Category Archives: Romans

Romans, Part 12

Posted on by

For circumcision has its value (ὠφελεῖ, a form of ὠφελέω) if you practice (πράσσῃς, a form of πράσσω) the law (νόμον, a form of νόμος), but if you break (παραβάτης) the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος), your circumcision has become uncircumcision.1  I began here in the last essay and went on to John 7 to contrast Jesus to his adversaries, even his mother and brothers, to try to refine my understanding of the difference between those who hear (ἀκροατής) and those who do (ποιητής) the law.  I want to do that some more in this essay after covering more of what Paul said in Romans 2:26-29 (NET).

Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not2 his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?  And will not the physically uncircumcised man who keeps the law judge you who, despite the written code and circumcision, transgress (παραβάτην, a form of παραβάτης) the law?  For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.

Those who do (ποιητής) the law are like the Jew who is one inwardly, his circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit, his praise is from God.  The ὑποκριτής, the actor, needs a human audience.  Jesus said, Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής) do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them.3  Whenever you pray,4 do not be5 like6 the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see7 them.8  When you fast, do not look sullen like9 the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting.10

And this circumcision that is of the heart by the Spirit is so much more than doing it again with feeling.  Actors have deep feelings.  The Pharisees were passionate about wanting to kill Jesus, but were they passionate because they cared so deeply for God’s honor or because Jesus upstaged them?  It is a terrible thing to upstage an actor.

After his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but11 in secret.12  Midway through the feast He began teaching in the temple courts.  Then13 the Jewish leaders were astonished and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”14  In other words, he wasn’t instructed by the Jewish leaders.  Jesus replied, My teaching (διδαχή) is not from me, but from the one who sent me.  If anyone wants (θέλῃ, a form of θέλω) to do (ποιεῖν, a form of ποιέω) God’s will (θέλημα), he will know (γνώσεται, a form of γινώσκω) about my teaching (διδαχῆς, another form of διδαχή), whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.15

I’m going to say for the sake of argument that the above statement is true.  I should believe it.  I claim to believe Jesus.  It says that since his hearers did not know about his teaching, whether it was from God or whether He spoke from his own authority, Jesus was convinced that they did not want to do God’s will.  They were those who hear (ἀκροατής) the law by definition.  Their heart wasn’t in it, not by the Spirit but by the written code.  They were actors (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), hypocrites.

But wanting to do God’s will is a fairly high prerequisite to knowing about his teaching.  It touches me deeply how faith helps me overcome that deficit.  I may not want to do God’s will—yet—but through the faith that Jesus’ teaching comes from God and is his will I can work backwards, as it were.  More to the point, He can work me backwards to the desire for God’s will.  As Paul wrote, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire (θέλειν, another form of θέλω) and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God [Table].16

For some good reasons I’ve thought of hypocrisy as boasting about the law but not actually doing it.  I want to consider something else Paul wrote: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh (e.g., get circumcised to make themselves righteous)!  For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God,17 exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials…18  Then Paul described his past as Saul the hypocrite this way: If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more:  I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.  I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.  In my zeal for God I persecuted the church.  According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless [Table].19

As I considered that Paul had the audacity to write such a thing, and that the Holy Spirit had the audacity to put that writing in Holy Scripture, I had to amend my thoughts and feelings about hearers (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) and hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής) relative to doers or poets (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής).  The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not commit adultery, but the ποιηταὶ love their wives.  And I don’t mean that they have warm fuzzy feelings for their wives when their wives make them feel good.  I mean love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NET).

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious.  Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.  It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.  It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends [Table].

The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not steal, but the ποιηταὶ love their neighbors as themselves.  The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not kill, but the ποιηταὶ love their enemies so that [they] may be like [their] Father in heaven, since [He] causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.20  I have begun, but I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a ποιητής (poet, doer) of the law.

I performed one miracle and you are all amazed, Jesus said to the ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ around Him.  However, because Moses21 gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses,22 but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath.  But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses23 is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) according to external appearance, but judge24 (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) with proper (δικαίαν, a form of δίκαιος) judgment (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις).25

So Jesus, speaking to hearers and actors rather than doers or poets of the law, said, Do not judge me (or by extension, God) according to external appearance, but judge me with proper (that is righteous) judgment.  Slowly, it seems, I learn that lesson.

 

Addendum: January 1, 2021
I was struck by the Greek word κατατομήν (a form of κατατομή), translated of those who mutilate the flesh (NET) and of the concision (KJV) as I worked through this again.  There is a very interesting answer to the question “What is the meaning of ‘katatomē’ in Philippians 3:2?” on the Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange online.  But concision has me rethinking my rather glib explanation: those who “get circumcised to make themselves righteous.”

Is it the act itself done for this reason that Paul cautioned against rather than the men who do this act or recommend that one do this act for this reason?  Listen!  I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! (Galatians 5:2 NET)  It definitely has me thinking about how far reaching this warning could be, how many religious acts it may pertain to.  Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God… (Hebrews 6:1 NET)

Tables comparing Romans 2:26; Matthew 6:5; 6:16; John 7:10; 7:15, 16; Philippians 3:3 and John 7:21-24 in the NET and KJV follow.

Romans 2:26 (NET)

Romans 2:26 (KJV)
Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐὰν οὖν ἡ ἀκροβυστία τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ νόμου φυλάσσῃ, οὐχ ἡ ἀκροβυστία αὐτοῦ εἰς περιτομὴν λογισθήσεται εαν ουν η ακροβυστια τα δικαιωματα του νομου φυλασση ουχι η ακροβυστια αυτου εις περιτομην λογισθησεται εαν ουν η ακροβυστια τα δικαιωματα του νομου φυλασση ουχι η ακροβυστια αυτου εις περιτομην λογισθησεται

Matthew 6:5 (NET)

Matthew 6:5 (KJV)
“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward! And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ὅταν προσεύχησθε, οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί, ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν ἑστῶτες προσεύχεσθαι, ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν και οταν προσευχη ουκ εση ωσπερ οι υποκριται οτι φιλουσιν εν ταις συναγωγαις και εν ταις γωνιαις των πλατειων εστωτες προσευχεσθαι οπως αν φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων και οταν προσευχη ουκ εση ωσπερ οι υποκριται οτι φιλουσιν εν ταις συναγωγαις και εν ταις γωνιαις των πλατειων εστωτες προσευχεσθαι οπως αν φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων

Matthew 6:16 (NET)

Matthew 6:16 (KJV)
“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting.  I tell you the truth, they have their reward! Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ὅταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί, ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν οταν δε νηστευητε μη γινεσθε ωσπερ οι υποκριται σκυθρωποι αφανιζουσιν γαρ τα προσωπα αυτων οπως φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις νηστευοντες αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων οταν δε νηστευητε μη γινεσθε ωσπερ οι υποκριται σκυθρωποι αφανιζουσιν γαρ τα προσωπα αυτων οπως φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις νηστευοντες αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων

John 7:10 (NET)

John 7:10 (KJV)
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but in secret. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ὡς δὲ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνέβη οὐ φανερῶς ἀλλὰ [ὡς] ἐν κρυπτῷ ως δε ανεβησαν οι αδελφοι αυτου τοτε και αυτος ανεβη εις την εορτην ου φανερως αλλ ως εν κρυπτω ως δε ανεβησαν οι αδελφοι αυτου τοτε και αυτος ανεβη εις την εορτην ου φανερως αλλ ως εν κρυπτω

John 7:15, 16 (NET)

John 7:15, 16 (KJV)
Then the Jewish leaders were astonished and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐθαύμαζον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδεν μὴ μεμαθηκώς και εθαυμαζον οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως ουτος γραμματα οιδεν μη μεμαθηκως και εθαυμαζον οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως ουτος γραμματα οιδεν μη μεμαθηκως
So Jesus replied, “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτοῖς [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν· ἡ ἐμὴ διδαχὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὴ ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντος με απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν η εμη διδαχη ουκ εστιν εμη αλλα του πεμψαντος με απεκριθη ουν αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν η εμη διδαχη ουκ εστιν εμη αλλα του πεμψαντος με

Philippians 3:3 (NET)

Philippians 3:3 (KJV)
For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες, ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεω λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεου λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες

John 7:21-24 (NET)

John 7:21-23 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “I performed one miracle and you are all amazed. Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἓν ἔργον ἐποίησα καὶ πάντες θαυμάζετε απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις εν εργον εποιησα και παντες θαυμαζετε απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις εν εργον εποιησα και παντες θαυμαζετε
However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὴν περιτομήν (οὐχ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶν ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων), καὶ |ἐν| σαββάτῳ περιτέμνετε ἄνθρωπον δια τουτο μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν την περιτομην ουχ οτι εκ του μωσεως εστιν αλλ εκ των πατερων και εν σαββατω περιτεμνετε ανθρωπον δια τουτο μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν την περιτομην ουχ οτι εκ του μωσεως εστιν αλλ εκ των πατερων και εν σαββατω περιτεμνετε ανθρωπον
But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ περιτομὴν λαμβάνει  ἄνθρωπος ἐν σαββάτῳ ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ ὁ νόμος Μωϋσέως, ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησα ἐν σαββάτῳ ει περιτομην λαμβανει ανθρωπος εν σαββατω ινα μη λυθη ο νομος μωσεως εμοι χολατε οτι ολον ανθρωπον υγιη εποιησα εν σαββατω ει περιτομην λαμβανει ανθρωπος εν σαββατω ινα μη λυθη ο νομος μωσεως εμοι χολατε οτι ολον ανθρωπον υγιη εποιησα εν σαββατω
Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.” Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
μὴ κρίνετε κατ᾿ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε μη κρινετε κατ οψιν αλλα την δικαιαν κρισιν κρινατε μη κρινετε κατ οψιν αλλα την δικαιαν κρισιν κρινατε

1 Romans 2:25 (NET)

3 Matthew 6:2a (NET)

6 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had ωσπερ (KJV: as).

7 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had αν (KJV: they may) preceding see (KJV: be seen).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

8 Matthew 6:5a (NET)

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had ωσπερ (KJV: as).

10 Matthew 6:16a (NET)

12 John 7:10 (NET)

13 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had και (KJV: And).

14 John 7:15 (NET)

15 John 7:16, 17 (NET)

16 Philippians 2:12b, 13 (NET)

18 Philippians 3:2, 3 (NET)

19 Philippians 3:4-6 (NET)

20 Matthew 5:45 (NET) Table

25 John 7:21-24 (NET)

Romans, Part 11

Posted on by

Paul continued to describe the difference between those who hear (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) and those who do (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής) the law.  For circumcision has its value (ὠφελεῖ, a form of ὠφελέω) if you practice (πράσσῃς, a form of πράσσω) the law (νόμον, a form of νόμος), but if you break (παραβάτης) the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος), your circumcision has become uncircumcision.1  I wasn’t going to delve into circumcision here, but I can’t resist the first occurrence in John 7.  Perhaps an appreciation of Jesus’ frustration will do more to distinguish the ἀκροατής from the ποιητής of the law.

Jesus was staying in Galilee, avoiding Judea because the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him.2  This stemmed from an incident when He healed a man who had been disabled3 for thirty-eight4 years.5  So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and6 you are not permitted to carry your7 mat.”  But8 he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”  They asked9 him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat10 and walk’?”11  The healed man didn’t know who made him well.

Later Jesus found the man in the temple and said, Look, you have become well.  Don’t sin any more, lest anything worse happen to you.12  Sad to say I understand this man perfectly.  For thirty-eight years, fifty-two times each year, he kept the Sabbath by not standing up, picking up his mat or walking.  One Sabbath Jesus came up to him and said, Stand up!13  Pick up your mat and walk.14  For some reason, inexplicable except for the grace of God, the man believed this stranger and tried to stand up, pick up his mat and walk.  Immediately the man was healed, and he picked up his mat and started walking.15  When Jesus told him, Don’t sin any more, the healed man was conscience stricken that he had stood up, picked up his mat and walked on the Sabbath.  So he trotted back and informed the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the one who had made him well.16

Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began persecuting him.17

Before I get too carried away with the blindness of ancient Jewish leaders I’ll relate a fairly contemporary tale.  I was standing just inside the doorway with the Pastor of a small Bible church one Sunday before the evening service.  A car pulled up in the parking lot.  A visiting couple got out and made their way toward the door.  The Pastor opened the door and extended his hand to help the woman up the stair.  She refused his hand and stopped in the doorway.

“Before I come in here, I just want to know one thing,” she said belligerently.  “Did Jesus turn water into wine?”

I’d never experienced anything like this, but reasoned quickly that this was a Bible church, the woman wanted to make sure that we believed the fundamentals of the faith, including Jesus’ miracles.

“No,” the Pastor said.

I was stunned.  But that was nothing compared to my confusion when the woman smiled, took the Pastor’s hand and entered the church.  Later, when I got him alone, I asked, “How did you know that no was the right answer?”

Then it was his turn to be stunned that I would impugn his sincerity.  “Because it is the right answer,” he said defensively.  I argued fairly ineffectively for the distinction between Jesus and John the Baptist,18 but he was having none of it.  “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler,”19 he quoted the Proverb.  Though he never pressed me on it, I got the message that because of this Proverb Jesus would not make, serve or encourage anyone to drink alcohol—no matter what the Bible seemed to be saying to me.

Obviously I have been blinder than this many times.  It’s not fair to judge the Pastor or the woman by this one idiosyncrasy, though I do think she was looking for a Pastor who would dance to her flute.  She obviously didn’t return.  I wonder at times why I stayed so long.  But the people there were nice to me.  Some said the church would close if I left.  The church closed sometime after I finally left.  I don’t really think there is any cause and effect there.

Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy [Table].  For six days you may labor and do all your work [Table], but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates [Table].  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy [Table].20

As far as the Jewish leaders were concerned no man of God would heal a disabled man on the Sabbath and tell him to Stand up!  Pick up your mat and walk.  Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.”21  But that didn’t help at all.  For this reason the Jewish leaders were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.22

Frankly, the way I’ve presented the story so far puts the Jewish leaders on a lot firmer ground scripturally than my Pastor.  But if I bring in a similar story from Luke’s Gospel, the picture gets a bit more nuanced.  Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath.  A woman23 was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen24 years.  She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely.25  Jesus healed her (Luke 13:14-17 NET).

But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six26 days on which work should be done!  So come and be healed on those days,27 and not on the Sabbath day.”  Then28 the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites29 (ὑποκριταί, a form of ὑποκριτής)!  Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water?”  Then shouldn’t this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day?”  When he said this all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

Humiliated Jewish leaders were not Jesus’ only adversaries.  While He was staying out of Judea because they wanted to kill him, as the beginning of the feast of Tabernacles approached, his brothers advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing.  For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret.  If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”  (For not even his own brothers believed in him.)30

Mark’s Gospel account gives me the impression that it was Jesus’ persistence in healing on the Sabbath even after the Pharisees began plotting31 with the Herodians, as to how they could assassinate him32 over it that alarmed his mother and his brothers.  On one homecoming (probably to Peter’s house) they went out to restrain him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”33  While the experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons.”34

This is the context for Jesus’ saying, “Who are my mother and35 my brothers?”  And looking at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”36  It is also probably a better context to consider—Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me37—than Jephthah’s sacrifice of his daughter.  Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind!38 The Lord told Jeremiah.

