul’s conclusion—So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy—serves then as the logical and justificatory bridge to his New Covenant argument concluding that, God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all.

The word translated consigned is συνέκλεισεν (a form of συγκλείω) in Greek. Paul used it again when he wrote the Galatians, the scripture imprisoned (συνέκλεισεν) everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ – to those who believe.⁶ Another form of the same word is found in Luke’s account of the calling of Peter, James and John: When they had done this [e.g., obeyed Jesus by lowering their nets where he instructed them to lower them], they caught (συνέκλεισαν, another form of συγκλείω) so many fish that their nets⁷ started to tear.⁸ It is an interesting image, all of us, all humanity, caught in his net. For God has consigned all people to disobedience…⁹ Like fearful fish we flail frantically to escape from the One who whispers, Stop your striving and recognize that I am God.¹⁰ For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.¹¹

I also want to consider the Old Testament precedent for Paul’s reasoning in Romans 11:30 and 31: The word of the Lord came to me, Ezekiel the prophet wrote. “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominable practices…”¹²

Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite [Table]. Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters, and your younger sister, who lived south of you, was Sodom with her daughters [Table]. Have you not copied their behavior and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were [Table]! As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never behaved as wickedly as you and your daughters have behaved [Table].¹³

You have made your sisters appear righteous with all the abominable things you have done [Table], the Lord continued. So now, bear your disgrace, because you have given your sisters reason to justify their behavior. Because the sins you have committed were more abominable than those of your sisters; they have become more righteous than you [Table].¹⁴ I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters [Table]…¹⁵

Like Samaria or Sodom, Paul wrote Gentile believers, that senseless nation¹⁶ chosen for salvation, Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to [Israel’s] disobedience,¹⁷ because, by [Israel’s] transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.¹⁸ The fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters will be restored (along with your [Jerusalem’s] fortunes among them) [Table], so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in consoling them [Table]. As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters will be restored to their former status, Samaria and her daughters will be restored to their former status, and you and your daughters will be restored to your former status [Table].¹⁹

So, Paul continued, they [Israel] too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.²⁰ I will deal with you according to what you have done when you despised your oath by breaking your covenant, the Lord said to Jerusalem through Ezekiel. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a lasting covenant with you.²¹ I will establish my covenant with you, the Lord continued, and then you will know that I am the Lord. Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent when I make atonement for all you have done, declares the sovereign Lord.²²

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! Paul continued. How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.²³

It causes me to wonder. I assume that all in—he may show mercy to…all²⁴—refers to human beings, those born of Adam. But if senseless Gentiles, chosen for salvation to make Israel jealous, reject the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness to pursue their own righteousness derived²⁵ from a select subset of the law and their own religious rules, will that open Christ’s salvation to demons and fallen angels? Will senseless Gentiles be resurrected to bear [their] disgrace and be ashamed of all [they] have done in consoling demons and fallen angels? Will the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ really mean all things? – the things in heaven as well as the things on earth²⁶?

Addendum: March 25, 2026
Tables comparing Ezekiel 16:1; 16:2; 16:59; 16:60; 16:62 and 16:63 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Ezekiel 16:1; 16:2; 16:59; 16:60; 16:62 and 16:63 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Luke 5:6 in the KJV and NET follow.

Ezekiel 16:1 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 16:1 (KJV)	Ezekiel 16:1 (NET)
Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,	Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,	The Lord’s message came to me:

Ezekiel 16:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 16:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων	ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων
Ezekiel 16:1 (NETS)	Ezekiel 16:1 (English Elpenor)
And a word of the Lord came to me, saying:	Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 16:2 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 16:2 (KJV)	Ezekiel 16:2 (NET)
Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,	Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,	“Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her abominable practices

Ezekiel 16:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 16:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου διαμάρτυραι τῇ Ιερουσαλημ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῆς	υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, διαμάρτυραι τῇ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῆς
Ezekiel 16:2 (NETS)	Ezekiel 16:2 (English Elpenor)
Son of man, testify to Ierousalem about her lawless acts,	Son of man, testify to Jerusalem [of] her iniquities;

Ezekiel 16:59 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 16:59 (KJV)	Ezekiel 16:59 (NET)
For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.	For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.	“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you according to what you have done when you despised your oath by breaking your covenant.

Ezekiel 16:59 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 16:59 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τάδε λέγει κύριος καὶ ποιήσω ἐν σοὶ καθὼς ἐποίησας ὡς ἠτίμωσας ταῦτα τοῦ παραβῆναι τὴν διαθήκην μου	τάδε λέγει Κύριος· καὶ ποιήσω ἐν σοὶ καθὼς ἐποίησας, ὡς ἠτίμωσας ταῦτα τοῦ παραβῆναι τὴν διαθήκην μου
Ezekiel 16:59 (NETS)	Ezekiel 16:59 (English Elpenor)
This is what the Lord says: And I will deal with you just as you have done, as you have dishonored these things so as to transgress my covenant.	Thus saith the Lord; I will even do to thee as thou hast done, as thou hast dealt shamefully in these things to transgress my covenant.

Ezekiel 16:60 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 16:60 (KJV)	Ezekiel 16:60 (NET)
Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.	Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.	Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish a lasting covenant with you.

