Exploration, Part 1

Posted on November 2, 2024 by admin

Love is punishment. That’s the lesson I learned quite well from my elders. As I grew I began to recognize that they were consoling one another and exhorting one another not to compromise with the world around them, a psychological world that was preaching a different gospel. It’s difficult to believe that I never heard 1 Corinthians 13 as a child, but I don’t recall it. I know Paul’s distinction shocked me as an adult (1 Corinthians 4:21 ESV [Table]).

What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love (ἐν ἀγάπῃ) in a spirit of gentleness?

Though I realized that he probably used the phrase ἐν ράβδῳ, with a rod, hyperbolically for stern or even harsh words, I wouldn’t have distinguished those from love, because love is punishment (though I probably thought that love was a feeling that provoked one to punish the objects of one’s love).

In the introduction to these exploratory essays I simply declared “Don’t compromise with the world” a vague and open-ended application, difficult both to obey or to defend against the virtually unlimited latitude those who police such things could assume. Here, I’ll offer an example:

In my grandmother’s day, no decent Christian woman would wear lipstick. In my mother’s day, young stay-at-home housewives and mothers put on lipstick, sitting in the pew in church. In my day, young stay-at-home housewives and mothers were trained by professional make-up artists at church women’s groups how to apply their “warpaint” more effectively, because they competed deliberately and directly with their husbands’ female coworkers and secretaries.

I have no idea what goes on now. I no longer attend an upwardly mobile middle class American church. And I don’t write this to criticize three generations of women I have loved. All of us need more grace than the faith that God will punish us for our sins eventually, and more timely and pertinent direction than “Don’t compromise with the world.”

Paul wrote, what seems at first blush to be, about circumcision, a very specific compromise with the religious world of old covenant Judaism. I want to begin first with the laws of circumcision to highlight this jarring discontinuity between old and new covenants.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 17:9-14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:9-14 (NET)	Genesis 17:9-14 (NETS)	Genesis 17:9-14 (Elpenor English)
And G-d said unto Abraham: ‘And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.	Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep the covenantal requirement I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.	And God said to Abraam, “Now as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.	And God said to Abraam, Thou also shalt fully keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee for their generations.
This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.	This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.	And this is the covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and between your offspring after you throughout their generations: Every male of yours shall be circumcised,	And this [is] the covenant which thou shalt fully keep between me and you, and between thy seed after thee for their generations; every male of you shall be circumcised.
And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you.	You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder of the covenant between me and you.	And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall exist as a covenant sign between me and you.	And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and you.
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed.	Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants.	And a youngster of eight days shall be circumcised among you—every male—throughout your generations, the homebred of your household and the one bought with money from any son of a foreigner, who is not of your offspring.	And the child of eight days [old] shall be circumcised by you, every male throughout your generations, and [the servant] born in the house and he that is bought with money, of every son of a stranger, who is not of thy seed.
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.	They must indeed be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder.	The homebred of your household and the one bought with money shall be circumcised with circumcision, and my covenant shall be on your flesh for an everlasting covenant.	He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with money shall be surely circumcised, and my covenant shall be on your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.’	Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people—he has failed to carry out my requirement.”	And as for an uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be destroyed from his kin, for he has scattered my covenant.”	And the uncircumcised male, who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be utterly destroyed from its family, for he has broken my covenant.

Circumcision was a prerequisite for eating the Passover.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 12:43-49 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:43-49 (NET)	Exodus 12:43-49 (NETS)	Exodus 12:43-49 (Elpenor English)
And HaShem said unto Moses and Aaron: ‘This is the ordinance of the passover: there shall no alien eat thereof;	The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner may share in eating it.	Then the Lord said to Moyses and Aaron, saying: This is the law of the pascha. No alien shall eat of it.	And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, This is the law of the passover: no stranger shall eat of it.
but every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.	But everyone’s servant who is bought for money, after you have circumcised him, may eat it.	And any domestic of anyone or purchased slave you shall circumcise him, and then he shall eat of it.	And every slave or servant bought with money– him thou shalt circumcise, and then shall he eat of it.
A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.	A foreigner and a hired worker must not eat it.	A resident alien or hired person shall not eat of it.	A sojourner or hireling shall not eat of it.
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.	It must be eaten in one house; you must not bring any of the meat outside the house, and you must not break a bone of it.	In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not take any meat outside of the house, and you shall not break a bone of it.	In one house shall it be eaten, and ye shall not carry of the flesh out from the house; and a bone of it ye shall not break.
All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.	The whole community of Israel must observe it.	The entire congregation of the sons of Israel shall do this.	All the congregation of the children of Israel shall keep it.
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to HaShem, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.	“When a resident foreigner lives with you and wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, all his males must be circumcised, and then he may approach and observe it, and he will be like one who is born in the land—but no uncircumcised person may eat of it.	But if any guest should draw near to you to keep the pascha to the Lord, you shall circumcise every male of his, and then he shall draw near to keep it, and he shall be like a native of the land. No uncircumcised person shall eat of it.	And if any proselyte shall come to you to keep the passover to the Lord, thou shalt circumcise every male of him, and then shall he approach to sacrifice it, and he shall be even as the original inhabitant of the land; no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.’	The same law will apply to the person who is native-born and to the resident foreigner who lives among you.”	There shall be one law for the local inhabitant and for the guest among you who has drawn near.	There shall be one law to the native, and to the proselyte coming among you.