 

Addendum: November 19, 2020
Tables comparing Proverbs 20:1 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Proverbs 20:1 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing John 5:5; 5:10-12; 5:8; 5:16, 17; Luke 13:11; 13:14, 15; Mark 3:6 and 3:33 in the NET and KJV follow.

Proverbs 20:1 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 20:1 (KJV)

Proverbs 20:1 (NET)
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler; whoever goes astray by them is not wise.

Proverbs 20:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 20:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀκόλαστον οἶνος καὶ ὑβριστικὸν μέθη πᾶς δὲ ὁ συμμειγνύμενος αὐτῇ οὐκ ἔσται σοφός ΑΚΟΛΑΣΤΟΝ οἶνος καὶ ὑβριστικὸν μέθη, πᾶς δὲ ἄφρων τοιούτοις συμπλέκεται

Proverbs 20:1 (NETS)

Proverbs 20:1 (English Elpenor)
Wine is an intemperate thing, and strong drink is something insolent, and everyone who mixes with it will not be wise. Wine is an intemperate thing, and strong drink full of violence: but every fool is entangled with them.

John 5:5 (NET)

John 5:5 (KJV)
Now a man was there who had been disabled for 38 years. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἦν δέ τις ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα [καὶ] ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ αὐτοῦ ην δε τις ανθρωπος εκει τριακονταοκτω ετη εχων εν τη ασθενεια ην δε τις ανθρωπος εκει τριακοντα και οκτω ετη εχων εν τη ασθενεια

John 5:10-12 (NET)

John 5:10-12 (KJV)
So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat.” The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῷ τεθεραπευμένῳ· σάββατον ἐστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔξεστιν σοι ἆραι τὸν κράβαττον |σου| ελεγον ουν οι ιουδαιοι τω τεθεραπευμενω σαββατον εστιν ουκ εξεστιν σοι αραι τον κραββατον ελεγον ουν οι ιουδαιοι τω τεθεραπευμενω σαββατον εστιν ουκ εξεστιν σοι αραι τον κραββατον
But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
|ὁ| δὲ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς· ὁ ποιήσας με ὑγιῆ ἐκεῖνος μοι εἶπεν· ἆρον τὸν κράβαττον σου καὶ περιπάτει απεκριθη αυτοις ο ποιησας με υγιη εκεινος μοι ειπεν αρον τον κραββατον σου και περιπατει απεκριθη αυτοις ο ποιησας με υγιη εκεινος μοι ειπεν αρον τον κραββατον σου και περιπατει
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἠρώτησαν αὐτόν· τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ εἰπών σοι· ἆρον καὶ περιπάτει ηρωτησαν ουν αυτον τις εστιν ο ανθρωπος ο ειπων σοι αρον τον κραββατον σου και περιπατει ηρωτησαν ουν αυτον τις εστιν ο ανθρωπος ο ειπων σοι αρον τον κραββατον σου και περιπατει

John 5:8 (NET)

John 5:8 (KJV)
Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἔγειρε ἆρον τὸν κράβαττον σου καὶ περιπάτει λεγει αυτω ο ιησους εγειραι αρον τον κραββατον σου και περιπατει λεγει αυτω ο ιησους εγειραι αρον τον κραββατον σου και περιπατει

John 5:16, 17 (NET)

John 5:16, 17 (KJV)
Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began persecuting him. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐδίωκον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὅτι ταῦτα ἐποίει ἐν σαββάτῳ και δια τουτο εδιωκον τον ιησουν οι ιουδαιοι και εζητουν αυτον αποκτειναι οτι ταυτα εποιει εν σαββατω και δια τουτο εδιωκον τον ιησουν οι ιουδαιοι και εζητουν αυτον αποκτειναι οτι ταυτα εποιει εν σαββατω
So he told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ὁ δὲ  ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτοῖς· ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται καγὼ ἐργάζομαι ο δε ιησους απεκρινατο αυτοις ο πατηρ μου εως αρτι εργαζεται καγω εργαζομαι ο δε ιησους απεκρινατο αυτοις ο πατηρ μου εως αρτι εργαζεται καγω εργαζομαι

Luke 13:11 (NET)

Luke 13:11 (KJV)
and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years.  She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ πνεῦμα ἔχουσα ἀσθενείας ἔτη δεκαοκτὼ καὶ ἦν συγκύπτουσα καὶ μὴ δυναμένη ἀνακύψαι εἰς τὸ παντελές και ιδου γυνη ην πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας ετη δεκα και οκτω και ην συγκυπτουσα και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι εις το παντελες και ιδου γυνη ην πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας ετη δεκα και οκτω και ην συγκυπτουσα και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι εις το παντελες

Luke 13:14, 15 (NET)

Luke 13:14, 15 (KJV)
But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work should be done!  So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.” And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἀρχισυνάγωγος, ἀγανακτῶν ὅτι τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐθεράπευσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἔλεγεν τῷ ὄχλῳ ὅτι ἓξ ἡμέραι εἰσὶν ἐν αἷς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι· ἐν αὐταῖς οὖν ἐρχόμενοι θεραπεύεσθε καὶ μὴ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου αποκριθεις δε ο αρχισυναγωγος αγανακτων οτι τω σαββατω εθεραπευσεν ο ιησους ελεγεν τω οχλω εξ ημεραι εισιν εν αις δει εργαζεσθαι εν ταυταις ουν ερχομενοι θεραπευεσθε και μη τη ημερα του σαββατου αποκριθεις δε ο αρχισυναγωγος αγανακτων οτι τω σαββατω εθεραπευσεν ο ιησους ελεγεν τω οχλω εξ ημεραι εισιν εν αις δει εργαζεσθαι εν ταυταις ουν ερχομενοι θεραπευεσθε και μη τη ημερα του σαββατου
Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites!  Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall and lead it to water? The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος καὶ εἶπεν· ὑποκριταί, ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ ἢ τὸν ὄνον ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης καὶ |ἀπαγαγὼν| ποτίζει απεκριθη ουν αυτω ο κυριος και ειπεν υποκριτα εκαστος υμων τω σαββατω ου λυει τον βουν αυτου η τον ονον απο της φατνης και απαγαγων ποτιζει απεκριθη ουν αυτω ο κυριος και ειπεν υποκριται εκαστος υμων τω σαββατω ου λυει τον βουν αυτου η τον ονον απο της φατνης και απαγαγων ποτιζει

Mark 3:6 (NET)

Mark 3:6 (KJV)
So the Pharisees went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians, as to how they could assassinate him. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι εὐθὺς μετὰ τῶν Ἡρῳδιανῶν συμβούλιον ἐδίδουν κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν και εξελθοντες οι φαρισαιοι ευθεως μετα των ηρωδιανων συμβουλιον εποιουν κατ αυτου οπως αυτον απολεσωσιν και εξελθοντες οι φαρισαιοι ευθεως μετα των ηρωδιανων συμβουλιον εποιουν κατ αυτου οπως αυτον απολεσωσιν

Mark 3:33 (NET)

Mark 3:33 (KJV)
He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτοῖς λέγει τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί [μου] και απεκριθη αυτοις λεγων τις εστιν η μητηρ μου η οι αδελφοι μου και απεκριθη αυτοις λεγων τις εστιν η μητηρ μου η οι αδελφοι μου

1 Romans 2:25 (NET)

2 John 7:1 (NET)

3 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτοῦ following disabled.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

5 John 5:5 (NET)

8 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article ὁ and the conjunction δὲ preceding he answered.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

9 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: Then) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

11 John 5:10-12 (NET)

12 John 5:14 (NET)

14 John 5:8 (NET)

15 John 5:9 (NET)

16 John 5:15 (NET)

17 John 5:16 (NET) The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εζητουν αυτον αποκτειναι (KJV: and sought to slay him) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

19 Proverbs 20:1 (NKJV)

20 Exodus 20:8-11 (NET)

21 John 5:17 (NET)

22 John 5:18 (NET)

23 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ην (KJV: there was) following woman.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

25 Luke 13:11 (NET)

26 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὅτι preceding six.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

28 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δὲ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: then).

29 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural ὑποκριταί here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had the singular υποκριτα (KJV: hypocrite).

30 John 7:3-5 (NET)

32 Mark 3:6 (NET)

33 Mark 3:21 (NET)

34 Mark 3:22 (NET)

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

36 Mark 3:33-35 (NET)

37 Matthew 10:37 (NET)

38 Jeremiah 19:5 (NET) Table

Romans, Part 10

Posted on by

Paul turned his attention specifically to the Jews among the readers of his letter to believers in Rome.  But if1 you call (ἐπονομάζῃ, a form of ἐπονομάζω) yourself a Jew (Ἰουδαῖος) and rely (ἐπαναπαύῃ, a form of ἐπαναπαύω) on the law2 (νόμῳ, a form of νόμος) and boast (καυχᾶσαι, a form of καυχάομαι) of your relationship (ἐν, or boast in God) to God,3 he wrote, and know (γινώσκεις, a form of γινώσκω) his will (θέλημα) and approve (δοκιμάζεις, a form of δοκιμάζω) the superior things because you receive instruction (κατηχούμενος, a form of κατηχέω) from the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος)…4

This all sounds like pretty good stuff to me.  Since I’ve read Paul so many times before I’m a bit suspicious of relying or resting (ἐπαναπαύῃ) on the law.  I have encountered the word καυχάομαι enough to know that boast of your relationship to God was the translators’ choice.  It might have been translated rejoice.5  All in all this sounds like a description of one who would do (ποιῶσιν, a form of ποιέω; Addendum below) the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος).  Since I know the proverb—Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall6—and have a feel for its use in storytelling, I get more suspicious as Paul continued (Romans 2:19, 20 NET).

…and if you are convinced (πέποιθας, a form of πείθω) that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law (νόμῳ, a form of νόμος) the essential features of knowledge (γνώσεως, a form of γνῶσις) and of the truth (ἀληθείας, a form of ἀλήθεια)…

Without ever using the word ὑποκριτής (actor) Paul presented a classic definition: therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself?  You who preach against stealing, do you steal?  You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?  You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?7 I think Paul singled out the Jews here because he knew himself and his own people best.  He hadn’t been to Rome to meet the Romans yet.  Sometimes I feel like there are really only two types of people in the world, hypocrites and those who don’t even try.

When I think like that, however, I am defining hypocrite as a person who does not fully practice what he preaches or believes or aspires to.  Obviously I have just described everyone who preaches, believes or aspires to anything.  Paul was more specific.  His definition was one who relies or rests on God’s law, perhaps more to the point, one who relies or rests on his own ability to keep God’s law and then does not fully practice the law he preaches, believes and aspires to.

You who boast (καυχᾶσαι, a form of καυχάομαι) in the law (νόμῳ, a form of νόμος), Paul continued, dishonor (ἀτιμάζεις, a form of ἀτιμάζω) God by transgressing (παραβάσεως, a form of παράβασις) the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος)!  For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”8  Paul’s quotation here from Isaiah 52:5 [Table] is not simply a matter of piling on, of kicking the Jews who relied on, and didn’t fully live up to, the law when they were down.  It’s a flashing beacon of the mind of Christ and a portent where Paul’s thoughts, and letter, were headed.

This boasting in the law, this dishonoring of God by transgressing the law, was known.  It was prophesied.  It is part of God’s Holy Word.  It was like Jesus prophesying to Peter, I tell you the truth, on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times,9 but on a grander scale.  Here is the promise that follows Isaiah 52:5 (Isaiah 52:6-12 NET):

For this reason my people will know my name, for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, “Here I am.”  How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord’s return to Zion.  In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem!  For the Lord consoles his people; he protects Jerusalem.  The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver.  Leave!  Leave!  Get out of there! Don’t touch anything unclean!  Get out of it!  Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items!  Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic.  For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard.

 

Addendum: November 1, 2020
In the second paragraph I had indicated that ποιῶσιν was a form of ποιητής.  It is actually a form of ποιέω.  I may have been thinking of Romans 2:13 where do was the NET translation of ποιηταὶ which is a form of ποιητής.

A table of Isaiah 52:6-12 translated from the Masoretic text and the Septuagint follows:

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 52:6-12 (Tanakh) Isaiah 52:6-12 (NET) Isaiah 52:6-12 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:6-12 (Elpenor English)
Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. For this reason my people will know my name; for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, ‘Here I am.’” Therefore my people shall know my name in that day, because I myself am the one who speaks: I am here, Therefore shall my people know my name in that day, for I am he that speaks: I am present,
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” like season upon the mountains, like the feet of one bringing glad tidings of a report of peace, like one bringing glad tidings of good things, because I will make your salvation heard, saying to Sion, “Your God shall reign,” as a season of beauty upon the mountains, as the feet of one preaching glad tidings of peace, as one preaching good news: for I will publish thy salvation, saying, O Sion, thy God shall reign.
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again (בְּשׁ֥וּב) Zion. Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord’s return (shuwb, בשוב) to Zion. because the voice of those who watch over you was lifted up, and with their voice they shall rejoice together, because eyes shall look at eyes when the Lord will have mercy (ἐλεήσῃ) on Sion. For the voice of them that guard thee is exalted, and with the voice together they shall rejoice: for eyes shall look to eyes, when the Lord shall have mercy (ἐλεήσῃ) upon Sion.
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted (נִחַ֚ם) his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem!  For the Lord consoles (nacham, נחם) his people; he protects Jerusalem. Let the desolate places of Ierousalem break forth together in joy, because the Lord has had mercy (ἠλέησεν) on her and has delivered Ierousalem. Let the waste places of Jerusalem break forth [in] joy together, because the Lord has had mercy (ἠλέησε) upon her, and has delivered Jerusalem.
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver. And the Lord shall reveal his holy arm before all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation that comes from God. And the Lord shall reveal his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation that [comes] from our God.
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. Leave!  Leave!  Get out of there!  Don’t touch anything unclean!  Get out of it!  Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items. Depart, depart, go out from there, and touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it; be separated, you who carry the vessels of the Lord, Depart ye, depart, go out from thence, and touch not the unclean thing; go ye out from the midst of her; separate yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord.
For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic.  For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard. because you shall not go out with confusion, nor shall you go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the Lord God of Israel is the one who gathers you together. For ye shall not go forth with tumult, neither go by flight: for the Lord shall go first in advance of you; and the God of Israel shall be he that brings up your rear.

Tables comparing Proverbs 16:18; Isaiah 52:6; 52:7; 52:8; 52:9; 52:10; 52:11 and 52:12 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Proverbs 16:18; Isaiah 52:6; 52:7; 52:8; 52:9; 52:10; 52:11 and 52:12 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those is a table comparing Romans 2:17 in the NET and KJV.