Ezekiel 16:60 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 16:60 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μνησθήσομαι ἐγὼ τῆς διαθήκης μου τῆς μετὰ σοῦ ἐν ἡμέραις νηπιότητός σου καὶ ἀναστήσω σοι διαθήκην αἰώνιον	καὶ μνησθήσομαι ἐγὼ τῆς διαθήκης μου τῆς μετὰ σοῦ ἐν ἡμέραις νηπιότητός σου καὶ ἀναστήσω σοι διαθήκην αἰώνιον
Ezekiel 16:60 (NETS)	Ezekiel 16:60 (English Elpenor)
And I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your childhood, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant.	And I will remember my covenant [made] with thee in the days of thine infancy, and I will establish to thee an everlasting covenant.

Ezekiel 16:62 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 16:62 (KJV)	Ezekiel 16:62 (NET)
And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:	And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:	I will establish my covenant with you, and then you will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 16:62 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 16:62 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀναστήσω ἐγὼ τὴν διαθήκην μου μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος	καὶ ἀναστήσω ἐγὼ τὴν διαθήκην μου μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος
Ezekiel 16:62 (NETS)	Ezekiel 16:62 (English Elpenor)
And I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall recognize that I am the Lord	And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord:

Ezekiel 16:63 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 16:63 (KJV)	Ezekiel 16:63 (NET)
That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.	That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.	Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent because of your disgrace when I make atonement for all you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Ezekiel 16:63 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 16:63 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅπως μνησθῇς καὶ αἰσχυνθῇς καὶ μὴ ᾖ σοι ἔτι ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα σου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀτιμίας σου ἐν τῷ ἐξιλάσκεσθαί μέ σοι κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησας λέγει κύριος	ὅπως μνησθῇς καὶ αἰσχυνθῆς, καὶ μὴ ᾖ σοι ἔτι ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα σου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀτιμίας σου ἐν τῷ ἐξιλάσκεσθαί μέ σοι κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησας, λέγει Κύριος
Ezekiel 16:63 (NETS)	Ezekiel 16:63 (English Elpenor)
in order that you shall remember and be ashamed and it be impossible for you any longer to open your mouth from before your dishonor, when I am appeased with you for everything that you have done, says the Lord.	that thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, and mayest no more be able to open thy mouth for thy shame, when I am reconciled to thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord.

Luke 5:6 (NET)	Luke 5:6 (KJV)
When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear.	And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

Luke 5:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 5:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 5:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσαντες συνέκλεισαν πλῆθος ἰχθύων πολύ, διερρήσσετο δὲ τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν	και τουτο ποιησαντες συνεκλεισαν ιχθυων πληθος πολυ διερρηγνυτο δε το δικτυον αυτων	και τουτο ποιησαντες συνεκλεισαν πληθος ιχθυων πολυ διερρηγνυτο δε το δικτυον αυτων

Romans, Part 44

Saving Demons, Part 1

Back to Son of God – 1 John, Part 1

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 4

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 6

Saving Demons, Part 2

Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 2

Back to Romans, Part 49

Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 52

Back to Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 2

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 6

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 2

Back to Who Am I? Part 16

¹ Romans 11:1a (NET)

² Romans 9:3 (NET) Table

³ Romans 11:28, 29 (NET)

⁴ Romans 11:30-32 (NET)

⁵ Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

⁶ Galatians 3:22 (NET)

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the plural τὰ δίκτυα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular το δικτυον (KJV: net).

⁸ Luke 5:6 (NET) The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had διερρήσσετο here, a form of διαρρήγνυμι, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had διερρηγνυτο (KJV: brake). These seem to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech.

⁹ Romans 11:32a (NET)

¹⁰ Psalm 46:10a (NET) Table

¹¹ Romans 11:32 (NET)

¹² Ezekiel 16:1, 2 (NET)

¹³ Ezekiel 16:45b-48 (NET)

¹⁴ Ezekiel 16:51b, 52a (NET)

¹⁵ Ezekiel 16:53a (NET)

¹⁶ Romans 10:19 (NET) Table Quotation Table

¹⁷ Romans 11:30 (NET) Table

¹⁸ Romans 11:11b (NET)

¹⁹ Ezekiel 16:53-55 (NET)

²⁰ Romans 11:31 (NET) Table

²¹ Ezekiel 16:59, 60 (NET)

²² Ezekiel 16:62, 63 (NET)

²³ Romans 11:33-36 (NET)

²⁴ Romans 11:32b (NET)

²⁵ Philippians 3:9 (NET)

²⁶ Ephesians 1:10 (NET) Table

Son of God – John, Part 5

Posted on April 30, 2013 by admin

Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon’s¹ Portico.² Religious leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe (πιστεύετε, a form of πιστεύω).”³ They did not think it was true; they were not persuaded.⁴ The deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) I do in my Father’s name testify (μαρτυρεῖ, a form of μαρτυρέω) about me.⁵ The ἔργα that Jesus did in his Father’s name testified that He is the Christ, as opposed to those who loved the darkness rather than the light, because their ἔργα were [full of labours, annoyances, and hardships].⁶

But⁷ you refuse to believe (πιστεύετε), Jesus continued, because⁸ you are not⁹ my sheep.¹⁰ The word translated refuse is simply οὐ, the absolute as opposed to the relative negation in Greek. You believe not, Jesus said, because you are not my sheep. They were hardened [Table], as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, to this very day.”¹¹