Even a woman’s purification ritual after childbirth was synchronized to accommodate her son’s circumcision.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 12:1-4 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 12:1-4 (NET)	Leviticus 12:1-4 (NETS)	Leviticus 12:1-4 (Elpenor English)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:	The Lord spoke to Moses:	And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If a woman be delivered, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.	“Tell the Israelites, ‘When a woman produces offspring and bears a male child, she will be unclean seven days, as she is unclean during the days of her menstruation.	Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: Any woman, if she is fertilized and bears a male child, shall also be unclean seven days, as at the days of the separation of her period, she shall be unclean.	Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whatsoever woman shall have conceived and born a male child shall be unclean seven days, she shall be unclean according to the days of separation for her monthly courses.
And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised [Table].	On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin must be circumcised.	And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin [Table].	And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.
And she shall continue in the blood of purification three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.	Then she will remain thirty-three days in blood purity. She must not touch anything holy, and she must not enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.	And thirty-three days shall she remain in her unclean blood; she shall not touch anything holy or come into the holy place until the days of her purification are completed.	And for thirty-three days she shall continue in her unclean blood; she shall touch nothing holy, and shall not enter the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.

With that as background, I’ll turn to the new covenant, one of the things our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him¹…that are hard to understand² (Galatians 5:1-5 ESV).

For freedom Christ³ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace [Table]. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

The Greek word translated freedom in the phrase For freedom was ἐλευθερίᾳ, a form of ἐλευθερία in the dative case. A translator’s note (1) in the NET reads:

Translating the dative [Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ] as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.

So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.⁴ The slave (παιδίσκης, a form of παιδίσκη) and the free woman (τῆς ἐλευθέρας, a form of ἐλεύθερος) were Hagar and Sarah, understood allegorically as the old covenant and the new respectively (Galatians 4:21-26 ESV).

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children [Table]. But the Jerusalem above is free (ἐλευθέρα, another form of ἐλεύθερος), and she is our⁵ mother.

Jesus had referred to this same allegory, except that from his lips it sounds less like an allegory and more like the truth; truth which explains why He called Hagar back (Genesis 16) to endure Sarai’s harsh treatment, only to be sent away with her son Ishmael at the appropriate time (Genesis 21), in order that the story Moses recorded in the Torah could be read by Paul in the Spirit, understood allegorically (ἀλληγορούμενα, a participle of ἀλληγορέω) and explained to the Galatians to accomplish the Lord’s intended purpose (John 8:31b-36 ESV):

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” [Table]
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free (ἐλευθερώσῃ, a form of ἐλευθερόω), you will be free (ἐλεύθεροι, another form of ἐλεύθερος) indeed.”

It’s probably a good idea to pause and reflect on what has been gained here regarding the freedom of which Paul wrote: He likened it to being born of a free woman, Sarah rather than Hagar. He interpreted these women allegorically as two covenants. Hagar represented the law, the old covenant and the present Jerusalem, which is in slavery with her children. Sarah represented the Jerusalem above (ἄνω), which is free: What is born of the flesh is flesh, Jesus said to Nicodemus, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above (ἄνωθεν).’⁶

Jesus offered more detail concerning the slavery of the present Jerusalem and her children: everyone who practices (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) sin is a slave to sin. The [free of sin] son remains forever. So if the [free of sin] Son sets you free (ἐλευθερώσῃ, a form of ἐλευθερόω) [of sin], you will be free (ἐλεύθεροι, another form of ἐλεύθερος) [of sin] indeed. And Paul wrote: For freedom Christ has set us free.⁷

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (ἐλευθερία).⁸

Christ has set us free, Paul continued in his letter to the Galatians according to the ESV translation. The word order in the critical text (NET parallel Greek and NA²⁸) is: Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν; literally, “For freedom us Christ has set free.” The placement of ἡμᾶς adds an emphasis with a flavor nearer to “For our freedom Christ has set free.” But Paul and the Holy Spirit didn’t choose ἡμῶν in the genitive case. It’s not wrong to associate the accusative pronoun ἡμᾶς with the verb ἠλευθέρωσεν, as it is found in the received text (Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text), following χριστος and preceding ἠλευθέρωσεν; literally, “Christ us has set free.”