Proverbs 16:18 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)

Proverbs 16:18 (NET)
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 16:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πρὸ συντριβῆς ἡγεῗται ὕβρις πρὸ δὲ πτώματος κακοφροσύνη πρὸ συντριβῆς ἡγεῖται ὕβρις, πρὸ δὲ πτώματος κακοφροσύνη

Proverbs 16:18 (NETS)

Proverbs 16:18 (English Elpenor)
Pride goes before ruin, and malice before a fall. Pride goes before destruction, and folly before a fall.

Isaiah 52:6 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:6 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:6 (NET)
Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. For this reason my people will know my name; for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, ‘Here I am.’”

Isaiah 52:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο γνώσεται ὁ λαός μου τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτὸς ὁ λαλῶν πάρειμι διὰ τοῦτο γνώσεται ὁ λαός μου τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτὸς ὁ λαλῶν· πάρειμι

Isaiah 52:6 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:6 (English Elpenor)
Therefore my people shall know my name in that day, because I myself am the one who speaks: I am here, Therefore shall my people know my name in that day, for I am he that speaks: I am present,

Isaiah 52:7 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:7 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:7 (NET)
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά ὅτι ἀκουστὴν ποιήσω τὴν σωτηρίαν σου λέγων Σιων βασιλεύσει σου ὁ θεός ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης, ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά, ὅτι ἀκουστὴν ποιήσω τὴν σωτηρίαν σου λέγων Σιών· βασιλεύσει σου ὁ Θεός

Isaiah 52:7 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:7 (English Elpenor)
like season upon the mountains, like the feet of one bringing glad tidings of a report of peace, like one bringing glad tidings of good things, because I will make your salvation heard, saying to Sion, “Your God shall reign,” as a season of beauty upon the mountains, as the feet of one preaching glad tidings of peace, as one preaching good news: for I will publish thy salvation, saying, O Sion, thy God shall reign.

Isaiah 52:8 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:8 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:8 (NET)
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord’s return to Zion.

Isaiah 52:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι φωνὴ τῶν φυλασσόντων σε ὑψώθη καὶ τῇ φωνῇ ἅμα εὐφρανθήσονται ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ πρὸς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὄψονται ἡνίκα ἂν ἐλεήσῃ κύριος τὴν Σιων ὅτι φωνὴ τῶν φυλασσόντων σε ὑψώθη, καὶ τῇ φωνῇ ἅμα εὐφρανθήσονται· ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ πρὸς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὄψονται, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐλεήσῃ Κύριος τὴν Σιών

Isaiah 52:8 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:8 (English Elpenor)
because the voice of those who watch over you was lifted up, and with their voice they shall rejoice together, because eyes shall look at eyes when the Lord will have mercy on Sion. For the voice of them that guard thee is exalted, and with the voice together they shall rejoice: for eyes shall look to eyes, when the Lord shall have mercy upon Sion.

Isaiah 52:9 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:9 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:9 (NET)
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. In unison give a joyful shout, O ruins of Jerusalem!  For the Lord consoles his people; he protects Jerusalem.

Isaiah 52:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ῥηξάτω εὐφροσύνην ἅμα τὰ ἔρημα Ιερουσαλημ ὅτι ἠλέησεν κύριος αὐτὴν καὶ ἐρρύσατο Ιερουσαλημ ῥηξάτω εὐφροσύνην ἅμα τὰ ἔρημα ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, ὅτι ἠλέησε Κύριος αὐτὴν καὶ ἐρρύσατο ῾Ιερουσαλήμ

Isaiah 52:9 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:9 (English Elpenor)
Let the desolate places of Ierousalem break forth together in joy, because the Lord has had mercy on her and has delivered Ierousalem. Let the waste places of Jerusalem break forth [in] joy together, because the Lord has had mercy upon her, and has delivered Jerusalem.

Isaiah 52:10 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:10 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:10 (NET)
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. The Lord reveals his royal power in the sight of all the nations; the entire earth sees our God deliver.

Isaiah 52:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀποκαλύψει κύριος τὸν βραχίονα αὐτοῦ τὸν ἅγιον ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ὄψονται πάντα τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀποκαλύψει Κύριος τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ἅγιον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ ὄψονται πάντα ἄκρα τῆς γῆς τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν

Isaiah 52:10 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:10 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord shall reveal his holy arm before all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation that comes from God. And the Lord shall reveal his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation that [comes] from our God.

Isaiah 52:11 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:11 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:11 (NET)
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. Leave!  Leave!  Get out of there!  Don’t touch anything unclean!  Get out of it!  Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items.

Isaiah 52:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπόστητε ἀπόστητε ἐξέλθατε ἐκεῗθεν καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε ἐξέλθατε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῆς ἀφορίσθητε οἱ φέροντες τὰ σκεύη κυρίου ἀπόστητε, ἀπόστητε, ἐξέλθατε ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε, ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῆς, ἀφορίσθητε, οἱ φέροντες τὰ σκεύη Κυρίου

Isaiah 52:11 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:11 (English Elpenor)
Depart, depart, go out from there, and touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it; be separated, you who carry the vessels of the Lord, Depart ye, depart, go out from thence, and touch not the unclean thing; go ye out from the midst of her; separate yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord.

Isaiah 52:12 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 52:12 (KJV)

Isaiah 52:12 (NET)
For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic.  For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard.

Isaiah 52:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 52:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι οὐ μετὰ ταραχῆς ἐξελεύσεσθε οὐδὲ φυγῇ πορεύσεσθε πορεύσεται γὰρ πρότερος ὑμῶν κύριος καὶ ὁ ἐπισυνάγων ὑμᾶς κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὅτι οὐ μετὰ ταραχῆς ἐξελεύσεσθε, οὐδὲ φυγῇ πορεύσεσθε, προπορεύσεται γὰρ πρότερος ὑμῶν Κύριος καὶ ὁ ἐπισυνάγων ὑμᾶς Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ

Isaiah 52:12 (NETS)

Isaiah 52:12 (English Elpenor)
because you shall not go out with confusion, nor shall you go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the Lord God of Israel is the one who gathers you together. For ye shall not go forth with tumult, neither go by flight: for the Lord shall go first in advance of you; and the God of Israel shall be he that brings up your rear.

Romans 2:17 (NET)

Romans 2:17 (KJV)
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Εἰ δὲ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ἐπονομάζῃ καὶ ἐπαναπαύῃ νόμῳ καὶ καυχᾶσαι ἐν θεῷ ιδε συ ιουδαιος επονομαζη και επαναπαυη τω νομω και καυχασαι εν θεω ιδε συ ιουδαιος επονομαζη και επαναπαυη τω νομω και καυχασαι εν θεω

1 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had Εἰ δὲ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιδε (KJV: Behold).

2 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τω preceding law.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

3 Romans 2:17 (NET)

4 Romans 2:18 (NET)

6 Proverbs 16:18 (NET)

7 Romans 2:21, 22 (NET)

8 Romans 2:23, 24 (NET)

9 Matthew 26:34 (NET)

Romans, Part 9

Posted on by

The warning Paul gave those with stubborn and unrepentant hearts breaks quite naturally into two columns.

He will reward each one according to his works:

Romans 2:6 (NET)
…eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality…

Romans 2:7 (NET)

 …but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.

Romans 2:8 (NET) Table
…but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek.

Romans 2:10 (NET)

 There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek…

Romans 2:9 (NET)

For there is no partiality with God.

Romans 2:11 (NET) Table
…and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Romans 2:12b (NET)

 For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law…

Romans 2:12a (NET)

The Jews of Paul’s day may have wanted to label the left column “Jews” and the right column “Greeks” or “Gentiles.”  We might want to do something similar with “Church Folk” and “Unchurched Folk” or “Religious” and “Irreligious.”  But Paul was quite careful to label the columns himself:  For it is not those who hear (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος) who are righteous (δίκαιοι, a form of δίκαιος) before God, but those who do (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής) the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος) will be declared righteous (δικαιωθήσονται, a form of δικαιόω).1

He will reward each one according to his works:

Romans 2:6 (NET)
those who do (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής) the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος)

Romans 2:13b (NET) Table

 those who hear (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος)

Romans 2:13a (NET)
…eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality…

Romans 2:7 (NET)

 …but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.

Romans 2:8 (NET)
…but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek.

Romans 2:10 (NET)

 There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek…

Romans 2:9 (NET)

For there is no partiality with God.

Romans 2:11 (NET)
…and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Romans 2:12b (NET)

 For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law…

Romans 2:12a (NET)

Paul continued to explain why the two columns should not be labeled “Jew” and “Gentile” rather than “Doer” and “Hearer” of the law.  For whenever the Gentiles (ἔθνη, a form of ἔθνος), who do not have (ἔχοντα, a form of ἔχω) the law (νόμον, another form of νόμος), do2 (ποιῶσιν, a form of ποιέω) by nature (φύσει, a form of φύσις) the things required by the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος), these who do not have (ἔχοντες, another form of ἔχω) the law (νόμον, another form of νόμος) are a law (νόμος) to themselves.  They show that the work (ἔργον) of the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος) is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge (κρίνει, a form of κρίνω) the secrets (κρυπτὰ, a form of κρυπτός) of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.3

The word translated do in those who do the law will be declared righteous is the Greek word for poet.  For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets (ποιητῶν, another form of ποιητής) have said, “For we too are his offspring,”4 Paul preached in Athens.  It is derived from ποιέω, to make, to do.  Our word poet bears no trace of a relationship to making or doing.  A poet of the law might be indistinguishable to me from a hearer of the law.  I might imagine that a poet of the law, rather than doing the law, writes pretty sonnets about the law, or worse, writes his own laws to establish his own righteousness.

If I recall how often Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites5 (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής, actor) and assume that Paul was very sensitive to this, his choice of words becomes clearer.  It relates to the Greek theater.  The actor wore a mask, with a megaphone built in to artificially amplify his voice.  He played a part and spoke lines written for him by a poet.  But when a poet performed on stage, he wore no mask.  He spoke his own lines with his own voice from his own heart.

I believe it is important, especially in the how-to portion of Romans, to keep it straight that fulfilling the law, becoming a doer or poet of the law, was Paul’s point.  This focus can protect me from stumbling over the things he wrote that are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures.6

One of the things that made it more difficult for me to fully embrace Paul’s teaching was that I never heard anyone quote Paul’s concept—you are not under law but under grace—as a means to an end of fulfilling the law or becoming a doer of the law, not even as a reason why sin will have no mastery over you.7  It was always quoted as justification for some sin the speaker wished to continue indulging.  Whenever I asked my elders about the things I thought I was learning from Paul, they assumed I wanted to indulge some secret sin and responded with something like, “No, you really have to do it!”  They had no way of knowing, I suppose, that they were encouraging me to keep on trying to have my own righteousness derived from the law.8

Though Paul and James may not have agreed fully on all aspects of the law and its relationship to believers in Jesus Christ, on these two things—becoming a doer rather than a hearer, and not judging—they were in complete agreement.  And I quote James to demonstrate these two points and conclude this essay.

By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message (λόγῳ, a form of λόγος) of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.  Understand this,9 my dear brothers and sisters!  Let every10 person be quick to listen (ἀκοῦσαι, a form of ἀκούω), slow to speak (λαλῆσαι, a form of λαλέω), slow to anger (ὀργήν, a form of ὀργή).   For human anger (ὀργή) does not accomplish11 (ἐργάζεται, a form of ἐργάζομαι) God’s righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, a form of δικαιοσύνη).  So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message (λόγον, another form of λόγος) implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.  But be sure you live out (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής) the message (λόγου, another form of λόγος) and do not merely listen (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) to it and so deceive yourselves.  For if someone merely listens (ἀκροατής) to the message (λόγου, a form of λόγος) and does not live it out (ποιητής), he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror.  For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was.  But the one who peers into the perfect (τέλειον, a form of τέλειος) law (νόμον, another form of νόμος) of liberty (ἐλευθερίας, a form of ἐλευθερία) and fixes his attention there,12 and does not become a forgetful listener (ἀκροατής) but one who lives it (ἔργου, a form of ἔργον) out (ποιητής) – he will be blessed in what he does (ποιήσει, a form of ποίησις).13

Do not speak against (καταλαλεῖτε, a form of καταλαλέω) one another, brothers and sisters.  He who speaks against (καταλαλῶν, another form of καταλαλέω) a fellow believer or14 judges (κρίνων, a form of κρίνω) a fellow believer speaks against (καταλαλεῖ, another form of καταλαλέω) the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος) and judges (κρίνει, another form of κρίνω) the law (νόμον, another form of νόμος).  But if you judge (κρίνεις, another form of κρίνω) the law (νόμον, another form of νόμος), you are not a doer (ποιητής) of the law (νόμον, another form of νόμος) but its judge (κριτής).15

 

Addendum: October 3, 2020
Tables comparing Romans 2:14; James 1:19, 20; 1:25 and 4:11 in the NET and KJV follow.

Romans 2:14 (NET)

Romans 2:14 (KJV)
For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες ἑαυτοῖς εἰσιν νόμος οταν γαρ εθνη τα μη νομον εχοντα φυσει τα του νομου ποιη ουτοι νομον μη εχοντες εαυτοις εισιν νομος οταν γαρ εθνη τα μη νομον εχοντα φυσει τα του νομου ποιη ουτοι νομον μη εχοντες εαυτοις εισιν νομος

James 1:19, 20 (NET)

James 1:19, 20 (KJV)
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters!  Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
῎Ιστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί· ἔστω δὲ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ταχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι, βραδὺς εἰς τὸ λαλῆσαι, βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν ωστε αδελφοι μου αγαπητοι εστω πας ανθρωπος ταχυς εις το ακουσαι βραδυς εις το λαλησαι βραδυς εις οργην ωστε αδελφοι μου αγαπητοι εστω πας ανθρωπος ταχυς εις το ακουσαι βραδυς εις το λαλησαι βραδυς εις οργην
For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὀργὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ οὐκ ἐργάζεται οργη γαρ ανδρος δικαιοσυνην θεου ου κατεργαζεται οργη γαρ ανδρος δικαιοσυνην θεου ου κατεργαζεται

James 1:25 (NET)

James 1:25 (KJV)
But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας, οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ποιητὴς ἔργου, οὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται ο δε παρακυψας εις νομον τελειον τον της ελευθεριας και παραμεινας ουτος ουκ ακροατης επιλησμονης γενομενος αλλα ποιητης εργου ουτος μακαριος εν τη ποιησει αυτου εσται ο δε παρακυψας εις νομον τελειον τον της ελευθεριας και παραμεινας ουτος ουκ ακροατης επιλησμονης γενομενος αλλα ποιητης εργου ουτος μακαριος εν τη ποιησει αυτου εσται

James 4:11 (NET)

James 4:11 (KJV)
Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters.  He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law.  But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. Speak not evil one of another, brethren.  He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί. ὁ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ ἢ κρίνων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καταλαλεῖ νόμου καὶ κρίνει νόμον· εἰ δὲ νόμον κρίνεις, οὐκ εἶ ποιητὴς νόμου ἀλλὰ κριτής μη καταλαλειτε αλληλων αδελφοι ο καταλαλων αδελφου και κρινων τον αδελφον αυτου καταλαλει νομου και κρινει νομον ει δε νομον κρινεις ουκ ει ποιητης νομου αλλα κριτης μη καταλαλειτε αλληλων αδελφοι ο καταλαλων αδελφου και κρινων τον αδελφον αυτου καταλαλει νομου και κρινει νομον ει δε νομον κρινεις ουκ ει ποιητης νομου αλλα κριτης

1 Romans 2:13 (NET) Table

3 Romans 2:14-16 (NET)

4 Acts 17:28 (NET)

6 2 Peter 3:16b (NET) Table

7 Romans 6:14 (NET)

8 Philippians 3:9 (NET)

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ῎Ιστε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ωστε (KJV: Wherefore).