My sheep listen (ἀκούουσιν, a form of ἀκούω) to my voice.¹² This is in contrast to those who had not been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven:¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear (ἀκούουσιν) nor do they understand.¹⁴ And Paul wrote, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.¹⁵

Still speaking of his sheep, Jesus said, I know (γινώσκω) them, and they follow me.¹⁶ These are they who are called according to [God’s] purpose, because those whom he foreknew (προέγνω, a form of προγινώσκω) he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.¹⁷

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand [Table]. The Father and I are one.¹⁸ Then by their actions the religious leaders proved Jesus’ original words, that they did not believe that his deeds testified that He was the Christ. They picked up¹⁹ rocks again to stone him to death.²⁰ I have shown you many good deeds from the Father, Jesus said. For which one of them are you going to stone me?²¹ We are not going to stone you for a good deed, the religious leaders answered, but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.²²

They lacked the knowledge that was revealed to Peter by Jesus’ Father in heaven:²³ You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.²⁴ They did not share Nathaniel’s insight that Jesus was the Son of God and the king of Israel.²⁵ Apparently the religious leaders assumed that the Christ would serve their interests as they perceived their interests not supersede them, certainly not question their leadership. “Is it not written in your law,” Jesus answered them, “‘I²⁶ said, you are gods’? If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”²⁷

There is a lot to say about this turn in Jesus’ argument. I hope to get to it in time. For the moment I want to highlight Jesus’ heart. In the heat of debate he did not ask the religious leaders to believe that He was a new species of human being, born of the flesh of Adam through his mother Mary and born of the Spirit of his Father. He simply referred to those instances in the book of Exodus where human judges, those entrusted to judge according to God’s law, were called elohim (הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים, a form of אֱלֹהִים), gods.²⁸ If God called Israel’s judges gods, He reasoned, is it right to “say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”

If I do not perform the deeds (ἔργα) of my Father, Jesus continued, do not believe (πιστεύετε) me.²⁹ And here again He revealed his heart. But if I do them, even if you do not believe (πιστεύητε, another form of πιστεύω) me, believe³⁰ (πιστεύετε) the deeds (ἔργοις, another form of ἔργον)…³¹ Though he had hardened them so that by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles,³² though we live by faith, not by sight,³³ though it is a true and trustworthy statement that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,³⁴ face-to-face with his beloved adversaries Jesus encouraged them to trust their sight, the deeds they saw Him accomplish, so that you may come to know (γνῶτε, another form of γινώσκω) and understand³⁵ (γινώσκητε, another form of γινώσκω) that I am in the Father³⁶ and the Father is in me.³⁷

This was essentially what Jesus said to the messengers from John the Baptist when they asked, “‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” At that³⁸ very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight³⁹ to many who were blind. So he⁴⁰ answered them, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The⁴¹ blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed,⁴² the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”⁴³

The religious leaders tried unsuccessfully to seize Him again. Jesus, however, continued performing the deeds (ἔργα) of [his] Father (John 11:1-4 NET).

Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick [Table].) So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

“Lazarus, come out!” Jesus said to the corpse that had laid four days in its tomb. The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go” [Table].⁴⁴ “We have a law, the religious leaders said, and according to our law [Jesus] ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”⁴⁵

Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, John concluded, which are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded so that you may believe (πιστεύητε, another form of πιστεύω) that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing (πιστεύοντες, another form of πιστεύω) you may have life in his name.⁴⁶ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, John wrote (or Jesus said) but that the world should be saved through him.⁴⁷

Addendum: March 24, 2026
According to a note (84) in the NET Jesus quoted from Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with the Septuagint.

John 10:34b (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 82:6a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Psalm 81:6a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε	ἐγὼ εἶπα θεοί ἐστε	ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε
John 10:34b (NET)	Psalm 81:6a (NETS)	Psalm 81:6a (English Elpenor)
I said, you are gods	I said, “Gods you are,	I have said, Ye are gods;

The following tables are examples in Exodus (e.g., the law) of forms of אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm) understood as references to men according to a note (4) in the NET on Psalm 82:1.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 21:6 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:6 (NET)	Exodus 21:6 (NETS)	Exodus 21:6 (English Elpenor)
then his master shall bring him unto G-d (הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים), and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.	then his master must bring him to the judges (‘ĕlōhîm, האלהים), and he will bring him to the door or the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.	his master shall lead him to the tribunal of God (τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ), and then he shall lead him to the door at the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with a small awl, and he shall be subject to him forever.	his master shall bring him to the judgment-seat of God (τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ), and then shall he bring him to the door,– to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