The Greek verb translated has set…free was ἠλευθέρωσεν, another form of ἐλευθερόω. Paul described that freedom to which Christ in his Spirit has set us free elsewhere (Romans 8:2 ESV [Table]):

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free (ἠλευθέρωσεν, another form of ἐλευθερόω) in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Paul continued in his letter to the Galatians: stand firm therefore. The ESV translators understood the verb στήκετε as a 2^nd person plural imperative form of στήκω. It is a grammatically permissible way to understand στήκετε according to the Koine Greek Lexicon. It even makes some sense, if one assumes that Paul’s purpose was to supply those who were not standing firm with a Scriptural application to obey.

My argument is that Paul’s entire discourse in Galatians 5 calls that very assumption into question. There is another grammatically permissible way to understand στήκετε according to the Koine Greek Lexicon: as a 2^nd person plural form of στήκω in the indicative mood. In other words, Paul stated a fact about those whom Christ has set free—“you stand firm”—further illustrating the nature of that freedom of which he wrote.

Paul continued: and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The Greek verb ἐνέχεσθε is an imperative form of ἐνέχω according to the Koine Greek Lexicon. But the ESV translation do…submit sounds a bit too much like the active voice. Again, this makes some sense if one assumes that Paul’s purpose was to supply those who were submitting to a yoke of slavery with a Scriptural application to obey: do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. But ἐνέχεσθε is in the middle/passive voice: “subject yourselves to, load yourselves down with, hold yourselves in” or “entangle yourselves” or “involve yourselves in.”

I’ve begun to pay more attention to Greek word order as a way to grasp an author’s tone: καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε, “and not (or, cannot) again to a yoke of slavery entangle yourselves.” The phrase καὶ πάλιν means “again and again.” So, if I consider καὶ μὴ πάλιν as the phrase καὶ πάλιν split by the negative particle μὴ, I get, “you cannot again and again to a yoke of slavery entangle yourselves.” Why? Those whom Christ has set free for freedom stand firm and do not obey a yoke of slavery.

Paul chose the Greek word translated slavery—δουλείας, a form of δουλεία—elsewhere (Romans 8:15 ESV):

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery (δουλείας, a form of δουλεία) to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

And (Romans 8:20, 21 ESV):

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [Table] that the creation itself will be set free (ελευθερωθησεται, another form of ἐλευθερόω) from its bondage (δουλείας, a form of δουλεία) to corruption and obtain the freedom (ἐλευθερίαν, another form of ἐλευθερία) of the glory of the children of God.

Look: I, Paul, say to you, he continued, that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.⁹ The Greek words translated if you accept circumcision were ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, a middle/passive form of the verb περιτέμνω. The translation you accept circumcision demonstrates how the ESV translators handled a middle/passive verb without any particular agenda. The Greek word translated advantage was ὠφελήσει, a form of ὠφελέω in the future tense.

Paul used another form of ὠφελέω elsewhere in a similar context (Romans 2:25 ESV).

For circumcision indeed is of value (ὠφελεῖ, another form of ὠφελέω in the present tense) if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

In all my years in locker rooms growing up, I only saw one uncircumcised male. And I didn’t grow up in a Jewish neighborhood. My mother explained that circumcision was performed today for cleanliness. In other words, a young mother can keep her infant son’s penis clean without fondling it overmuch, peeling back his tiny foreskin. My circumcision has become uncircumcision. And I’m glad. It would be terrible if Christ were of no advantage to me forever.

I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision, Paul continued, that he is obligated to keep the whole law.¹⁰ Here the Greek word translated who accepts circumcision was περιτεμνομένῳ, a middle/passive participle of the verb περιτέμνω. Paul and the Holy Spirit are giving us a good primer on middle/passive verbs in Koine Greek.

Then Paul’s discourse turned a corner as it were. His main concern was not circumcision as an act in itself. The apostle was actually concerned with the more intimate and pervasive issues of how one believes and how one obeys (Galatians 5:4 ESV [Table]).