10 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δὲ preceding every.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

12 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτος (KJV: therein) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

13 James 1:18-25 (NET)

14 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἢ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: and).

15 James 4:11 (NET)

Romans, Part 8

Posted on by

Paul continued writing to those who do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance (μετάνοιαν, a form of μετάνοια).1  But because of your stubbornness (σκληρότητα, a form of σκληρότης) and your unrepentant (ἀμετανόητον, a form of ἀμετανόητος) heart, you are storing up wrath (ὀργὴν, a form of ὀργή) for yourselves in the day of wrath (ὀργῆς, another form of ὀργή), when God’s righteous judgment (δικαιοκρισίας, a form of δικαιοκρισία) is revealed (ἀποκαλύψεως, a form of ἀποκάλυψις)!2

The Greek word σκληρότητα (a form of σκληρότης) is only used this once in the New Testament, but it comes from the word σκληρός (dry, hard, tough).  In “The Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30) the evil and lazy slave3 described his master as a hard (σκληρός) man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.4

Jesus said, I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.  The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I5 will raise him up on6 the last day.  For my flesh is true7 food, and my blood is true drink.  The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him.8  His own disciples responded, This is a difficult (σκληρός) saying!  Who can understand it?9  Jesus’ explanation is right on target for the study of Paul’s letter to the Romans, The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help!  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.10

Paul, recounting his own experience resisting repentance, told King Agrippa what Jesus had said to him on the Damascus road: When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,11 “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?  You are hurting (σκληρός) yourself by kicking against the goads.”12

James wrote about harsh (σκληρῶν, a form of σκληρός) winds,13 and Jude about harsh (σκληρῶν, a form of σκληρός) words (Jude 1:14, 15 NET).

Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying, “Look!  The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις) on all, and to convict (ἐλέγξαι, a form of ἐλέγχω) every person14 of all their thoroughly ungodly (ἀσεβείας, a form of ἀσέβεια) deeds (ἔργων, a form of ἔργον) that they have committed (ἠσέβησαν, a form of ἀσεβέω), and of all the harsh (σκληρῶν, a form of σκληρός) words that ungodly (ἀσεβεῖς, a form of ἀσεβής) sinners (ἁμαρτωλοὶ, a form of ἁμαρτωλός) have spoken against him.”

This day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed15 is the reason Paul said, So then, do not judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) anything before the time.  Wait until the Lord comes.  He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts.  Then each will receive recognition from God.16

As far as an unrepentant (ἀμετανόητον, a form of ἀμετανόητος) heart is concerned, ἀμετανόητος is probably the negation of μετανοέω, to think differently, reconsider.  I’ve already written about the righteous prayer that justified (δεδικαιωμένος, a form of δικαιόω) the tax collector who prayed it, God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!17  In the specific context of Paul’s letter to the Romans it is not too difficult for a repentant heart to find itself in the wide net Paul cast in chapter 1:18-32.  Anyone can pray, “God be merciful to me.  I have been given over to a depraved mind because I did not see fit to acknowledge you.”18  Or, “God be merciful to me.  I have been given over to dishonorable passions because I worshiped and served the creation rather than you.”19  Or, “God be merciful to me.  I have been given over to impurity because I worshiped you as if you were a created thing.  I haven’t glorified you or given you thanks.”20

In the context of Romans the real stubbornness (σκληρότητα, a form of σκληρότης) at this point would be to continue to assert one’s own righteousness before God, to persist in the effort to make oneself righteous (whether that be according to his law or on one’s own terms) rather than accept his mercy and grace.  It is to this stubborn and unrepentant heart that Paul warns, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed!  He will reward each one according to his works (ἔργα, another form of ἔργον):21

eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness [Table].  There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek.  For there is no partiality with God.  For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged (κριθήσονται, another form of κρίνω) by the law.22

 

Addendum: July 18, 2020
Tables comparing John 6:54, 55; 6:60; James 3:4 and Jude 1:15 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 6:54, 55 (NET)

John 6:54, 55 (KJV)
The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ο τρωγων μου την σαρκα και πινων μου το αιμα εχει ζωην αιωνιον και εγω αναστησω αυτον τη εσχατη ημερα ο τρωγων μου την σαρκα και πινων μου το αιμα εχει ζωην αιωνιον και εγω αναστησω αυτον εν τη εσχατη ημερα
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθής ἐστιν βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμα μου ἀληθής ἐστιν πόσις η γαρ σαρξ μου αληθως εστιν βρωσις και το αιμα μου αληθως εστιν ποσις η γαρ σαρξ μου αληθως εστιν βρωσις και το αιμα μου αληθως εστιν ποσις

John 6:60 (NET)

John 6:60 (KJV)
Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, said, “This is a difficult saying!  Who can understand it?” Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Πολλοὶ οὖν ἀκούσαντες ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ εἶπαν· σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος· τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν πολλοι ουν ακουσαντες εκ των μαθητων αυτου ειπον σκληρος εστιν ουτος ο λογος τις δυναται αυτου ακουειν πολλοι ουν ακουσαντες εκ των μαθητων αυτου ειπον σκληρος εστιν ουτος ο λογος τις δυναται αυτου ακουειν

James 3:4 (NET)

James 3:4 (KJV)
Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα τηλικαῦτα ὄντα καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνέμων σκληρῶν ἐλαυνόμενα, μετάγεται ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου ὅπου ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούλεται ιδου και τα πλοια τηλικαυτα οντα και υπο σκληρων ανεμων ελαυνομενα μεταγεται υπο ελαχιστου πηδαλιου οπου αν η ορμη του ευθυνοντος βουληται ιδου και τα πλοια τηλικαυτα οντα και υπο σκληρων ανεμων ελαυνομενα μεταγεται υπο ελαχιστου πηδαλιου οπου αν η ορμη του ευθυνοντος βουληται

Jude 1:15 (NET)

Jude 1:15 (KJV)
to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ποιῆσαι κρίσιν κατὰ πάντων καὶ ἐλέγξαι |πᾶσαν ψυχὴν| περὶ πάντων τῶν ἔργων ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν ὧν ἠσέβησαν καὶ περὶ πάντων τῶν σκληρῶν ὧν ἐλάλησαν κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀσεβεῖς ποιησαι κρισιν κατα παντων και εξελεγξαι παντας τους ασεβεις αυτων περι παντων των εργων ασεβειας αυτων ων ησεβησαν και περι παντων των σκληρων ων ελαλησαν κατ αυτου αμαρτωλοι ασεβεις ποιησαι κρισιν κατα παντων και ελεγξαι παντας τους ασεβεις αυτων περι παντων των εργων ασεβειας αυτων ων ησεβησαν και περι παντων των σκληρων ων ελαλησαν κατ αυτου αμαρτωλοι ασεβεις

1 Romans 2:4 (NET)

2 Romans 2:5 (NET) Table

4 Matthew 25:24 (NET)

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

7 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀληθής here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αληθως (KJV: indeed).

8 John 6:53-56 (NET)

9 John 6:60 (NET)

10 John 6:63 (NET) Table

11 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και λεγουσαν (KJV: and saying) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

12 Acts 26:14 (NET) Table

13 James 3:4 (NET)

14 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πᾶσαν ψυχὴν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παντας τους ασεβεις αυτων (KJV: all that are ungodly among them).  And I missed it completely.  I assumed this was another reference to the day of wrath.  Now (Addendum: July 18, 2020) I am more willing to consider this as a reference to a much longer period of time more in keeping with John 16:7-11 and 2 Peter 3:8-13.

15 Romans 2:5 (NET) Table

16 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NET)

17 Luke 18:13b (NET) Table

21 Romans 2:5, 6 (NET)

22 Romans 2:7-12 (NET)

Romans, Part 7

Posted on by

What follows Paul’s history of sin is not the wholesale condemnation one might expect.  In my opinion Paul learned something profound and difficult from his experience in Corinth, his judgment of the Corinthians in general, his specific judgment of the man who was cohabiting with his father’s wife,1 and the affliction that happened to him in the province of Asia, that he was burdened excessively, beyond his strength, so that he despaired even of living.2  Unlike God’s wrath revealed from heaven, this affliction came with comfort and restoration as its goal.

So after Paul wrote a history of sin from the time of Noah to the present he did not launch into a polemic against the worst and most blatant sinners.  Instead—knowing he probably addressed Jews, God-fearers or other Gentiles who had attached themselves to a Jewish synagogue, he spoke directly to them.   Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge (κρίνων, a form of κρίνω) someone else.  For on whatever grounds you judge (κρίνεις, another form of κρίνω) another, you condemn (κατακρίνεις, a form of κατακρίνω) yourself, because you who judge (κρίνων, a form of κρίνω) practice (πράσσεις, a form of πράσσω) the same things.3

This statement persuades me that the correct answer to Paul’s rhetorical question in 1 Corinthians—Are you not to judge those inside [i.e., the church]?4—is no.  I know that, for whatever reasons, Paul did not correct this impression in 2 Corinthians directly (and I do think that 2 Corinthians was written after Romans).  But this rhetorical question is part of Paul’s original justification for judging the one who was cohabiting with his father’s wife, and his justification was significantly amended in 2 Corinthians 2:9-11 and 7:11, 12.

One of the points that is often forgotten in the parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds) is that the answer to the slaves’ (δοῦλοι, a form of δοῦλος) question—Do you want us to go and gather5 [the weeds]?6—was also no:  No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them.7  The implication being that slaves (δοῦλοι, a form of δοῦλος) like me, and slaves (δοῦλοι, a form of δοῦλος) like Paul—a slave (δοῦλος) of Christ Jesus8—are not competent to make those decisions or carry out those procedures in real time.  Those decisions and that task will fall to angels at the end of the age,9 the harvest.

The Grand Inquisitor in my opinion is part gossip, part busybody, and all a part of the religious mind of human beings.  It is a nasty beast to unleash on others, and an awful terror when it turns inward and devours itself.  Paul seemed to have a handle on the latter in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 4:1-5 NET):

One should think about us this way – as servants (ὑπηρέτας, a form of ὑπηρέτης) of Christ and stewards (οἰκονόμους, a form of οἰκονόμος) of the mysteries of God.  Now what10 is sought in stewards (οἰκονόμοις, another form of οἰκονόμος) is that one be found faithful (πιστός).  So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged (ἀνακριθῶ, a form of ἀνακρίνω) by you or by any human court.  In fact, I do not even judge (ἀνακρίνω) myself.  For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this.  The one who judges (ἀνακρίνων, another form of ἀνακρίνω) me is the Lord.  So then, do not judge (κρίνετε, another form of κρίνω) anything before the time.  Wait until the Lord comes.  He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts.  Then each will receive recognition from God.

After the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living,11 and after an intense bout with coveting, sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires,12 Paul had a handle on the issue of unleashing the Grand Inquisitor on others (Romans 2:1 NET):

Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else.  For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

I may not be guilty of every sin listed in Romans 1:18-32 (and the same was probably true of the Jews, God-fearers and other Gentiles who had attached themselves to a Jewish synagogue).  But I owe that to God’s mercy and grace, for I am certainly guilty of all three types of unrighteous worship that led to God’s wrath revealed from heaven; namely, God giving people over 1) in the desires of their hearts to impurity,13 2) to dishonorable passions,14 and 3) to a depraved mind.15

Now we know (οἴδαμεν, a form of εἴδω) that God’s judgment (κρίμα) is in accordance with truth against those who practice (πράσσοντας, another form of πράσσω) such things, Paul continued.  And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge (κρίνων, a form of κρίνω) those who practice (πράσσοντας, another form of πράσσω) such things and yet do (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment (κρίμα)?16

Seriously, apart from revelation here and other places in the Old Testament scripture, who knew that God was so concerned to be worshiped properly that He would give people over to impurity, dishonorable passions and a depraved mind?  In my depraved thoughts I was more or less content to praise me any time things went “right” (my way), and blame God or anyone, or anything, else every time things went “wrong” (not my way).  Until God intervened in my life I didn’t know another way to think about it.  And if my old depraved thoughts come back to haunt me, asking, Doesn’t all this righteous worship talk sound a bit self-serving?  I have an answer now, with new thoughts, by rote if necessary: No, Love is not self-serving17 and God is love.18

Paul continued with another question: Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know (ἀγνοῶν, a form of ἀγνοέω) that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?19  I wouldn’t choose to compete with Paul in many things.  But in one thing I think I may have a shot at the title.  And this in my opinion clarifies Paul’s meaning in his question above (1 Timothy 1:15-17 NET):

This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst (πρῶτος) of them!  But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst (πρώτῳ, a form of πρῶτος), Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost20 patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.  Now to the eternal king, immortal, invisible, the only21 God, be honor and glory forever and ever!  Amen.

 

Addendum: June 28, 2020
Tables comparing Matthew 13:28; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 John 4:16 and 1 Timothy 1:16, 17 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 13:28 (NET)

Matthew 13:28 (KJV)
He said, ‘An enemy has done this!’  So the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather it?’ He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.  The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτοῖς· ἐχθρὸς ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ἐποίησεν. οἱ δὲ |δοῦλοι| λέγουσιν |αὐτῷ|· θέλεις οὖν ἀπελθόντες συλλέξωμεν αὐτά ο δε εφη αυτοις εχθρος ανθρωπος τουτο εποιησεν οι δε δουλοι ειπον αυτω θελεις ουν απελθοντες συλλεξωμεν αυτα ο δε εφη αυτοις εχθρος ανθρωπος τουτο εποιησεν οι δε δουλοι ειπον αυτω θελεις ουν απελθοντες συλλεξομεν αυτα

1 Corinthians 4:2 (NET)

1 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV)
Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὧδε λοιπὸν ζητεῖται ἐν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις, ἵνα πιστός τις εὑρεθῇ ο δε λοιπον ζητειται εν τοις οικονομοις ινα πιστος τις ευρεθη ο δε λοιπον ζητειται εν τοις οικονομοις ινα πιστος τις ευρεθη

1 John 4:16 (NET)

1 John 4:16 (KJV)
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ |μένει| και ημεις εγνωκαμεν και πεπιστευκαμεν την αγαπην ην εχει ο θεος εν ημιν ο θεος αγαπη εστιν και ο μενων εν τη αγαπη εν τω θεω μενει και ο θεος εν αυτω και ημεις εγνωκαμεν και πεπιστευκαμεν την αγαπην ην εχει ο θεος εν ημιν ο θεος αγαπη εστιν και ο μενων εν τη αγαπη εν τω θεω μενει και ο θεος εν αυτω μενει

1 Timothy 1:16, 17 (NET)

1 Timothy 1:16, 17 (KJV)
But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθην, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ ἐνδείξηται Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς τὴν ἅπασαν μακροθυμίαν πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον αλλα δια τουτο ηλεηθην ινα εν εμοι πρωτω ενδειξηται ιησους χριστος την πασαν μακροθυμιαν προς υποτυπωσιν των μελλοντων πιστευειν επ αυτω εις ζωην αιωνιον αλλα δια τουτο ηλεηθην ινα εν εμοι πρωτω ενδειξηται ιησους χριστος την πασαν μακροθυμιαν προς υποτυπωσιν των μελλοντων πιστευειν επ αυτω εις ζωην αιωνιον
Now to the eternal king, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever!  Amen. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Τῷ δὲ βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων, ἀφθάρτῳ ἀοράτῳ μόνῳ θεῷ, τιμὴ καὶ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν τω δε βασιλει των αιωνων αφθαρτω αορατω μονω σοφω θεω τιμη και δοξα εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων αμην τω δε βασιλει των αιωνων αφθαρτω αορατω μονω σοφω θεω τιμη και δοξα εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων αμην

1 1 Corinthians 5:1 (NET)  Table  The judgment is in verses 2-5.