Here הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים, a form of אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm), unto G-d (Tanakh), to the judges (NET), was translated τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ, to the tribunal of God (NETS), to the judgment-seat of God (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 22:7, 8 (Tanakh)	Exodus 22:8, 9 (NET)	Exodus 22:8, 9 (NETS)	Exodus 22:8, 9 (English Elpenor)
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto G-d (הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים), to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods.	If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges (‘ĕlōhîm, האלהים) to see whether he has laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods.	But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall draw near before God (τοῦ θεοῦ) and swear that surely he himself has not acted wickedly against the entire deposit of the neighbor.	But if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall come forward before God (τοῦ Θεοῦ), and shall swear that surely he has not wrought wickedly in regard of any part of his neighbour’s deposit,
For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith: ‘This is it,’ the cause of both parties shall come before G-d (הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים); he whom G-d (אֱלֹהִ֔ים) shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbour [Table].	In all cases of illegal possessions, whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’ the matter of the two of them will come before the judges (‘ĕlōhîm, האלהים), and the one whom the judges (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) declare guilty must repay double to his neighbor.	With regard to any specific injustice concerning calf and draft animal and sheep and garment and any loss which is alleged, whatever in fact it might be, the trial of both parties shall come before God (τοῦ θεοῦ), and the one convicted by God (τοῦ θεοῦ) shall pay double in compensation to his neighbor [Table].	according to every injury alleged, both concerning a calf, and an ass, and a sheep, and a garment, and every alleged loss, whatsoever in fact it may be,– the judgment of both shall proceed before God (τοῦ Θεοῦ), and he that is convicted by God (τοῦ Θεοῦ) shall repay to his neighbour double.

In Exodus 22:8 (22:7) הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים, a form of אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm), unto G-d (Tanakh), the judges (NET), was translated τοῦ Θεοῦ, God (NETS, English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. And likewise in Exodus 22:9 (22:8) הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים and אֱלֹהִ֔ים (‘ĕlōhîm) were translated G-d in the Tanakh (the judges in the Net) and τοῦ Θεοῦ, God and by God (NETS, English Elpenor), in the Septuagint.

Tables comparing Psalm 82:6; Exodus 21:6 and 22:8 (22:7) in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Psalm 82:6 (81:6); Exodus 21:6 and 22:8 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing John 10:23; 10:26; 10:31-33; 10:34; 10:38 and Luke 7:20-22 in the KJV and NET follow.

Psalm 82:6 (Tanakh)	Psalm 82:6 (KJV)	Psalm 82:6 (NET)
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.	I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.	I thought, ‘You are gods; all of you are sons of the Most High.’

Psalm 82:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 81:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ εἶπα θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες	ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ῾Υψίστου πάντες
Psalm 81:6 (NETS)	Psalm 81:6 (English Elpenor)
I said, “Gods you are, and sons of the Most High,	I have said, Ye are gods; and all [of you] children of the Most High.

Exodus 21:6 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:6 (KJV)	Exodus 21:6 (NET)
then his master shall bring him unto G-d, and shall bring him to the door, or unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever.	Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.	then his master must bring him to the judges, and he will bring him to the door or the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.

Exodus 21:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
προσάξει αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τότε προσάξει αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐπὶ τὸν σταθμόν καὶ τρυπήσει αὐτοῦ ὁ κύριος τὸ οὖς τῷ ὀπητίῳ καὶ δουλεύσει αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα	προσάξει αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τότε προσάξει αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν ἐπὶ τὸν σταθμόν, καὶ τρυπήσει ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ τὸ οὖς τῷ ὀπητίῳ, καὶ δουλεύσει αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα
Exodus 21:6 (NETS)	Exodus 21:6 (English Elpenor)
his master shall lead him to the tribunal of God, and then he shall lead him to the door at the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with a small awl, and he shall be subject to him forever.	his master shall bring him to the judgment-seat of God, and then shall he bring him to the door,– to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

Exodus 22:7 (Tanakh)	Exodus 22:8 (KJV)	Exodus 22:8 (NET)
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto G-d, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods.	If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods.	If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges to see whether he has laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods.

Exodus 22:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 22:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ὁ κλέψας προσελεύσεται ὁ κύριος τῆς οἰκίας ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὀμεῖται ἦ μὴν μὴ αὐτὸς πεπονηρεῦσθαι ἐφ᾽ ὅλης τῆς παρακαταθήκης τοῦ πλησίον	ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ὁ κλέψας, προσελεύσεται ὁ κύριος τῆς οἰκίας ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὀμεῖται ἦ μὴν μὴ αὐτὸν πεπονηρεῦσθαι ἐφ᾿ ὅλης τῆς παρακαταθήκης τοῦ πλησίον
Exodus 22:8 (NETS)	Exodus 22:8 (English Elpenor)
But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall draw near before God and swear that surely he himself has not acted wickedly against the entire deposit of the neighbor.	But if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall come forward before God, and shall swear that surely he has not wrought wickedly in regard of any part of his neighbour’s deposit,

John 10:23 (NET)	John 10:23 (KJV)
It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon’s Portico.	And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

John 10:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ περιεπάτει \|ὁ\| Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐν τῇ στοᾷ τοῦ Σολομῶνος	και περιεπατει ο ιησους εν τω ιερω εν τη στοα του σολομωντος	και περιεπατει ο ιησους εν τω ιερω εν τη στοα σολομωνος

John 10:26 (NET)	John 10:26 (KJV)
But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep.	But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

John 10:26 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀλλὰ ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε, ὅτι οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκ τῶν προβάτων τῶν ἐμῶν	αλλ υμεις ου πιστευετε ου γαρ εστε εκ των προβατων των εμων καθως ειπον υμιν	αλλ υμεις ου πιστευετε ου γαρ εστε εκ των προβατων των εμων καθως ειπον υμιν

John 10:31-33 (NET)	John 10:31-33 (KJV)
The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death.	Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

John 10:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐβάστασαν πάλιν λίθους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἵνα λιθάσωσιν αὐτόν	εβαστασαν ουν παλιν λιθους οι ιουδαιοι ινα λιθασωσιν αυτον	εβαστασαν ουν παλιν λιθους οι ιουδαιοι ινα λιθασωσιν αυτον

Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?”