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

I shared this essay with a brother who objected to You are severed as a translation of κατηργήθητε, a passive form of καταργέω in the aorist tense. The Koine Greek Lexicon online lists three options for the passive voice: “to be released from, to be severed from, to be removed from.” But since he brought it up, I hear You are severed as present or perfect tense, yet I’m hard-pressed to come up with a better option that would be strictly aorist. And my brother softened some as he saw ἀπὸ (from) explicitly in the text.

We know that our old self was crucified with him, Paul wrote elsewhere, in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing (καταργηθῇ, another passive form of καταργέω, “might be released, might be severed, might be removed”), so that we would no longer be enslaved (δουλεύειν, a form of δουλεύω) to sin.¹¹ Do we then overthrow (καταργοῦμεν, another form of καταργέω in the active voice) the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.¹²

For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void (κατήργηται, another middle/passive form of καταργέω).¹³ For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released (κατήργηται, another middle/passive form of καταργέω) from the law of marriage.¹⁴ But now we are released (κατηργήθημεν, another passive form of καταργέω) from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.¹⁵

Who are they who are severed (“released, removed”) from Christ¹⁶ and all that union with Christ entails? The circumcised? No, you who would be justified by the law: οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε. The phrase would be justified is the ESV translation of δικαιοῦσθε, a middle/passive form of the verb δικαιόω. I’m tempted to strengthen the middle voice and forego the passive voice altogether here because of my own experience: “would justify yourselves.” But I must admit that would be justified is a clever word choice for δικαιοῦσθε, honoring the passive voice even as it highlights the self-righteousness of the action. So, our education in middle/passive verbs continues.

For by works of the law no human being will be justified (δικαιωθήσεται, another passive form of δικαιόω) in his sight, Paul wrote elsewhere, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.¹⁷ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified (δικαιοῦται, another middle/passive form of δικαιόω) by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified (δικαιωθῶμεν, another passive form of δικαιόω) by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified (δικαιωθήσεται, another passive form of δικαιόω) [Table].¹⁸

In the clause you who would be justified by the law, Paul surely referred to the law delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. But in Greek ἐν νόμῳ, translated by the law in the ESV, points clearly to more than the law. In Paul’s letters ἐν νόμῳ describes an alternative path to ἐν Χριστῷ; ἐν νόμῳ indicates a different way of doing righteousness from the righteousness of God ἐν Χριστῷ, that is, in Christ. [Y]ou have fallen away from grace, he wrote to any who would be justified by the law¹⁹ (Galatians 5:5 ESV).

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

The assumption that Paul’s intent was to write Scriptural applications, principles—let’s be clear—rules for obedience like some new covenant Moses, informs not only expository preaching but Bible translation as well.

Galatians 5:1
Old Covenant (ESV)	New Covenant
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.	For freedom us Christ has set free; you stand firm, therefore you cannot again and again to a yoke of slavery entangle yourselves.

In the first example on the left, there is the grace of God in Jesus Christ—For freedom Christ has set us free—and two rules to obey—stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. In the second example on the right, there is the grace of God in Jesus Christ—“For freedom us Christ has set free”—and two Gospel truths to believe, two better promises—“you stand firm” [e.g., in Christ (ἐν Χριστῷ)], “therefore you cannot again and again to a yoke of slavery entangle yourselves.” The NIV translation sounds closer to this in its translation of ἐνέχεσθε: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.²⁰ The verbatim translation on the right above, recast in better English, might read: “For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.”

Each of us must choose, I suppose, what translation sounds more like (Galatians 1:1-5 ESV):

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father [Table], to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Here is a question intended to help one choose wisely:

Does my obedience demonstrate my goodness for my glory, or does my obedience demonstrate God’s goodness to me, working in and through me for his glory?

Here are two bonus hints from Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 7:18 ESV; Galatians 2:19-21 NET).

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out [Table].
For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law (διὰ νόμου), then Christ died for nothing!

And finally here is one extra special bonus hint from Jesus the Christ (Mark 10:17, 18 ESV).

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Genesis 17:9; 17:10; 17:11; 17:12; 17:13; 17:14; Exodus 12:43; 12:44; 12:45; 12:46; 12:47; 12:48; 12:49; Leviticus 12:1; 12:2 and 12:4 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Genesis 17:9; 17:10; 17:11; 17:12; 17:13; 17:14; Exodus 12:43; 12:44; 12:45; 12:46; 12:47; 12:48; 12:49; Leviticus 12:1; 12:2 and 12:4 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Galatians 5:1 and 4:26 in the KJV and NET follow.