2 2 Corinthians 1:8 (NET) Table

3 Romans 2:1 (NET)

4 1 Corinthians 5:12b (NET) Table

6 Matthew 13:28b (NET)

7 Matthew 13:29 (NET) Table

8 Romans 1:1a (NET)

10 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὧδε λοιπὸν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο δε λοιπον (KJV: Moreover).

11 2 Corinthians 1:8 (NET) Table

12 Romans 7:8 (NET)

16 Romans 2:2, 3 (NET)

19 Romans 2:4 (NET)

21 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had σοφω (KJV: wise) following only.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

Romans, Part 6

Posted on by

The children who came of age in a population where the worship of created things was firmly established know better than anyone that the worship of created things is a waste of time and effort.  At that moment they have an opportunity to turn back to the worship of the living God, but if their ἀσέβεια (ungodliness) is not overcome by the Spirit of God, the word of God, faith in the Lord Jesus, and being born from above they are more likely to take the next logical step.

Unrighteous Worship

The Wrath of God Revealed from Heaven
And just as they did not see (ἐδοκίμασαν, a form of δοκιμάζω) fit (ἔχειν, a form of ἔχω) to acknowledge (ἐπιγνώσει, a form of ἐπίγνωσις) God…

Romans 1:28a NET

 God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved (ἀδόκιμον, a form of ἀδόκιμος) mind, to do what should not be done.

Romans 1:28b NET

I think the King James translation of the first part of Romans 1:28a can really help here: And even as they did not like (ἐδοκίμασαν, a form of δοκιμάζω) to retain (ἔχειν, a form of ἔχω) God in their knowledge (ἐπιγνώσει, a form of ἐπίγνωσις)…  Paul used the word ἐχέτω (another form of ἔχω) in the sense of having a wife or a husband in 1 Corinthians 7:2 (KJV): let every man have (ἐχέτω) his own wife, and let every woman have (ἐχέτω) her own husband.  Considering where all this is leading—you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God1—the double entendre of ἔχω intrigues me.  It is something like, even as they did not approve of having God in their knowledge.

Approve is both a possible and likely meaning for ἐδοκίμασαν (a form of δοκιμάζω) in Romans 1:28.  It comes from δόκιμος.  And the negation of δόκιμος, ἀδόκιμος (ἀδόκιμον), is the unapproved (NET, depraved; KJV, reprobate) mind the Lord gave those who did not approve of having Him in their minds.  All of that beautiful logical symmetry is lost in both translations in favor of emotionally charged language that fails to communicate that the mind He gave them over to is unapproved, perhaps even untested, by God.  If the lake of fire,2 or the outer darkness,3 is the place where the omnipresent God is not, this unapproved mind is as close as a human being can come to it here and now.

Romans 1:28 is the first usage in the New Testament of ἐπιγνώσει (a form of ἐπίγνωσις).  Paul used it two other times in this letter: 1) For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις) of sin;4 and, 2) For I can testify that [my fellow Israelites] are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth5 (ἐπίγνωσιν, another form of ἐπίγνωσις).  Though Paul doesn’t say it directly I think he has used ἐπίγνωσις6 in Greek for the Hebrew word יָדַע (yâdaʽ).

The early history of יָדַע (yâdaʽ) must have been in Paul’s thoughts as he penned Romans.7  The first occurrence of יָדַע (yâdaʽ) is from the mouth of the cunning serpent: The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows (yâdaʽ, ידע) that when you eat from it8 your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know (yâdaʽ, ידעי) good and evil.”9  Adam and Eve believed the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit.  Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew (yâdaʽ, וידעו) they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.10  And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing (yâdaʽ, לדעת) 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.”  So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.11

It seems to me that Paul must have been thinking about God’s promises through Jeremiah as he wrote Romans 9-11.  I will give them the desire to acknowledge (yâdaʽ, לדעת) that I am the Lord.  I will be their God and they will be my people.  For they will wholeheartedly return to me.12  “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know (yâdaʽ, דעו) me.  For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know (yâdaʽ, ידעו) me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”13  So while the desire for the ידעי (yâdaʽ) of good and evil led to sin and death, the ידעו (yâdaʽ) of God is the way back to righteousness and life.

One more thing about יָדַע (yâdaʽ) bears mentioning and bundles everything together with Paul’s understanding—you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God.14  Now the man had marital relations (yâdaʽ, ידע) with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.15  So יָדַע (yâdaʽ) (and ἐπίγνωσις, I think,) describes an intimate form of knowing, much more than a casual acquaintance.

God gave them over to a depraved, reprobate or unapproved (ἀδόκιμον, a form of ἀδόκιμος) mind, and this led inexorably to the social situation we all know intimately (Romans 1:29-31 NET):

They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness,16 wickedness, covetousness, malice.  They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility.  They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless,17 ruthless.

One final thing should be noted about this unapproved mind.  Left to our own devices we not only practice this worship of unrighteousness, we promote it with missionary zeal.  Although they fully know (ἐπιγνόντες, a form of ἐπιγινώσκω) God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.18

 

Addendum: May 29, 2020
Tables comparing Genesis 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:22; 3:23; Jeremiah 24:7; 31:34; Genesis 4:1; 2:16 and 2:17 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Genesis 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:22; 3:23; Jeremiah 24:7; 31:34 (38:34); Genesis 4:1; 2:16 and 2:17 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those are tables comparing Romans 1:29 and 1:31 in the NET and KJV.

Genesis 3:4 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 3:4 (KJV)

Genesis 3:4 (NET)
And the serpent said unto the woman: ‘Ye shall not surely die; And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die,

Genesis 3:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ὄφις τῇ γυναικί οὐ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῗσθε καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ὄφις τῇ γυναικί· οὐ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε

Genesis 3:4 (NETS)

Genesis 3:4 (English Elpenor)
And the snake said to the woman, “You will not die by death, And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

Genesis 3:5 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 3:5 (KJV)

Genesis 3:5 (NET)
for G-d doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as G-d, knowing good and evil.’ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ᾔδει γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοὶ γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν ᾔδει γὰρ ὁ Θεός, ὅτι ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοί, γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν

Genesis 3:5 (NETS)

Genesis 3:5 (English Elpenor)
for God knew that on the day you eat of it, your eyes would be opened, and you would be like gods knowing good and evil.” For God knew that in whatever day ye should eat of it your eyes would be opened, and ye would be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:7 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 3:7 (KJV)

Genesis 3:7 (NET)
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Genesis 3:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν καὶ ἔρραψαν φύλλα συκῆς καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῗς περιζώματα καὶ διηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν, καὶ ἔρραψαν φύλλα συκῆς καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς περιζώματα

Genesis 3:7 (NETS)

Genesis 3:7 (English Elpenor)
And the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. And the eyes of both were opened, and they perceived that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons to go round them.

Genesis 3:22 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 3:22 (KJV)

Genesis 3:22 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said: ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.’ And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 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.”

Genesis 3:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός ἰδοὺ Αδαμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν καὶ νῦν μήποτε ἐκτείνῃ τὴν χεῗρα καὶ λάβῃ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ φάγῃ καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ἰδοὺ ᾿Αδὰμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν, τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν· καὶ νῦν μή ποτε ἐκτείνῃ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ λάβῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ φάγῃ καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

Genesis 3:22 (NETS)

Genesis 3:22 (English Elpenor)
Then God said, “See, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, and now perhaps he might reach out his hand and take of the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” And God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now lest at any time he stretch forth his hand, and take of the tree of life and eat, and [so] he shall live forever–

Genesis 3:23 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 3:23 (KJV)

Genesis 3:23 (NET)
Therefore HaShem G-d sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.

Genesis 3:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὸν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν ἐξ ἧς ἐλήμφθη καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν, ἐξ ἧς ἐλήφθη

Genesis 3:23 (NETS)

Genesis 3:23 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God sent him forth from the orchard of delight to till the earth from which he was taken. So the Lord God sent him forth out of the garden of Delight to cultivate the ground out of which he was taken.

Jeremiah 24:7 (Tanakh)

 Jeremiah 24:7 (KJV)

Jeremiah 24:7 (NET)
And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I am the Lord.  I will be their God and they will be my people.  For they will wholeheartedly return to me.’

Jeremiah 24:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 24:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ δώσω αὐτοῗς καρδίαν τοῦ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς ἐμὲ ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτοῗς εἰς θεόν ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν καὶ δώσω αὐτοῖς καρδίαν τοῦ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς ἐμέ, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος, καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν, καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν, ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν

Jeremiah 24:7 (NETS)

Jeremiah 24:7 (English Elpenor)
And I will give them a heart that they may know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall become a people to me, and I shall become a god to them, because they shall return to me with their whole heart. And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God: for they shall turn to me with all their heart.

Jeremiah 31:34 (Tanakh)

 Jeremiah 31:34 (KJV)

Jeremiah 31:34 (NET)
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me.  For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord.  “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Jeremiah 31:34 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 38:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων γνῶθι τὸν κύριον ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσίν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῗς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων· γνῶθι τὸν Κύριον· ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσί με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι

Jeremiah 38:34 (NETS)

Jeremiah 38:34 (English Elpenor)
And they shall not teach, each his fellow citizen and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they shall all know me, from their small even to their great, because I will be gracious regarding their injustices, and remember their sins no more. And they shall not at all teach every one his [fellow] citizen, and every one his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them: for I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more.

Genesis 4:1 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:1 (KJV)

Genesis 4:1 (NET)
And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: ‘I have gotten a man with the help of HaShem.’ And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Now the man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.  Then she said, “I have created a man just as the Lord did!”

Genesis 4:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
Αδαμ δὲ ἔγνω Ευαν τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν Καιν καὶ εἶπεν ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ΑΔΑΜ δὲ ἔγνω Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν Κάϊν καὶ εἶπεν· ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ

Genesis 4:1 (NETS)

Genesis 4:1 (English Elpenor)
Now Adam knew his wife Heua, and after she had conceived she bore Kain and said, “I have acquired a man through God.” AND Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God.

Genesis 2:16 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 2:16 (KJV)

Genesis 2:16 (NET)
And HaShem G-d commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard,

Genesis 2:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ Αδαμ λέγων ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φάγῃ καὶ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ᾿Αδὰμ λέγων· ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φαγῇ

Genesis 2:16 (NETS)

Genesis 2:16 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, “You shall eat for food of every tree that is in the orchard, And the Lord God gave a charge to Adam, saying, Of every tree which is in the garden thou mayest freely eat,

Genesis 2:17 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 2:17 (KJV)

Genesis 2:17 (NET)
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 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.”

Genesis 2:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν οὐ φάγεσθε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ᾗ δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῗσθε ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν, οὐ φάγεσθε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ· ᾗ δ᾿ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε

Genesis 2:17 (NETS)

Genesis 2:17 (English Elpenor)
but of the tree for knowing good and evil, of it you shall not eat; on the day that you eat of it, you shall die by death.” but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil– of it ye shall not eat, but in whatsoever day ye eat of it, ye shall surely die.

Romans 1:29 (NET)

Romans 1:29 (KJV)
They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice.  They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility.  They are gossips, Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πεπληρωμένους πάσῃ ἀδικίᾳ πονηρίᾳ πλεονεξίᾳ κακίᾳ, μεστοὺς φθόνου φόνου ἔριδος δόλου κακοηθείας, ψιθυριστάς πεπληρωμενους παση αδικια πορνεια πονηρια πλεονεξια κακια μεστους φθονου φονου εριδος δολου κακοηθειας ψιθυριστας πεπληρωμενους παση αδικια πορνεια πονηρια πλεονεξια κακια μεστους φθονου φονου εριδος δολου κακοηθειας ψιθυριστας

Romans 1:31 (NET)

Romans 1:31 (KJV)
senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀσυνέτους ἀσυνθέτους ἀστόργους ἀνελεήμονας ασυνετους ασυνθετους αστοργους ασπονδους ανελεημονας ασυνετους ασυνθετους αστοργους ασπονδους ανελεημονας

1 Romans 7:4 (NET)

4 Romans 3:20 (NET)

5 Romans 10:2 (NET)

6 The Septuagint used forms of εἴδω and γινώσκω for the verses quoted in Genesis (3:5 ᾔδει, γινώσκοντες; 3:7 ἔγνωσαν; 3:22 γινώσκειν) and in Jeremiah (24:7 εἰδέναι; 31:34 γνῶθι, εἰδήσουσίν).  I think Paul used forms of ἐπίγνωσις to add that intimate sense of knowing, following 1 Corinthians 13:12b (NET): Now I know (γινώσκω) in part, but then I will know fully (ἐπιγνώσομαι, a form of ἐπιγινώσκω), just as I have been fully known (ἐπεγνώσθην, another form of ἐπιγινώσκω).

8 Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, 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.” Genesis 2:16, 17 (NET)

9 Genesis 3:4, 5 (NET)

10 Genesis 3:7 (NET)

11 Genesis 3:22, 23 (NET)

12 Jeremiah 24:7 (NET)

13 Jeremiah 31:34 (NET)

14 Romans 7:4 (NET)

15 Genesis 4:1 (NET)

16 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πορνεια (KJV: fornication) following unrighteousness.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

17 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ασπονδους (KJV: implacable) following heartless (KJV: without natural affection).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

18 Romans 1:32 (NET)

Romans, Part 5

Posted on by

I’m not homophobic in the sense that I find the idea so repugnant I can’t imagine it.  In my twenties I was homophobic in the sense that I watched the guy I was most likely to have sex with change from slightly effeminate to flaming queer in a matter of weeks.  I was afraid that might happen to me if I acted on my impulses.  Subsequently, I’ve been mistaken often enough in my assessments to know that men can be both homosexual and manly, but I haven’t revisited that youthful curiosity.  Recalling these things to write this essay I realize I was probably homophobic in another sense.  In my late teens I never even broached the subject with the guy I most wanted to have a sexual relationship with.  And he wasn’t even particularly physically attractive.  It was his mind and personality that appealed to me—to us.  My girlfriend and I talked about what it would be like to have sex with him.