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

John 10:32 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· πολλὰ ἔργα \|καλὰ\| ἔδειξα ὑμῖν ἐκ τοῦ πατρός· διὰ ποῖον αὐτῶν ἔργον ἐμὲ λιθάζετε	απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους πολλα καλα εργα εδειξα υμιν εκ του πατρος μου δια ποιον αυτων εργον λιθαζετε με	απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους πολλα καλα εργα εδειξα υμιν εκ του πατρος μου δια ποιον αυτων εργον λιθαζετε με

The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

John 10:33 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:33 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:33 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· περὶ καλοῦ ἔργου οὐ λιθάζομεν σε ἀλλὰ περὶ βλασφημίας, καὶ ὅτι σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν θεόν	απεκριθησαν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες περι καλου εργου ου λιθαζομεν σε αλλα περι βλασφημιας και οτι συ ανθρωπος ων ποιεις σεαυτον θεον	απεκριθησαν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες περι καλου εργου ου λιθαζομεν σε αλλα περι βλασφημιας και οτι συ ανθρωπος ων ποιεις σεαυτον θεον

John 10:34 (NET)	John 10:34 (KJV)
Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?	Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

John 10:34 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· οὐκ ἔστιν γεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὑμῶν ὅτι ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε	απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους ουκ εστιν γεγραμμενον εν τω νομω υμων εγω ειπα θεοι εστε	απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους ουκ εστιν γεγραμμενον εν τω νομω υμων εγω ειπα θεοι εστε

John 10:38 (NET)	John 10:38 (KJV)
But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”	But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 10:38 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 10:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 10:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἰ δὲ ποιῶ, κὰν ἐμοὶ μὴ πιστεύητε, τοῖς ἔργοις πιστεύετε, ἵνα γνῶτε καὶ γινώσκητε ὅτι ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁ πατὴρ καγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί	ει δε ποιω καν εμοι μη πιστευητε τοις εργοις πιστευσατε ινα γνωτε και πιστευσητε οτι εν εμοι ο πατηρ καγω εν αυτω	ει δε ποιω καν εμοι μη πιστευητε τοις εργοις πιστευσατε ινα γνωτε και πιστευσητε οτι εν εμοι ο πατηρ καγω εν αυτω

Luke 7:20-22 (NET)	Luke 7:20-22 (KJV)
When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”	When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

Luke 7:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 7:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 7:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
παραγενόμενοι δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες εἶπαν· Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς ἀπέστειλεν ἡμᾶς πρὸς σὲ λέγων· σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἢ ἄλλον προσδοκῶμεν	παραγενομενοι δε προς αυτον οι ανδρες ειπον ιωαννης ο βαπτιστης απεσταλκεν ημας προς σε λεγων συ ει ο ερχομενος η αλλον προσδοκωμεν	παραγενομενοι δε προς αυτον οι ανδρες ειπον ιωαννης ο βαπτιστης απεσταλκεν ημας προς σε λεγων συ ει ο ερχομενος η αλλον προσδοκωμεν

At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind.

And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

Luke 7:21 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 7:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 7:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐθεράπευσεν πολλοὺς ἀπὸ νόσων καὶ μαστίγων καὶ πνευμάτων πονηρῶν καὶ τυφλοῖς πολλοῖς ἐχαρίσατο βλέπειν	εν αυτη δε τη ωρα εθεραπευσεν πολλους απο νοσων και μαστιγων και πνευματων πονηρων και τυφλοις πολλοις εχαρισατο το βλεπειν	εν αυτη δε τη ωρα εθεραπευσεν πολλους απο νοσων και μαστιγων και πνευματων πονηρων και τυφλοις πολλοις εχαρισατο το βλεπειν

So he answered them, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

Luke 7:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 7:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 7:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· πορευθέντες ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰωάννῃ ἃ εἴδετε καὶ ἠκούσατε· τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέπουσιν, χωλοὶ περιπατοῦσιν, λεπροὶ καθαρίζονται καὶ κωφοὶ ἀκούουσιν, νεκροὶ ἐγείρονται, πτωχοὶ εὐαγγελίζονται	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις πορευθεντες απαγγειλατε ιωαννη α ειδετε και ηκουσατε οτι τυφλοι αναβλεπουσιν χωλοι περιπατουσιν λεπροι καθαριζονται κωφοι ακουουσιν νεκροι εγειρονται πτωχοι ευαγγελιζονται	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις πορευθεντες απαγγειλατε ιωαννη α ειδετε και ηκουσατε οτι τυφλοι αναβλεπουσιν χωλοι περιπατουσιν λεπροι καθαριζονται κωφοι ακουουσιν νεκροι εγειρονται πτωχοι ευαγγελιζονται

Son of God – 1 John, Part 1

Back to Saving Demons, Part 1

Back to Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 3

¹ In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text Solomon’s was spelled Σολομῶνος, and σολομωντος in the Stephanus Textus Receptus. These appear to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article τοῦ preceding Solomon’s. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

² John 10:23 (NET)

³ John 10:24, 25a (NET)

⁴ πιστεύετε was derived from πείθω.