Genesis 17:9 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:9 (KJV)	Genesis 17:9 (NET)
And G-d said unto Abraham: ‘And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.	And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.	Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep the covenantal requirement I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Genesis 17:9 (BLB Septuagint)	Genesis 17:9 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Αβρααμ σὺ δὲ τὴν διαθήκην μου διατηρήσεις σὺ καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου μετὰ σὲ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν	καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ῾Αβραάμ· σὺ δὲ τὴν διαθήκην μου διατηρήσεις, σὺ καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου μετὰ σὲ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν
Genesis 17:9 (NETS)	Genesis 17:9 (Elpenor English)
And God said to Abraam, “Now as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.	And God said to Abraam, Thou also shalt fully keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee for their generations.

Genesis 17:10 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:10 (KJV)	Genesis 17:10 (NET)
This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.	This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.	This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.

Genesis 17:10 (BLB Septuagint)	Genesis 17:10 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διατηρήσεις ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου μετὰ σὲ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν περιτμηθήσεται ὑμῶν πᾶν ἀρσενικόν	καὶ αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη, ἣν διατηρήσεις, ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου μετὰ σὲ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς αὐτῶν· περιτμηθήσεται ὑμῶν πᾶν ἀρσενικόν
Genesis 17:10 (NETS)	Genesis 17:10 (Elpenor English)
And this is the covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and between your offspring after you throughout their generations: Every male of yours shall be circumcised,	And this [is] the covenant which thou shalt fully keep between me and you, and between thy seed after thee for their generations; every male of you shall be circumcised.

Genesis 17:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:11 (KJV)	Genesis 17:11 (NET)
And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you.	And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.	You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder of the covenant between me and you.

Genesis 17:11 (BLB Septuagint)	Genesis 17:11 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ περιτμηθήσεσθε τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἔσται ἐν σημείῳ διαθήκης ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν	καὶ περιτμηθήσεσθε τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας ὑμῶν, καὶ ἔσται εἰς σημεῖον διαθήκης ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν
Genesis 17:11 (NETS)	Genesis 17:11 (Elpenor English)
And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall exist as a covenant sign between me and you.	And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and you.

Genesis 17:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:12 (KJV)	Genesis 17:12 (NET)
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed.	And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.	Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants.

Genesis 17:12 (BLB Septuagint)	Genesis 17:12 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ παιδίον ὀκτὼ ἡμερῶν περιτμηθήσεται ὑμῖν πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ὁ οἰκογενὴς τῆς οἰκίας σου καὶ ὁ ἀργυρώνητος ἀπὸ παντὸς υἱοῦ ἀλλοτρίου ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματός σου	καὶ παιδίον ὀκτὼ ἡμερῶν περιτμηθήσεται ὑμῖν, πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν, ὁ οἰκογενὴς καὶ ὁ ἀργυρώνητος, ἀπὸ παντὸς υἱοῦ ἀλλοτρίου, ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματός σου
Genesis 17:12 (NETS)	Genesis 17:12 (Elpenor English)
And a youngster of eight days shall be circumcised among you—every male—throughout your generations, the homebred of your household and the one bought with money from any son of a foreigner, who is not of your offspring.	And the child of eight days [old] shall be circumcised by you, every male throughout your generations, and [the servant] born in the house and he that is bought with money, of every son of a stranger, who is not of thy seed.

Genesis 17:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:13 (KJV)	Genesis 17:13 (NET)
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.	He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.	They must indeed be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder.

Genesis 17:13 (BLB Septuagint)	Genesis 17:13 (Elpenor Septuagint)
περιτομῇ περιτμηθήσεται ὁ οἰκογενὴς τῆς οἰκίας σου καὶ ὁ ἀργυρώνητος καὶ ἔσται ἡ διαθήκη μου ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν εἰς διαθήκην αἰώνιον	περιτομῇ περιτμηθήσεται ὁ οἰκογενὴς τῆς οἰκίας σου καὶ ὁ ἀργυρώνητος, καὶ ἔσται ἡ διαθήκη μου ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν εἰς διαθήκην αἰώνιον
Genesis 17:13 (NETS)	Genesis 17:13 (Elpenor English)
The homebred of your household and the one bought with money shall be circumcised with circumcision, and my covenant shall be on your flesh for an everlasting covenant.	He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with money shall be surely circumcised, and my covenant shall be on your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Genesis 17:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:14 (KJV)	Genesis 17:14 (NET)
And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.’	And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.	Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people—he has failed to carry out my requirement.”