As I write this, sitting in a crowded airport waiting for a flight, I realize that I may still be homophobic in the sense that I’m not entirely comfortable with people next to me looking over at my screen and seeing what’s written there.  But I want to get this written, and now is as good a time as any.  I’ve certainly gone round and round in my own mind concerned that if I acknowledged these things people might think I’m a latent homosexual.  I finally decided that even if I am it hasn’t caused any serious issues.  I’ve had my share of homoerotic fantasies, but all and all it has been relatively easy to write off those thoughts as sin in my flesh.

I was single for twenty years after my first divorce, half of my twenties, all of my thirties and the beginning of my forties.  Since I wasn’t pursuing women most people assumed I was gay or a pedophile.  Actually, I stayed single so long because soon after my first divorce I met the “only woman I would ever consider marrying again.”  She, of course, was already married—to a good friend.  So I had twenty years of intensive training in self-control.  (“Self,” by the way, has nothing to do with it.  It is ἐγκράτεια an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.  Bible translators, I assume, are loathe to coin theological words like Holy-Spirit-control.)

So while I haven’t experienced the dilemma of homosexuality as part of my identity and self-image, I’m not completely unsympathetic either.  I began to really appreciate this dilemma through a film.  I enjoy movies as a way of experiencing things and people I may not otherwise experience.  Mostly I prefer R-rated dramas because when they deal with issues of sin and vice they tend to deal with them more honestly than PG comedies.  A PG comedy will often touch on all the same issues of sin and vice but it’s just for laughs, and everything works out in the end.  (It seems there are a lot more PG comedies with an R-rating these days.)

The movie that helped me experience the gay Christian dilemma is Save Me.  Chad Allen was one of the producers and principal actors along with Judith Light.  I first heard of Chad Allen because he played the dual role of Nate and Steve Saint, both the martyred missionary and his adult son confronted by the man who killed his father, in End of the Spear.  Searching online for others who enjoyed End of the Spear I learned that Chad Allen was a gay Christian. [December 10, 2014: I didn’t source “Christian” at the time and can’t find it now.]  The blog sites I read were full of debate, some from the filmmakers trying to justify themselves for using a gay actor in a Christian film and others from angry, indignant Christians who felt betrayed, some of whom never saw, and would never see, the movie.  When I stumbled across Save Me and recognized Chad Allen’s name I wanted to see it, even if it was his angry rebuttal and knee jerk response to the way he was treated by Christian bloggers after End of the Spear.

I say “stumbled across,” but I do look for out of the way films.  They are often much more interesting than blockbusters.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like blockbusters, too, and see them with my kids.  The Avengers, apart from being a comic book action adventure, is the best comedy I’ve seen all year.  But there are only so many wars between Autobots and Decepticons I can take before I need to see a movie about people.  Comparing and contrasting The Island (another Michael Bay film) and Never Let Me Go, for instance, is part of the joy of watching movies.  Part of the beauty and poignancy of the final line in Never Let Me Go, is that I expected, and maybe even hoped, that it would be more like The Island.

Still, I hesitate to recommend movies.  I come from a very conservative fundamentalist Christian background.  Some people just shouldn’t watch films; it’s like meat sacrificed to idols to them.

Frankly, I was blown away by Save Me.  What Chariots of Fire was to Christians and Jews Save Me is to gay Christians and those who aren’t so gay.  But that is not a recommendation to anyone unaccustomed to this kind of movie.  It opens with a sex scene intended to be as erotic as any heterosexual sex scene in R-rated movies.  It succeeds.  Then a few moments later the memory of that steamy sex scene is intended to ring hollow and empty and ultimately as unsatisfying to the viewer as it was to the protagonist played by Chad Allen.  Again, it succeeds.  Then the protagonist is forced into an Exodus-International-style gay rescue mission where we meet the antagonist played by Judith Light.

In a Michael Bay film with a setup like this, all movie buffs know the uppity Christian lady is about to get her comeuppance.  Not so in Save Me.  The antagonist is treated with as much respect as the protagonist.  (This is my “Spoiler Alert” for those who would find the movie ruined if they already knew the ending.)  Ultimately the protagonist is grateful for the antagonist’s love and concern that did rescue him from a life of drug and alcohol fueled promiscuity as he embarks on a new journey, hoping to love and live monogamously with a man he met at the rescue mission.  The antagonist crosses a great divide in her own heart to affirm her love for him even as she fears and regrets his choice.

The final thing the movie did for me was introduce me to the Gay Christian Network, people learning to coexist and commune with one another despite their division into “Side A,” those who believe God blesses same-sex marriages, and “Side B,” those who believe that God calls gay Christians to lifelong celibacy.

I don’t care much for arguments that attempt to justify homosexual acts by law, but I am constantly reminded of James’ enigmatic saying, My1 brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s2 soul from death and will cover (καλύψει, a form of καλύπτω) a multitude (πλῆθος) of sins (ἁμαρτιῶν, a form of ἁμαρτία).3  Then I am reminded of Peter’s similar saying regarding love.  Above4 all, Peter wrote, keep your love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) for one another fervent, because love (ἀγάπη) covers5 (καλύπτει, another form of καλύπτω) a multitude (πλῆθος) of sins (ἁμαρτιῶν, a form of ἁμαρτία).6

Will love cover the multitude of homosexual sins?  I don’t know.  Apparently there are gay Christians who are all-in, as it were, conducting that faith experiment for me.  I can certainly appreciate that to one who came out of a life of drug and alcohol fueled promiscuity, a stable, committed relationship might look like the promised land.  I certainly know that “Further” isn’t always written on my bus.  I’ve reached many plateaus in my journey.  Twenty years lusting after a married woman isn’t something I’m particularly proud of, but the Lord was always patient with me, and eventually I learned a lot.  And yes, many people attempted to dissuade me from staying there so long.  But it’s hard to give up on the “only woman I would ever consider marrying again.”

To get back to Paul’s letter to the Romans I want to jump ahead just a little and say something about the wrath (ὀργὴ) of God…revealed (Ἀποκαλύπτεται, a form of ἀποκαλύπτω) from heaven.7  Paul wrote, For while we were still8 helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.)  But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous (δικαιωθέντες, a form of δικαιόω) by his blood, we will be saved (σωθησόμεθα, a form of σώζω) through him from God’s wrath (ὀργῆς, another form of ὀργή).9

Had anyone else written these lines anywhere else I would assume that the writer meant some future wrath.  But Paul wrote these lines in his letter to the Romans after spending so much ink discussing the wrath of God revealed from heaven: God in his wrath gave me over to impurity, to dishonorable passions, and to a depraved mind.  Is this the wrath He intends to save me from?  It encourages me to pray again, God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!10 and to reach up, figuratively speaking, to the destination marquee of my bus and twist the dial to “Further.”11

 

Addendum: May 21, 2020
NET note 24 indicated that Peter quoted Proverbs 10:12.   He didn’t quote the Septuagint.

1 Peter 4:8b (NET Parallel Greek)

 Proverbs 10:12b (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 10:12b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύπτει φιλία πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύπτει φιλία

1 Peter 4:8b (NET)

 Proverbs 10:12b (NETS)

Proverbs 10:12b (English Elpenor)
love covers a multitude of sins. but friendship covers all who are not fond of strife. but affection covers all that do not love strife.

Here is a table comparing English translations of Proverbs 10:12 from the Masoretic text and Septuagint.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Proverbs 10:12 (Tanakh) Proverbs 10:12 (NET) Proverbs 10:12 (NETS)

Proverbs 10:12 (Elpenor English)
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love (אַהֲבָֽה) covereth all sins (פְּ֜שָׁעִ֗ים). Hatred stirs up dissension, but love (ʼahăbâh, אהבה) covers all transgressions (peshaʽ, פשעים). Hatred stirs up strife, but friendship (φιλία) covers all who are not fond of strife (φιλονεικοῦντας). Hatred stirs up strife; but affection (φιλία) covers all that do not love strife (φιλονεικοῦντας).

Did Peter do his own translation into Greek from Hebrew?  The Hebrew word אַהֲבָֽה (‘ahăḇâ; Tanakh: love) in the Masoretic text was the noun φιλία in the Septuagint but ἀγάπη in Peter’s letter.  The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose the verb ἀγαπᾶν (a form of ἀγαπάω) for another form מֵאַֽהֲבַ֨ת (ʼahăbâh) in the following verse.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Deuteronomy 7:8 (Tanakh) Deuteronomy 7:8 (NET) Deuteronomy 7:8 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 7:8 (Elpenor English)
but because HaShem loved (מֵאַֽהֲבַ֨ת) you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore unto your fathers, hath HaShem brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Rather it is because of his love (ʼahăbâh, מאהבת) for you and his faithfulness to the promise he solemnly vowed to your ancestors that the Lord brought you out with great power, redeeming you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Rather, because the Lord loved (ἀγαπᾶν) you, and since he was keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, the Lord brought you out with a strong hand and with a high arm and redeemed you from a house of slavery, from the hand of Pharao king of Egypt. But because the Lord loved (ἀγαπᾶν) you, and as keeping the oath which he sware to your fathers, the Lord brought you out with a strong hand, and the Lord redeemed thee from the house of bondage, out of the hand of Pharao king of Egypt.

The Hebrew word פְּ֜שָׁעִ֗ים (peshaʽ; Tanakh: sins) in the Masoretic text was φιλονεικοῦντας (a form of φιλονεικέω) and ἁμαρτιῶν (a form of ἁμαρτία) in Peter’s letter.  The rabbis chose ἁμαρτήματα (a form of ἁμάρτημα) for another לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֖ם (peshaʽ) in the following verse.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Joshua 24:19 (Tanakh) Joshua 24:19 (NET) Joshua 24:19 (NETS)

Joshua 24:19 (Elpenor English)
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions (לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֖ם) nor your sins. Joshua warned the people, “You will not keep worshiping the Lord, for he is a holy God.  He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion (peshaʽ, לפשעכם) or your sins. And Iesous said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy god.  And since he is jealous, he will not forgive your sins (ἁμαρτήματα) and your acts of lawlessness. And Joshua said to the people, Indeed ye will not be able to serve the Lord, for God is holy; and he being jealous will not forgive your sins (ἁμαρτήματα) and your transgressions.

Peter’s quotation gives me confidence that the Masoretic text is closer to the original Hebrew than the Septuagint here.  In this proverb the rabbis didn’t understand אַהֲבָֽה (ʼahăbâh) as God’s love, but as human affection.  They couldn’t see then any way that human affection covers (Masoretic text: kâsâh, תְּכַסֶּ֥ה; Septuagint: καλύπτει, a form of καλύπτω; Peter’s letter: καλύπτει) all sins, only all that do not love strife.

The word all is interesting.  It was כָּל (kôl) in the Masoretic text, πάντας (a form of πᾶς) in the Septuagint, yet Peter chose πλῆθος (NET: a multitude).  Peter, after some had called the Holy Spirit Beelzebul (Matthew 12:22-32), had heard Jesus say: people will be forgiven for every (πᾶσα, another form of πᾶς) sin (ἁμαρτία) and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.12

I won’t spend any more time here trying to understand why the contemporary translation of the Masoretic text into English in the Tanakh is more like Peter’s translation than that of the rabbis who translated the Septuagint.  I’ll simply thank God for it.

Tables comparing Proverbs 10:12; Deuteronomy 7:8 and Joshua 24:19 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Proverbs 10:12; Deuteronomy 7:8 and Joshua 24:19 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Tables comparing James 5:19, 20; 1 Peter 4:8; Romans 5:6 and Matthew 12:31 in the NET and KJV follow those.

Proverbs 10:12 (Tanakh)

 Proverbs 10:12 (KJV)

Proverbs 10:12 (NET)
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.

Proverbs 10:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 10:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μῗσος ἐγείρει νεῗκος πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύπτει φιλία μῖσος ἐγείρει νεῖκος, πάντας δὲ τοὺς μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας καλύπτει φιλία

Proverbs 10:12 (NETS)

Proverbs 10:12 (English Elpenor)
Hatred stirs up strife, but friendship covers all who are not fond of strife. Hatred stirs up strife; but affection covers all that do not love strife.

Deuteronomy 7:8 (Tanakh)

 Deuteronomy 7:8 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 7:8 (NET)
but because HaShem loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore unto your fathers, hath HaShem brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Rather it is because of his love for you and his faithfulness to the promise he solemnly vowed to your ancestors that the Lord brought you out with great power, redeeming you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 7:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 7:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν κύριον ὑμᾶς καὶ διατηρῶν τὸν ὅρκον ὃν ὤμοσεν τοῗς πατράσιν ὑμῶν ἐξήγαγεν κύριος ὑμᾶς ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ καὶ ἐν βραχίονι ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἐλυτρώσατο ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραω βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν Κύριον ὑμᾶς καὶ διατηρῶν τὸν ὅρκον, ὃν ὤμοσε τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν, ἐξήγαγεν ὑμᾶς Κύριος ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ καὶ βραχίονι ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἐλυτρώσατό σε Κύριος ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας, ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου

Deuteronomy 7:8 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 7:8 (English Elpenor)
Rather, because the Lord loved you, and since he was keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, the Lord brought you out with a strong hand and with a high arm and redeemed you from a house of slavery, from the hand of Pharao king of Egypt. But because the Lord loved you, and as keeping the oath which he sware to your fathers, the Lord brought you out with a strong hand, and the Lord redeemed thee from the house of bondage, out of the hand of Pharao king of Egypt.

Joshua 24:19 (Tanakh)

 Joshua 24:19 (KJV)

Joshua 24:19 (NET)
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. Joshua warned the people, “You will not keep worshiping the Lord, for he is a holy God.  He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.

Joshua 24:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Joshua 24:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τὸν λαόν οὐ μὴ δύνησθε λατρεύειν κυρίῳ ὅτι θεὸς ἅγιός ἐστιν καὶ ζηλώσας οὗτος οὐκ ἀνήσει ὑμῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ τὰ ἀνομήματα ὑμῶν καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιησοῦς πρὸς τὸν λαόν· οὐ μὴ δύνησθε λατρεύειν Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἅγιός ἐστι, καὶ ζηλώσας οὗτος οὐκ ἀνήσει τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ ἀνομήματα ὑμῶν

Joshua 24:19 (NETS)

Joshua 24:19 (English Elpenor)
And Iesous said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy god.  And since he is jealous, he will not forgive your sins and your acts of lawlessness. And Joshua said to the people, Indeed ye will not be able to serve the Lord, for God is holy; and he being jealous will not forgive your sins and your transgressions.