⁵ John 10:25b (NET)

⁶ John 3:19 (NET)

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the NA²⁸, Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ἀλλ’.

⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅτι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ.

⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὐκ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ου.

¹⁰ John 10:26 (NET) The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καθως ειπον υμιν (KJV: as I said unto you) at the end of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹¹ Romans 11:7b, 8 (NET) See Romans, Part 39 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to the Septuagint.

¹² John 10:27a (NET) Table

¹³ Matthew 13:11 (NET)

¹⁴ Matthew 13:13 (NET)

¹⁵ Romans 11:11 (NET)

¹⁶ John 10:27b (NET) Table

¹⁷ Romans 8:28b-30 (NET)

¹⁸ John 10:28-30 (NET)

¹⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: Then) following picked up. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁰ John 10:31 (NET)

²¹ John 10:32 (NET) The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐμὲ (NET: me) preceding stone, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had με (KJV: me) following.

²² John 10:33 (NET)

²³ Matthew 16:17 (NET) Table

²⁴ Matthew 16:16 (NET)

²⁵ John 1:49 (NET) Table

²⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅτι preceding this clause, understood in the NET as an indication of a direct quotation. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not. This clause is ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε in Greek in the New Testament, and ἐγὼ εἶπα θεοί ἐστε in Psalm 82:6 (81:6) in the Septuagint.

²⁷ John 10:34-36 (NET)

²⁸ Exodus 21:6; 22:8, 9 (NET) A note (4) in the NET on Psalm 82:1 reads: “The present translation assumes that the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, ‘gods’) here refers to the pagan gods who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Canaanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).” So, I have chosen the passages in Exodus (from the first five books of the law) that are assumed to reference men for illustration here.

²⁹ John 10:37 (NET)

³⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πιστευσατε here, a form of the verb πιστεύω in the imperative mood (e.g., “you must believe”), where the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had πιστεύετε, which can be understood in the imperative or indicative mood. I’ve come to understand this as multiplexing: The old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον; “the old human”) reading in Greek hears a command in the imperative mood—“you must believe the deeds”—while the new man (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον; “the new human”) hears a fact and a promise—“you believe the deeds.”

³¹ John 10:38a (NET)

³² Romans 11:11 (NET)

³³ 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NET)

³⁴ Romans 10:9 (NET)

³⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γινώσκητε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πιστευσητε (KJV: believe).

³⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῷ πατρί here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτω (KJV: him).

³⁷ John 10:38b (NET)

³⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐκείνῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτη δε (KJV: And…that same).

³⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article το preceding sight. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους (KJV: Jesus) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴¹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οτι (KJV: how that) at the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the conjunction καὶ (not translated in the NET) joining these clauses. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

⁴³ Luke 7:20-23 (NET)

⁴⁴ John 11:43b, 44 (NET)

⁴⁵ John 19:7 (NET) Table

⁴⁶ John 20:30, 31 (NET) Table

⁴⁷ John 3:17 (NET) Table

Fear – Exodus, Part 3

Posted on April 23, 2013 by admin

The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: “Release my people so that they may serve me!”’”¹ This is the seventh plague on Egypt. You are still exalting yourself against my people by not releasing them [Table], the Lord continued. I am going to cause very severe hail to rain down about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now [Table]. So now, send instructions to gather your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person or animal caught in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die! [Table]²

Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared (yârêʼ, הַיָּרֵא) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses [Table], but those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field [Table].³ The rabbis who translated the Septuagint used φοβούμενος (a present participle of φοβέω). Jesus told a parable about a judge who neither feared (φοβούμενος) God nor respected people.⁴ But even this judge could be persuaded by a widow’s persistence. I will give her justice, the judge said, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.⁵ But even after six other plagues happened as prophesied by Moses there were still those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously. The rabbis used προσέσχεν [Addendum 12/26/2025: a form of προσέχω] (hold to), they did not hold to the word of the Lord.

It caused me to consider that those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously were actually hardened. The judge did not fear God but could be persuaded by his own inconvenience. To lose one’s animals and slaves is a major inconvenience. Six out of six plagues would seemingly convince one that the seventh was possible if not likely. Reason alone would persuade one to take precautions at least at the time of day prophesied simply to avoid the greater inconvenience of losing everything. But only those who feared the word of the Lord acted rationally. It gave me the impression that the others believed (though did not fear) that the word was the Lord’s, and acted contrary to his word because it was his word. They were hardened.

The hail struck everything in the open fields, both people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt. The hail struck everything that grows in the field, and it broke all the trees of the field to pieces [Table]. Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail [Table]. So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time! The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty. Pray to the Lord, for the mighty thunderings and hail are too much! I will release you and you will stay no longer.”⁶

Moses promised to pray that the hail cease. But as for you, He said to Pharaoh, and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear (yârêʼ, תִּירְאוּן) the Lord God.⁷ In the Septuagint the rabbis used πεφόβησθε, (afraid). This form was not used in the New Testament.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again: both he and his servants hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.⁸ Pharaoh certainly believed the word was the Lord’s as a fact, but he did not fear that word. Here I begin to grasp the fear of the Lord as something that is combined with factual acceptance to become New Testament faith, as opposed to dead faith or faith alone.