Genesis 17:14 (BLB Septuagint)	Genesis 17:14 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ ἀπερίτμητος ἄρσην ὃς οὐ περιτμηθήσεται τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἐξολεθρευθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς ὅτι τὴν διαθήκην μου διεσκέδασεν	καὶ ἀπερίτμητος ἄρσην, ὃς οὐ περιτμηθήσεται τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ἐξολοθρευθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς, ὅτι τὴν διαθήκην μου διεσκέδασε
Genesis 17:14 (NETS)	Genesis 17:14 (Elpenor English)
And as for an uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be destroyed from his kin, for he has scattered my covenant.”	And the uncircumcised male, who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be utterly destroyed from its family, for he has broken my covenant.

Exodus 12:43 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:43 (KJV)	Exodus 12:43 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Moses and Aaron: ‘This is the ordinance of the passover: there shall no alien eat thereof;	And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:	The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner may share in eating it.

Exodus 12:43 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:43 (Elpenor Septuagint)
εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν καὶ Ααρων λέγων οὗτος ὁ νόμος τοῦ πασχα πᾶς ἀλλογενὴς οὐκ ἔδεται ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ	Εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν καὶ ᾿Ααρών· οὗτος ὁ νόμος τοῦ πάσχα· πᾶς ἀλλογενὴς οὐκ ἔδεται ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Exodus 12:43 (NETS)	Exodus 12:43 (Elpenor English)
Then the Lord said to Moyses and Aaron, saying: This is the law of the pascha. No alien shall eat of it.	And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, This is the law of the passover: no stranger shall eat of it.

Exodus 12:44 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:44 (KJV)	Exodus 12:44 (NET)
but every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.	But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.	But everyone’s servant who is bought for money, after you have circumcised him, may eat it.

Exodus 12:44 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:44 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ πᾶν οἰκέτην τινὸς ἢ ἀργυρώνητον περιτεμεῖς αὐτόν καὶ τότε φάγεται ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ	καὶ πάντα οἰκέτην ἢ ἀργυρώνητον περιτεμεῖς αὐτόν, καὶ τότε φάγεται ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Exodus 12:44 (NETS)	Exodus 12:44 (Elpenor English)
And any domestic of anyone or purchased slave you shall circumcise him, and then he shall eat of it.	And every slave or servant bought with money– him thou shalt circumcise, and then shall he eat of it.

Exodus 12:45 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:45 (KJV)	Exodus 12:45 (NET)
A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.	A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.	A foreigner and a hired worker must not eat it.

Exodus 12:45 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:45 (Elpenor Septuagint)
πάροικος ἢ μισθωτὸς οὐκ ἔδεται ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ	πάροικος ἢ μισθωτὸς οὐκ ἔδεται ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Exodus 12:45 (NETS)	Exodus 12:45 (Elpenor English)
A resident alien or hired person shall not eat of it.	A sojourner or hireling shall not eat of it.

Exodus 12:46 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:46 (KJV)	Exodus 12:46 (NET)
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.	In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.	It must be eaten in one house; you must not bring any of the meat outside the house, and you must not break a bone of it.

Exodus 12:46 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:46 (Elpenor Septuagint)
ἐν οἰκίᾳ μιᾷ βρωθήσεται καὶ οὐκ ἐξοίσετε ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας τῶν κρεῶν ἔξω καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψετε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ	ἐν οἰκίᾳ μιᾷ βρωθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐξοίσετε ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας τῶν κρεῶν ἔξω· καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψετε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Exodus 12:46 (NETS)	Exodus 12:46 (Elpenor English)
In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not take any meat outside of the house, and you shall not break a bone of it.	In one house shall it be eaten, and ye shall not carry of the flesh out from the house; and a bone of it ye shall not break.

Exodus 12:47 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:47 (KJV)	Exodus 12:47 (NET)
All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.	All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.	The whole community of Israel must observe it.

Exodus 12:47 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:47 (Elpenor Septuagint)
πᾶσα συναγωγὴ υἱῶν Ισραηλ ποιήσει αὐτό	πᾶσα συναγωγὴ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ποιήσει αὐτό
Exodus 12:47 (NETS)	Exodus 12:47 (Elpenor English)
The entire congregation of the sons of Israel shall do this.	All the congregation of the children of Israel shall keep it.

Exodus 12:48 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:48 (KJV)	Exodus 12:48 (NET)
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to HaShem, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.	And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.	“When a resident foreigner lives with you and wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, all his males must be circumcised, and then he may approach and observe it, and he will be like one who is born in the land—but no uncircumcised person may eat of it.