James 5:19, 20 (NET)

James 5:19, 20 (KJV)
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀδελφοί μου, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις αὐτόν αδελφοι εαν τις εν υμιν πλανηθη απο της αληθειας και επιστρεψη τις αυτον αδελφοι εαν τις εν υμιν πλανηθη απο της αληθειας και επιστρεψη τις αυτον
he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
|γινωσκέτω| ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν γινωσκετω οτι ο επιστρεψας αμαρτωλον εκ πλανης οδου αυτου σωσει ψυχην εκ θανατου και καλυψει πληθος αμαρτιων γινωσκετω οτι ο επιστρεψας αμαρτωλον εκ πλανης οδου αυτου σωσει ψυχην εκ θανατου και καλυψει πληθος αμαρτιων

1 Peter 4:8 (NET)

1 Peter 4:8 (KJV)
Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πρὸ πάντων τὴν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀγάπην ἐκτενῆ ἔχοντες, ὅτι ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν προ παντων δε την εις εαυτους αγαπην εκτενη εχοντες οτι αγαπη καλυψει πληθος αμαρτιων προ παντων δε την εις εαυτους αγαπην εκτενη εχοντες οτι αγαπη καλυψει πληθος αμαρτιων

Romans 5:6 (NET)

Romans 5:6 (KJV)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
| Ἔτι γὰρ| Χριστὸς ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν ἔτι κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν ετι γαρ χριστος οντων ημων ασθενων κατα καιρον υπερ ασεβων απεθανεν ετι γαρ χριστος οντων ημων ασθενων κατα καιρον υπερ ασεβων απεθανεν

Matthew 12:31 (NET)

Matthew 12:31 (KJV)
For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, πᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται δια τουτο λεγω υμιν πασα αμαρτια και βλασφημια αφεθησεται τοις ανθρωποις η δε του πνευματος βλασφημια ουκ αφεθησεται τοις ανθρωποις δια τουτο λεγω υμιν πασα αμαρτια και βλασφημια αφεθησεται τοις ανθρωποις η δε του πνευματος βλασφημια ουκ αφεθησεται τοις ανθρωποις

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

2 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτοῦ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not (KJV: a).

3 James 5:19, 20 (NET)

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

5 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καλύπτει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καλυψει (KJV: shall cover).

6 1 Peter 4:8 (NET)

7 Romans 1:18 (NET)

8 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔτι here and at the beginning of the clause.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had it only at the beginning of the clause.

9 Romans 5:6-9 (NET)

10 Luke 18:13 (NET) Table

12 Matthew 12:31 (NET)  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τοις ανθρωποις (KJV: unto men) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

Romans, Part 4

Posted on by

There is something important to remember about ἀσέβεια (ungodliness).  If it is not overcome in people by the Spirit of God, the word of God, faith in the Lord Jesus, being born from above—it simply continues to function.  That sounds so simple.  But those plagued with ἀσέβεια, even after experiencing God’s wrath, don’t understand what they have experienced.  They don’t realize they’ve been given over in the desires (ἐπιθυμίαις, a form of ἐπιθυμία) of their hearts to impurity (ἀκαθαρσίαν, a form of ἀκαθαρσία), to dishonor (ἀτιμάζεσθαι, a form of ἀτιμάζω) their bodies (σώματα, a form of σῶμα) among themselves1 because they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.2  On the contrary, the religious minded among them in particular assume that this new demon worship with its cultic sexual practices is good and righteous.

Now here is where it gets confusing.  Religious minded people plagued with ἀσέβεια invent rules governing the proper ways to worship demons, and the correct methods to engage in cultic sexual practices.  And they teach their good and evil to the next generation.

Unrighteous Worship

The Wrath of God Revealed from Heaven
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped (ἐσεβάσθησαν, a form of σεβάζομαι) and served (ἐλάτρευσαν, a form of λατρεύω) the creation (κτίσει, a form of κτίσις) rather than the Creator (κτίσαντα, a form of κτίζω), who is blessed forever!  Amen.

Romans 1:25 NET

 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable (ἀτιμίας, a form of ἀτιμία) passions (πάθη, a form of πάθος).  For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones (παρὰ φύσιν, φύσιν is a form of φύσις), and likewise the men3 also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions (ὀρέξει, a form of ὄρεξις) for one another.  Men committed (κατεργαζόμενοι, a form of κατεργάζομαι) shameless acts (ἀσχημοσύνην, ἀσχημοσύνη) with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Romans 1:26, 27 NET

So one generation worshiped God as if He were a created thing.  And the next generation, or so, worshiped created things instead of God.  For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable (ἀτιμίας, a form of ἀτιμία) passions (πάθη, a form of πάθος).4  Here again ἀτιμία, like ἀτιμάζω and ἄτιμος, is a negation of τιμή.  I assume then that this is not the way to know how to possess my own body in holiness and honor (τιμῇ, a form of τιμή), but is more likely the lustful (ἐπιθυμίας, another form of ἐπιθυμία) passion (πάθει, another form of πάθος) like the Gentiles who do not know (εἰδότα, a form of εἴδω) God.5
The Greek word ἐσεβάσθησαν (a form of σεβάζομαι) translated worshiped in Romans 1:25 (NET) is only used here.  I imagine Paul and the Holy Spirit chose it because it comes from σέβομαι (a form of σέβω; to worship, honour, revere) like the negations ἀσεβής and ἀσέβεια (ungodliness).  The first occurrence in the New Testament of a form of λατρεύω, translated served (ἐλάτρευσαν) in Romans 1:25 (NET), is in Matthew 4:8-10 (NET).

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.  And he said6 to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship (προσκυνήσῃς, a form of προσκυνέω) me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan!7 For it is written: ‘You are to worship (προσκυνήσεις, another form of προσκυνέω) the Lord your God and serve (λατρεύσεις, another form of λατρεύω) only him.’”

I’m always impressed when things work out like this in a word study, that the first occurrence of the word pretty much says it all.  I take it for granted that the Holy Spirit knew λατρεύω would lead here.  But I often wonder if the human author, Paul in this case, knew it as well.

He might have used δουλεύω in Romans 1:25.  That would have led to, No one can serve (δουλεύειν, a form of δουλεύω) two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve (δουλεύειν, a form of δουλεύω) God and money.8  But that is not anywhere near as appropriate to his theme as Jesus quoting the law to Satan.  If he had used διακονία I would have found, But Martha was distracted with all the preparations (διακονίαν, a form of διακονία) she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone?  Tell her to help me.”9  If Paul had used διακονέω, Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering (διηκόνουν, a form of διακονέω) to his needs,10  I would have at least been led to the end of the same story as λατρεύσεις (a form of λατρεύω).

In this instance I do think Paul was very aware of the law Jesus quoted, even if he did not have access yet to Matthew’s (or Luke’s) Gospel.  The word λατρεύσεις (λατρεύω) is used in the passage Jesus quoted (Deuteronomy 6:13) in the Septuagint.  And Paul certainly had λατρεύω on his mind.  For God, whom I serve (λατρεύω) in my spirit by preaching the gospel of his Son,11 is how Paul described his own service earlier in the same chapter.

The Greek word κτίσει (a form of κτίσις), translated creation in Romans 1:25 (NET), leads just as profoundly to Mark 10:6-8a (NET).  But from the beginning of creation (κτίσεως, another form of κτίσις) he12 made them male (ἄρσεν, a form of ἄῤῥην) and female (θῆλυ, a form of θῆλυς).  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother,13 and the two will become one flesh.  So when men exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation (κτίσει, a form of κτίσις) rather than the Creator14 God gave them over to dishonorable passions;15 namely, Men (ἄρσενες, another form of αρσην) committed shameless acts with men (ἄρσεσιν, another form of αρσην).16

What about the women?  I don’t know.  I can’t tell if they were seeking out other women or anal intercourse with men.  Both options seem to fit the symmetry of the language.  Both are equally against natural germination (παρὰ φύσιν, φύσιν is a form of φύσις).  The latter accords better with a “sprung bum,”17 which I assume is what Paul meant by the due penalty for their error.  But does this penalty only apply to men?  Again, I don’t know the answer.

These are sensitive issues and I want to continue in a more personal way in another essay.

 

Addendum: May 17, 2020
A note (17) in the NET indicated that Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 in Matthew 4:10.  First, here is a comparison of English translations from the Masoretic text and the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Deuteronomy 6:13 (Tanakh) Deuteronomy 6:13 (NET) Deuteronomy 6:13 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 6:13 (Elpenor English)
Thou shalt fear HaShem thy G-d; and Him shalt thou serve, and by His name shalt thou swear. You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name. The Lord your God you shall fear, and him you shall serve, and to him you shall cling, and by his name you shall swear. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and thou shalt cleave to him, and by his name thou shalt swear.

The clause and thou shalt cleave to him (καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ) was added to the Septuagint or deleted from the Masoretic text.  Here is a comparison of the Greek from Matthew’s Gospel narrative to that of the Septuagint.

Matthew 4:10b (NET Parallel Greek)

 Deuteronomy 6:13a (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 6:13a (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ λατρεύσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις

Matthew 4:10b (NET)

 Deuteronomy 6:13a (NETS)

Deuteronomy 6:13a (English Elpenor)
You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him. The Lord your God you shall fear, and him you shall serve Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve

It didn’t sit quite right with me that Jesus changed fear (φοβηθήσῃ, a form of φοβέω) to worship (προσκυνήσεις, a form of προσκυνέω) in a quotation simply because Satan had said, throw yourself to the ground and worship (προσκυνήσῃς, another form of προσκυνέω) me.  So I searched προσκυνήσεις in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Exodus 20:5 (Tanakh) Exodus 20:5 (NET) Exodus 20:5 (NETS)

Exodus 20:5 (Elpenor English)
thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me, You shall not do obeisance (προσκυνήσεις) to them, nor are you to serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous god, repaying sins of fathers upon children up to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me, Thou shalt not bow down (προσκυνήσεις) to them, nor serve them; for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, recompensing the sins of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation to them that hate me,

Exodus 23:24 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 23:24 (NET) Exodus 23:24 (NETS)

Exodus 23:24 (English Elpenor)
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their doings; but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and break in pieces their pillars. “You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces. You shall not do obeisance (προσκυνήσεις) to their gods nor serve them.  You shall not act according to their practices, but with demolition shall demolish and by smashing shall smash their steles. Thou shalt not worship (προσκυνήσεις) their gods, nor serve them: thou shalt not do according to their works, but shalt utterly destroy them, and break to pieces their pillars.

Deuteronomy 5:9 (Tanakh) Table

 Deuteronomy 5:9 (NET) Deuteronomy 5:9 (NETS) Table

Deuteronomy 5:9 (English Elpenor)
Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me, You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.  I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me, You shall not do obeisance (προσκυνήσεις) to them, nor are you to serve them, because I am the Lord your God, a jealous god, repaying the sins of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me, Thou shalt not bow down (προσκυνήσεις) to them, nor shalt thou serve them; for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation to them that hate me,

Deuteronomy 26:10 (Tanakh)

 Deuteronomy 26:10 (NET) Deuteronomy 26:10 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 26:10 (English Elpenor)
And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O HaShem, hast given me.’  And thou shalt set it down before HaShem thy G-d, and worship before HaShem thy G-d. So now, look!  I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.”  Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him. And now look, I have brought the first fruit of the produce of the land that you, O Lord, have given me, a land flowing with milk and honey.”  And you shall leave them before the Lord your God and do obeisance (προσκυνήσεις) before the Lord your God. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruits of the land, which thou gavest me, O Lord, a land flowing with milk and honey: and thou shalt leave it before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt worship (προσκυνήσεις) before the Lord thy God;

Psalm 81:9 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 81:9 (NET) Psalm 80:10 (NETS)

Psalm 80:10 (English Elpenor)
There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. There must be no other god among you.  You must not worship a foreign god. There shall be no recent god among you, nor shall you do obeisance (προσκυνήσεις) to a foreign god. there shall be no new god in thee; neither shalt thou worship (προσκυνήσεις) a strange god.

Alluding to this synopsis of the law He had given Israel to protect them from Satan’s laws and religions, Jesus assured Satan with his own word that He would not submit to deceit as so many of his people had done.

A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation from Genesis in the NET with that of the Septuagint follows.

Mark 10:7, 8a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

Mark 10:7, 8a (NET)

 Genesis 2:24 (NETS)

Genesis 2:24 (English Elpenor)
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, and the two will become one flesh. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation from Genesis in the Stephanus Textus Receptus with that of the Septuagint follows.

Mark 10:7, 8a (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

 Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου και εσονται οι δυο εις σαρκα μιαν ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

Mark 10:7, 8a (KJV)

 Genesis 2:24 (NETS)

Genesis 2:24 (English Elpenor)
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 6:13; Exodus 20:5; 23:24; Deuteronomy 26:10; Psalm 81:9 and Genesis 2:24 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Deuteronomy 6:13; Exodus 20:5; 23:24; Deuteronomy 26:10; Psalm 81:9 (80:10) and Genesis 2:24 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Then tables comparing Romans 1:27; Matthew 4:9, 10; 6:24 and Mark 10:6, 7 in the NET and KJV follow those.

Deuteronomy 6:13 (Tanakh)

 Deuteronomy 6:13 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 6:13 (NET)
Thou shalt fear HaShem thy G-d; and Him shalt thou serve, and by His name shalt thou swear. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name.

Deuteronomy 6:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 6:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριον τὸν θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ λατρεύσεις καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὀμῇ Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὀμῇ

Deuteronomy 6:13 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 6:13 (English Elpenor)
The Lord your God you shall fear, and him you shall serve, and to him you shall cling, and by his name you shall swear. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and thou shalt cleave to him, and by his name thou shalt swear.

Exodus 20:5 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 20:5 (KJV)

Exodus 20:5 (NET)
thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me,

Exodus 20:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῗς οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῗς ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεός σου θεὸς ζηλωτὴς ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἕως τρίτης καὶ τετάρτης γενεᾶς τοῗς μισοῦσίν με οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσεις αὐτοῖς· ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, Θεὸς ζηλωτής, ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα, ἕως τρίτης καὶ τετάρτης γενεᾶς τοῖς μισοῦσί με

Exodus 20:5 (NETS)

Exodus 20:5 (English Elpenor)
You shall not do obeisance to them, nor are you to serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous god, repaying sins of fathers upon children up to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me, Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them; for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, recompensing the sins of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation to them that hate me,

Exodus 23:24 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 23:24 (KJV)

Exodus 23:24 (NET)
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their doings; but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and break in pieces their pillars. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. “You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces.

Exodus 23:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 23:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ προσκυνήσεις τοῗς θεοῗς αὐτῶν οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῗς οὐ ποιήσεις κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀλλὰ καθαιρέσει καθελεῗς καὶ συντρίβων συντρίψεις τὰς στήλας αὐτῶν οὐ προσκυνήσεις τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν, οὐ δὲ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς· οὐ ποιήσεις κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καθαιρέσει καθελεῖς καὶ συντρίβων συντρίψεις τὰς στήλας αὐτῶν

Exodus 23:24 (NETS)

Exodus 23:24 (English Elpenor)
You shall not do obeisance to their gods nor serve them.  You shall not act according to their practices, but with demolition shall demolish and by smashing shall smash their steles. Thou shalt not worship their gods, nor serve them: thou shalt not do according to their works, but shalt utterly destroy them, and break to pieces their pillars.