This fear is obviously not a flight of terror but a conviction to act in accordance with the word (Septuagint: ῥῆμα) of the Lord. In New Testament terms it would be equivalent to the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.⁹ And this is because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.¹⁰ In a similar sense the New Testament meaning of the fear of the Lord is equivalent to the love of God: Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person [Table]. But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected.¹¹

Luke used the phrase fear of the Lord in this association with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit: Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace and thus was strengthened. Living¹² in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church increased in numbers.¹³ At first glance Paul seemed to use fear of the Lord in a more fearful sense: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil [Table]. Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people…¹⁴

If I expand the context, however, Paul spoke first of faith: For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.¹⁵ While the natural person clings to this earthly tent for dear life we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.¹⁶ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose, Paul continued (including by the way appearing before the judgment seat of Christ) is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.¹⁷ So is any of this a cause to be fearful?

Paul continued (2 Corinthians 5:6-9 NET):

Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord – for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.

And what is this ambition to please him but the fear of the Lord? Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.¹⁸ For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died [Table]. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.¹⁹

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation [Table]. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God [Table].²⁰

So before Christ was crucified, rose again, ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit was given to provide this love, this desire and this effort, the Lord cultivated fear to motivate his people: The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order to display these signs of mine before him, and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell how I made fools of the Egyptians and about my signs that I displayed among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.”²¹ Perhaps more to the point was Moses’ response to Israel’s fear when God spoke the law at Sinai: Do not fear (yārē’, תִּירָאוּ), for God has come to test you, that the fear of him (yir’â, יִרְאָתוֹ; KJV: his fear) may be before you so that you do not sin.²²

Addendum: March 15, 2026
Tables comparing Exodus 9:27; 9:28; 9:30; 9:34; 9:35; 10:1; 10:2 and 20:20 (20:17) in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 9:27; 9:28; 9:30; 9:34; 9:35; 10:1; 10:2 and 20:20 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 9:27 (Tanakh)	Exodus 9:27 (KJV)	Exodus 9:27 (NET)
And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them: ‘I have sinned this time; HaShem is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.	And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.	So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time! The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.

Exodus 9:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 9:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀποστείλας δὲ Φαραω ἐκάλεσεν Μωυσῆν καὶ Ααρων καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡμάρτηκα τὸ νῦν ὁ κύριος δίκαιος ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ὁ λαός μου ἀσεβεῖς	ἀποστείλας δὲ Φαραώ ἐκάλεσε Μωυσῆν καὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἡμάρτηκα τὸ νῦν· ὁ Κύριος δίκαιος, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ὁ λαός μου ἀσεβεῖς
Exodus 9:27 (NETS)	Exodus 9:27 (English Elpenor)
Then Pharao sent and summoned Moyses and Aaron and said to them, “Now I have sinned. The Lord is just but I and my people are impious.	And Pharao sent and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time: the Lord [is] righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Exodus 9:28 (Tanakh)	Exodus 9:28 (KJV)	Exodus 9:28 (NET)
Entreat HaShem, and let there be enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.’	Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.	Pray to the Lord, for the mighty thunderings and hail are too much! I will release you and you will stay no longer.”

Exodus 9:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 9:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εὔξασθε οὖν περὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸς κύριον καὶ παυσάσθω τοῦ γενηθῆναι φωνὰς θεοῦ καὶ χάλαζαν καὶ πῦρ καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ ὑμᾶς καὶ οὐκέτι προσθήσεσθε μένειν	εὔξασθε οὖν περὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ παυσάσθω τοῦ γενηθῆναι φωνὰς Θεοῦ καὶ χάλαζαν καὶ πῦρ· καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐκέτι προστεθήσεσθε μένειν
Exodus 9:28 (NETS)	Exodus 9:28 (English Elpenor)
Therefore pray for me to the Lord, and let him put a stop to God’s sounds and hail and fire, and I will send you away, and you will no longer continue to stay.”	Pray then for me to the Lord, and let him cause the thunderings of God to cease, and the hail and the fire, and I will send you forth and ye shall remain no longer.

Exodus 9:30 (Tanakh)	Exodus 9:30 (KJV)	Exodus 9:30 (NET)
But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear HaShem G-d.’–	But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.	But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.”

Exodus 9:30 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 9:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ θεράποντές σου ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι οὐδέπω πεφόβησθε τὸν κύριον	καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ θεράποντές σου, ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι οὐδέπω πεφόβησθε τὸν Κύριον
Exodus 9:30 (NETS)	Exodus 9:30 (English Elpenor)
Both you and your attendants—I know that you have not yet come to fear the Lord.”	But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye have not yet feared the Lord.

Exodus 9:34 (Tanakh)	Exodus 9:34 (KJV)	Exodus 9:34 (NET)
And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.	And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.	When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again: both he and his servants hardened their hearts.

Exodus 9:34 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 9:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδὼν δὲ Φαραω ὅτι πέπαυται ὁ ὑετὸς καὶ ἡ χάλαζα καὶ αἱ φωναί προσέθετο τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ ἐβάρυνεν αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ	ἰδὼν δὲ Φαραὼ ὅτι πέπαυται ὁ ὑετὸς καὶ ἡ χάλαζα καὶ αἱ φωναί, προσέθετο τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ ἐβάρυνεν αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ
Exodus 9:34 (NETS)	Exodus 9:34 (English Elpenor)
Now when Pharao saw that the rain had ceased, and the hail and the sounds, he continued to sin and made his heart and that of his attendants heavy.	And when Pharao saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders ceased, he continued to sin; and [he] hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants.