Exodus 12:48 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:48 (Elpenor Septuagint)
ἐὰν δέ τις προσέλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς προσήλυτος ποιῆσαι τὸ πασχα κυρίῳ περιτεμεῖς αὐτοῦ πᾶν ἀρσενικόν καὶ τότε προσελεύσεται ποιῆσαι αὐτὸ καὶ ἔσται ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ αὐτόχθων τῆς γῆς πᾶς ἀπερίτμητος οὐκ ἔδεται ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ	ἐὰν δέ τις προσέλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς προσήλυτος ποιῆσαι τὸ πάσχα Κυρίῳ, περιτεμεῖς αὐτοῦ πᾶν ἀρσενικόν, καὶ τότε προσελεύσεται ποιῆσαι αὐτὸ καὶ ἔσται ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ αὐτόχθων τῆς γῆς· πᾶς ἀπερίτμητος οὐκ ἔδεται ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Exodus 12:48 (NETS)	Exodus 12:48 (Elpenor English)
But if any guest should draw near to you to keep the pascha to the Lord, you shall circumcise every male of his, and then he shall draw near to keep it, and he shall be like a native of the land. No uncircumcised person shall eat of it.	And if any proselyte shall come to you to keep the passover to the Lord, thou shalt circumcise every male of him, and then shall he approach to sacrifice it, and he shall be even as the original inhabitant of the land; no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

Exodus 12:49 (Tanakh)	Exodus 12:49 (KJV)	Exodus 12:49 (NET)
One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.’	One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.	The same law will apply to the person who is native-born and to the resident foreigner who lives among you.”

Exodus 12:49 (BLB Septuagint)	Exodus 12:49 (Elpenor Septuagint)
νόμος εἷς ἔσται τῷ ἐγχωρίῳ καὶ τῷ προσελθόντι προσηλύτῳ ἐν ὑμῖν	νόμος εἷς ἔσται τῷ ἐγχωρίῳ καὶ τῷ προσελθόντι προσηλύτῳ ἐν ὑμῖν
Exodus 12:49 (NETS)	Exodus 12:49 (Elpenor English)
There shall be one law for the local inhabitant and for the guest among you who has drawn near.	There shall be one law to the native, and to the proselyte coming among you.

Leviticus 12:1 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 12:1 (KJV)	Leviticus 12:1 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,	The Lord spoke to Moses:

Leviticus 12:1 (BLB Septuagint)	Leviticus 12:1 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων	ΚΑΙ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων
Leviticus 12:1 (NETS)	Leviticus 12:1 (Elpenor Engish)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Leviticus 12:2 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 12:2 (KJV)	Leviticus 12:2 (NET)
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If a woman be delivered, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.	Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.	“Tell the Israelites, ‘When a woman produces offspring and bears a male child, she will be unclean seven days, as she is unclean during the days of her menstruation.

Leviticus 12:2 (BLB Septuagint)	Leviticus 12:2 (Elpenor Septuagint)
λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς γυνή ἥτις ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τέκῃ ἄρσεν καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ χωρισμοῦ τῆς ἀφέδρου αὐτῆς ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται	λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς· γυνή, ἥτις ἐὰν σπερματισθῇ καὶ τέκῃ ἄρσεν, καὶ ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ χωρισμοῦ τῆς ἀφέδρου αὐτῆς, ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται
Leviticus 12:2 (NETS)	Leviticus 12:2 (Elpenor Engish)
Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: Any woman, if she is fertilized and bears a male child, shall also be unclean seven days, as at the days of the separation of her period, she shall be unclean.	Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whatsoever woman shall have conceived and born a male child shall be unclean seven days, she shall be unclean according to the days of separation for her monthly courses.

Leviticus 12:4 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 12:4 (KJV)	Leviticus 12:4 (NET)
And she shall continue in the blood of purification three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.	And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.	Then she will remain thirty-three days in blood purity. She must not touch anything holy, and she must not enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

Leviticus 12:4 (BLB Septuagint)	Leviticus 12:4 (Elpenor Septuagint)
καὶ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς καθήσεται ἐν αἵματι ἀκαθάρτῳ αὐτῆς παντὸς ἁγίου οὐχ ἅψεται καὶ εἰς τὸ ἁγιαστήριον οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται ἕως ἂν πληρωθῶσιν αἱ ἡμέραι καθάρσεως αὐτῆς	καὶ τριάκοντα καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας καθήσεται ἐν αἵματι ἀκαθάρτῳ αὐτῆς, παντὸς ἁγίου οὐχ ἅψεται καὶ εἰς τὸ ἁγιαστήριον οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται, ἕως ἂν πληρωθῶσιν αἱ ἡμέραι καθάρσεως αὐτῆς
Leviticus 12:4 (NETS)	Leviticus 12:4 (Elpenor Engish)
And thirty-three days shall she remain in her unclean blood; she shall not touch anything holy or come into the holy place until the days of her purification are completed.	And for thirty-three days she shall continue in her unclean blood; she shall touch nothing holy, and shall not enter the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.