Deuteronomy 26:10 (Tanakh)

 Deuteronomy 26:10 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 26:10 (NET)
And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O HaShem, hast given me.’  And thou shalt set it down before HaShem thy G-d, and worship before HaShem thy G-d. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me.  And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God: So now, look!  I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.”  Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him.

Deuteronomy 26:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 26:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐνήνοχα τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τῶν γενημάτων τῆς γῆς ἧς ἔδωκάς μοι κύριε γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι καὶ ἀφήσεις αὐτὰ ἀπέναντι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου καὶ προσκυνήσεις ἐκεῗ ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐνήνοχα τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τῶν γενημάτων τῆς γῆς, ἧς ἔδωκάς μοι, Κύριε, γῆν ρέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι. καὶ ἀφήσεις αὐτὰ ἀπέναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου καὶ προσκυνήσεις ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου

Deuteronomy 26:10 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 26:10 (English Elpenor)
And now look, I have brought the first fruit of the produce of the land that you, O Lord, have given me, a land flowing with milk and honey.”  And you shall leave them before the Lord your God and do obeisance before the Lord your God. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruits of the land, which thou gavest me, O Lord, a land flowing with milk and honey: and thou shalt leave it before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt worship before the Lord thy God;

Psalm 81:9 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 81:9 (KJV)

Psalm 81:9 (NET)
There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. There must be no other god among you.  You must not worship a foreign god.

Psalm 81:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 80:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ θεὸς πρόσφατος οὐδὲ προσκυνήσεις θεῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ Θεὸς πρόσφατος, οὐδὲ προσκυνήσεις Θεῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ

Psalm 80:10 (NETS)

Psalm 80:10 (English Elpenor)
There shall be no recent god among you, nor shall you do obeisance to a foreign god. there shall be no new god in thee; neither shalt thou worship a strange god.

Genesis 2:24 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 2:24 (KJV)

Genesis 2:24 (NET)
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become one family.

Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

Genesis 2:24 (NETS)

Genesis 2:24 (English Elpenor)
Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Romans 1:27 (NET)

Romans 1:27 (KJV)
and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another.  Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁμοίως τε καὶ οἱ ἄρσενες ἀφέντες τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν τῆς θηλείας ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι καὶ τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ἣν ἔδει τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἀπολαμβάνοντες ομοιως τε και οι αρρενες αφεντες την φυσικην χρησιν της θηλειας εξεκαυθησαν εν τη ορεξει αυτων εις αλληλους αρσενες εν αρσεσιν την ασχημοσυνην κατεργαζομενοι και την αντιμισθιαν ην εδει της πλανης αυτων εν εαυτοις απολαμβανοντες ομοιως τε και οι αρρενες αφεντες την φυσικην χρησιν της θηλειας εξεκαυθησαν εν τη ορεξει αυτων εις αλληλους αρσενες εν αρσεσιν την ασχημοσυνην κατεργαζομενοι και την αντιμισθιαν ην εδει της πλανης αυτων εν εαυτοις απολαμβανοντες

Matthew 4:9, 10 (NET)

Matthew 4:9, 10 (KJV)
And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship me.” And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ταῦτα σοι πάντα δώσω, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς μοι και λεγει αυτω ταυτα παντα σοι δωσω εαν πεσων προσκυνησης μοι και λεγει αυτω ταυτα παντα σοι δωσω εαν πεσων προσκυνησης μοι
Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan!  For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τότε λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ὕπαγε, σατανᾶ· γέγραπται γάρ· κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις τοτε λεγει αυτω ο ιησους υπαγε σατανα γεγραπται γαρ κυριον τον θεον σου προσκυνησεις και αυτω μονω λατρευσεις τοτε λεγει αυτω ο ιησους υπαγε οπισω μου σατανα γεγραπται γαρ κυριον τον θεον σου προσκυνησεις και αυτω μονω λατρευσεις

Matthew 6:24 (NET)

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ ουδεις δυναται δυσι κυριοις δουλευειν η γαρ τον ενα μισησει και τον ετερον αγαπησει η ενος ανθεξεται και του ετερου καταφρονησει ου δυνασθε θεω δουλευειν και μαμμωνα ουδεις δυναται δυσιν κυριοις δουλευειν η γαρ τον ενα μισησει και τον ετερον αγαπησει η ενος ανθεξεται και του ετερου καταφρονησει ου δυνασθε θεω δουλευειν και μαμωνα

Mark 10:6, 7 (NET)

Mark 10:6, 7 (KJV)
But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν |αὐτούς| απο δε αρχης κτισεως αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους ο θεος απο δε αρχης κτισεως αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους ο θεος
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου

1 Romans 1:24 (NET) Table

2 Romans 1:23 (NET)

4 Romans 1:26a (NET)

6 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἶπεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λεγει (KJV: saith).

7 The Byzantine Majority Text had οπισω μου (“behind me”) here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

8 Matthew 6:24 (NET) The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had μαμωνᾷ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had μαμμωνα (KJV: mammon).

9 Luke 10:40 (NET)

10 Matthew 4:11 (NET)

11 Romans 1:9 (NET)

12 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο θεος here (KJV: God).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

13 The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ (KJV: and cleave to his wife) here.  The NET parallel Greek text did not.

14 Romans 1:25 (NET)

15 Romans 1:26 (NET)

16 Romans 1:27 (NET) ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν (literally, “men in men”)

17 See the dialogue between Right and Wrong Logic from Clouds, translated by Moses Hadas, from The Complete Plays of Aristophanes, Bantam Book 1962, pp. 130, 131  In response to Wrong Logic’s argument that the gods did it, Right Logic replied: But what if your backside’s singed and rammed with the adulterer’s rod?  How will your argument then prevail to void the stretching of your bum?  Wrong Logic answered: And what’s the harm of a bottom stretched?  Tell me even one.  Wrong Logic proceeded to persuade Right Logic that the societal advantages of being a catamite to established men far outweighed the inconvenience of a sprung bum.

Romans, Part 3

Posted on by

I want to consider παραδίδωμι as used by Paul in Romans and 1 Corinthians.  The wrath of God…revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (ἀσέβειαν, a form of ἀσέβεια) and unrighteousness of people1 was revealed in three stages:

1) God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity.

2) God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to dishonorable passions.

3) God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved mind.

This usage of παραδίδωμι is virtually identical to that of Paul encouraging the Corinthians to turn over the man who had his father’s wife to Satan.

When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, turn this man over (παραδοῦναι, another form of παραδίδωμι) to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 5:4, 5 (NET) Table

 Therefore God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity…

Romans 1:24 (NET) Table
For this reason God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to dishonorable passions.

Romans 1:26a (NET)
God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved mind…

Romans 1:28b (NET)

I’ve already indicated that Paul’s reaction to this man seems disproportionate when compared with his reaction to the sin he addressed in his letter to the Galatians.  But if I accept Paul’s second explanation in 2 Corinthians as the more appropriate, then Paul was not reacting to this man’s sin as much as he was responding to the Corinthians’ reactions to it (2 Corinthians 2:9-11; 7:11, 12 NET):

For this reason also I wrote you: to test (δοκιμὴν, a form of δοκιμή) you to see if you are obedient (ὑπήκοοι, a form of ὑπήκοος) in everything.  If you forgive (χαρίζεσθε, a form of χαρίζομαι) anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (κεχάρισμαι, another form of χαρίζομαι) (if I have forgiven [κεχάρισμαι, another form of χαρίζομαι] anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ [Table], so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes)…
For see what this very thing, this sadness [e.g., caused by Paul’s original letter, cf. 2 Corinthians 7:8 (NET)] as God intended, has produced (κατειργάσατο, a form of κατεργάζομαι) in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment!  In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.  So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong (ἀδικήσαντος, a form of ἀδικέω), or on account of the one who was wronged (ἀδικηθέντος, a form of ἀδικέω), but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God [Table].

And Paul questioned their reaction right from the beginning: And you are proud!  Shouldn’t you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you?2  In my opinion, yes, they should have been sorrowful, but whether they should have removed him from their midst or not is open to question by Paul’s own subsequent writings.

And knowing that Paul passed on (παρεδίδοσαν, another form of παραδίδωμι) the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey3 as he traveled on his second missionary journey, I have an even better idea why he called the man’s sin πορνεία.  If I examine the list of James’ abbreviated version of the law—abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from πορνείας (a form of πορνεία)4—it was the only thing left to Paul that even came close to describing the man’s sin.

All of this is based on my assumption that the man Paul encouraged the Corinthians to forgive in 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 was the same man he told them to turn over to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5:4, 5.  It is not the only assumption I could make.  I might take Paul’s phrase, the destruction of the flesh, literally and assume that the man died, or that he simply left, or that he moved on to the Baptist church down the street.5  I know that Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians before 1 Corinthians, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral (πόρνοις, a form of πόρνος) people.6  The unspecified man in 2 Corinthians could be some other sinner Paul had the church shun in any number of unknown letters he wrote between 1 and 2 Corinthians.

For me it all comes down to my account (λόγον, a form of λόγος).7  Assuming the man is one and the same is an honest mistake (if that’s what it proves to be) that I can live with.  But if I stand before the Lord with all kinds of imaginary excuses—the first man died, left the church, moved on to the Baptist church down the street, and the second man was introduced in an imaginary letter I don’t have access to—all He has to say is, “What does it say, Dan?” and I have no λόγον to offer Him.  I can honestly say that I thought Paul was talking about the same man in both letters.  The Lord already knows better than anyone how bright I’m not.  I would like, by his grace, to keep the willful ignorance to a minimum from here on out.

After people were given over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonorable passions, and to a depraved mind by God, the rest of the occurrences of παραδίδωμι in Romans form a mini-Gospel lesson.  [Jesus] was given over (παρεδόθη, another form of παραδίδωμι) because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification (δικαίωσιν, a form of δικαίωσις).8  The word is used in a similar way in 1 Corinthians, If9 I give away everything I own, and if I give over (παραδῶ, another form of παραδίδωμι) my body in order to boast,10 but do not have love, I receive no benefit.11

The next step of the mini-Gospel lesson is, But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to (παρεδόθητε, another form of παραδίδωμι), and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.12  There is a similar reference to a message that was passed on and a similar theme in 1 Corinthians: For I passed on (παρέδωκα, another form of παραδίδωμι) to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures…13

Another usage in 1 Corinthians corroborated this idea of a message that was passed on and introduced the related word παράδοσις which is that message.  I praise you14 because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions (παραδόσεις, a form of παράδοσις) just as I passed them on (παρέδωκα, another form of παραδίδωμι) to you.15  And another usage of παραδίδωμι is both the idea of a message passed on and Jesus given over or given up.  For I received from the Lord what I also passed on (παρέδωκα, another form of παραδίδωμι) to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed16 (παρεδίδετο, another form of παραδίδωμι) took bread…17

In Romans the mini-Gospel lesson continued: Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?18 And I suppose the final occurrence in 1 Corinthians adds the finishing touch to this lesson: Then comes the end, when [Jesus] hands over (παραδιδῷ, another form of παραδίδωμι) the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.19

Below is a copy of this mini-Gospel lesson in tabular form.

Paul’s usage of παραδίδωμι in Romans / 1 Corinthians as a Mini-Gospel Lesson
Therefore God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) in the desires of their hearts to impurity…

Romans 1:24 (NET)
For this reason God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to dishonorable passions.

Romans 1:26a (NET)
God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved mind…

Romans 1:28b (NET)
[Jesus] was given over (παρεδόθη, another form of παραδίδωμι) because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.

Romans 4:25 (NET)
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to (παρεδόθητε, another form of παραδίδωμι), and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

Romans 6:17, 18 (NET)
Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?

Romans 8:32 (NET)
Then comes the end, when [Jesus] hands over (παραδιδῷ, another form of παραδίδωμι) the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:24 (NET)

Addendum: May 1, 2020
Tables comparing 1 Corinthians 13:3; 11:2; 11:23 and Acts 18:25 in the NET and KJV follow.

1 Corinthians 13:3 (NET)

1 Corinthians 13:3 (KJV)
If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
κὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα μου |καὶ ἐὰν| παραδῶ τὸ σῶμα μου ἵνα καυχήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι και εαν ψωμισω παντα τα υπαρχοντα μου και εαν παραδω το σωμα μου ινα καυθησωμαι αγαπην δε μη εχω ουδεν ωφελουμαι και εαν ψωμισω παντα τα υπαρχοντα μου και εαν παραδω το σωμα μου ινα καυθησωμαι αγαπην δε μη εχω ουδεν ωφελουμαι

1 Corinthians 11:2 (NET)

1 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV)
I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς ὅτι πάντα μου μέμνησθε καί, καθὼς παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, τὰς παραδόσεις κατέχετε επαινω δε υμας αδελφοι οτι παντα μου μεμνησθε και καθως παρεδωκα υμιν τας παραδοσεις κατεχετε επαινω δε υμας αδελφοι οτι παντα μου μεμνησθε και καθως παρεδωκα υμιν τας παραδοσεις κατεχετε

1 Corinthians 11:23 (NET)

1 Corinthians 11:23 (KJV)
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐγὼ γὰρ παρέλαβον ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ὃ καὶ παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδετο ἔλαβεν ἄρτον εγω γαρ παρελαβον απο του κυριου ο και παρεδωκα υμιν οτι ο κυριος ιησους εν τη νυκτι η παρεδιδοτο ελαβεν αρτον εγω γαρ παρελαβον απο του κυριου ο και παρεδωκα υμιν οτι ο κυριος ιησους εν τη νυκτι η παρεδιδοτο ελαβεν αρτον
Acts 18:25 (NET) Acts 18:25 (KJV)
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
οὗτος ἦν κατηχημένος τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ζέων τῷ πνεύματι ἐλάλει καὶ ἐδίδασκεν ἀκριβῶς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐπιστάμενος μόνον τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ουτος ην κατηχημενος την οδον του κυριου και ζεων τω πνευματι ελαλει και εδιδασκεν ακριβως τα περι του κυριου επισταμενος μονον το βαπτισμα ιωαννου ουτος ην κατηχημενος την οδον του κυριου και ζεων τω πνευματι ελαλει και εδιδασκεν ακριβως τα περι του κυριου επισταμενος μονον το βαπτισμα ιωαννου

1 Romans 1:18 (NET)

2 1 Corinthians 5:2 (NET) Table

3 Acts 16:4 (NET) Table

4 Acts 15:29a (NET) Table

5 I’m only half joking.  As I consider Acts 18:24-28 it is not too hard to imagine others like Apollos who spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus (KJV: the Lord), although he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:25 NET).

6 1 Corinthians 5:9 (NET)

8 Romans 4:25 (NET)

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had κὰν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εαν (KJV: And though).

10 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καυχήσωμαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καυθησωμαι (KJV: to be burned).  See NET Note 1.

11 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NET)

12 Romans 6:17, 18 (NET)

13 1 Corinthians 15:3 (NET)

14 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αδελφοι (KJV: brethren) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

15 1 Corinthians 11:2 (NET)

17 1 Corinthians 11:23 (NET)

18 Romans 8:32 (NET) Table

19 1 Corinthians 15:24 (NET) Table