Exodus 9:35 (Tanakh)	Exodus 9:35 (KJV)	Exodus 9:35 (NET)
And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as HaShem had spoken by Moses.	And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.	So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

Exodus 9:35 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 9:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ἡ καρδία Φαραω καὶ οὐκ ἐξαπέστειλεν τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ καθάπερ ἐλάλησεν κύριος τῷ Μωυσῇ	καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ἡ καρδία Φαραώ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξαπέστειλε τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, καθάπερ ἐλάλησε Κύριος τῷ Μωυσῇ
Exodus 9:35 (NETS)	Exodus 9:35 (English Elpenor)
And the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not send away the sons of Israel, according as the Lord said to Moyses.	And the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not send forth the children of Israel, as the Lord said to Moses.

Exodus 10:1 (Tanakh)	Exodus 10:1 (KJV)	Exodus 10:1 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Moses: ‘Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs in the midst of them;	And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:	The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order to display these signs of mine before him,

Exodus 10:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 10:1, 2a (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων εἴσελθε πρὸς Φαραω ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐσκλήρυνα αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἵνα ἑξῆς ἐπέλθῃ τὰ σημεῖα ταῦτα ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς	ΕΙΠΕ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων· εἴσελθε πρὸς Φαραώ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐσκλήρυνα αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἑξῆς ἐπέλθῃ τὰ σημεῖα ταῦτα ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς (2) ὅπως
Exodus 10:1 (NETS)	Exodus 10:1 (English Elpenor)
Then the Lord said to Moyses,”Go in to Pharao. For I made his heart and that of his attendants heavy in order that one after another these signs might come upon them.	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Go in to Pharao: for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that these signs may come upon them; in order

Exodus 10:2 (Tanakh)	Exodus 10:2 (KJV)	Exodus 10:2 (NET)
and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am HaShem.’	And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.	and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell how I made fools of the Egyptians and about my signs that I displayed among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

Exodus 10:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 10:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅπως διηγήσησθε εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν ὅσα ἐμπέπαιχα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ τὰ σημεῖά μου ἃ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος	ὅπως διηγήσησθε εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν, ὅσα ἐμπέπαιχα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις, καὶ τὰ σημεῖά μου, ἃ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος
Exodus 10:2 (NETS)	Exodus 10:1b, 2 (English Elpenor)
that you may account in the ears of your children and to the children of your children how I mocked the Egyptians, and my signs that I did among them, and you will know that I am the Lord.”	in order (2) that ye may relate in the ears of your children, and to your children’s children, in how many things I have mocked the Egyptians, and my wonders which I wrought among them; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord.

Exodus 20:17 (Tanakh)	Exodus 20:20 (KJV)	Exodus 20:20 (NET)
And Moses said unto the people: ‘Fear not; for G-d is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.’	And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.	Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”

Exodus 20:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 20:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς θαρσεῖτε ἕνεκεν γὰρ τοῦ πειράσαι ὑμᾶς παρεγενήθη ὁ θεὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὅπως ἂν γένηται ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε	καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς· θαρσεῖτε, ἕνεκεν γὰρ τοῦ πειράσαι ὑμᾶς παρεγενήθη ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὅπως ἂν γένηται ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε
Exodus 20:20 (NETS)	Exodus 20:20 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses says to them, “Take courage! For in order to test you God has come to you in order that his fear might be in you so that you do not sin.”	And Moses says to them, Be of good courage, for God is come to you to try you, that his fear may be among you, that ye sin not.

Fear – Exodus, Part 4

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 5

Back to Fear – Numbers, Part 4

Back to Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 1

¹ Exodus 9:13 (NET) Table

² Exodus 9:17-19 (NET)

³ Exodus 9:20, 21 (NET)

⁴ Luke 18:2 (NET)

⁵ Luke 18:5 (NET)

⁶ Exodus 9:25-28 (NET)

⁷ Exodus 9:30 (NET)

⁸ Exodus 9:34, 35 (NET)

⁹ Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

¹⁰ Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

¹¹ 1 John 2:3-5a (NET)

¹² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the singular πορευομένη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural πορευομεναι (KJV: walking).

¹³ Acts 9:31 (NET) [Table] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the singular ἐπληθύνετο here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural επληθυνοντο (KJV: were multiplied).

¹⁴ 2 Corinthians 5:10, 11 (NET)

¹⁵ 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NET)

¹⁶ 2 Corinthians 5:4 (NET) Table

¹⁷ 2 Corinthians 5:5 (NET) Table

¹⁸ 2 Corinthians 5:11 (NET)

¹⁹ 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 (NET)

²⁰ 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NET)

²¹ Exodus 10:1, 2 (NET)

²² Exodus 20:20 (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

An attempt to distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind.

Category Archives: Section Two

Son of God – 1 John, Part 2

Antichrist, Part 4

Romans, Part 44

Saving Demons, Part 1

Fear – Exodus, Part 4

Son of God – 1 John, Part 1

Antichrist, Part 3

Romans, Part 43

Son of God – John, Part 5

Fear – Exodus, Part 3