Galatians 5:1 (NET)	Galatians 5:1 (KJV)
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.	Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 5:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 5:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν· στήκετε οὖν καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε	τη ελευθερια ουν η χριστος ημας ηλευθερωσεν στηκετε και μη παλιν ζυγω δουλειας ενεχεσθε	τη ελευθερια ουν η χριστος ημας ηλευθερωσεν στηκετε και μη παλιν ζυγω δουλειας ενεχεσθε

Galatians 4:26 (NET)	Galatians 4:26 (KJV)
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.	But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Galatians 4:26 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 4:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 4:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ ἡμῶν	η δε ανω ιερουσαλημ ελευθερα εστιν ητις εστιν μητηρ παντων ημων	η δε ανω ιερουσαλημ ελευθερα εστιν ητις εστιν μητηρ παντων ημων

Exploration, Part 2

¹ 2 Peter 3:15b (ESV)

² 2 Peter 3:16b (ESV) Table

³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun η (KJV: wherewith) preceding Christ. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴ Galatians 4:31 (ESV)

⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μητηρ παντων ημων (KJV: mother of us all) here, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μήτηρ ἡμῶν.

⁶ John 3:6, 7 (NET)

⁷ Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

⁸ 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) Table

⁹ Galatians 5:2 (ESV)

¹⁰ Galatians 5:3 (ESV)

¹¹ Romans 6:6 (ESV)

¹² Romans 3:31 (ESV) Table

¹³ Romans 4:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ Romans 7:2 (ESV)

¹⁵ Romans 7:6 (ESV)

¹⁶ I’m thinking that You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law (Galatians 5:4a ESV) is a fairly self-conscious bookend to And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people (Genesis 17:14a Tanakh).

¹⁷ Romans 3:20 (ESV)

¹⁸ Galatians 2:15, 16 (ESV)

¹⁹ Galatians 5:4b (ESV) Table

²⁰ Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 1

Posted on June 24, 2019 by admin

Revisiting Is Sin Less Than Sin, Part 2 to make tables of quotations that differed in the NET parallel Greek, Stephanus Textus Receptus or Byzantine Majority Text I learned that there is some question whether τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι (KJV: that ye should not obey the truth) was original to Galatians 3:1 (Table). I want to consider that possibility here.

On the surface given my particular fetish it’s a slam dunk. I hear obey the truth as “obey the law.” The law is clear (Table1 and Table2 below): And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin [i.e., of the new-born man-child] shall be circumcised.^[1] But Paul wrote adult, presumably Gentile, believers in Galatia: Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!^[2] In English it is obvious that someone added that ye should not obey the truth to obfuscate Paul’s actual point. In Greek it’s not so obvious.

Had the translators chosen any other English words for πειθεσθαι, the passive infinitive form of πείθω, it wouldn’t have triggered my works religion fetish (Galatians 3:1 KJV Table)

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not [be persuaded of, be convinced of, come to believe, believe, trust, follow, rely on] the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Any of these translations would have persuaded me that truth would refer to Paul’s teaching about Christ in his letter to the Galatians rather than to law. The only (or only other) occurrence of πείθεσθαι in the New Testament was, And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey (πείθεσθαι, a form of πείθω) us, then we guide their entire bodies.^[3] Here πείθεσθαι was translated to obey in the NET and may obey in the KJV (Table3 below). I wanted to focus on Paul’s usage of other forms of πείθω elsewhere, but realized that I had better consider all other occurrences. The following table is in alphabetical order.

Reference	Form of πείθω	NET	KJV
Matthew 27:20	ἔπεισαν	…the elders persuaded the crowds…	…elders persuaded the multitude…
Acts 5:40	ἐπείσθησαν	He convinced them…	And to him they agreed…
Acts 17:4	ἐπείσθησαν	Some of them were persuaded…	And some of them believed…
Acts 18:4	ἔπειθεν	…attempting to persuade them.	…and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Acts 27:11	ἐπείθετο	…the centurion was more convinced by the captain…	…the centurion believed the master…
Acts 13:43	ἔπειθον	…were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.	…persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts 5:36	ἐπείθοντο	…all who followed him were dispersed…	…as many as obeyed him, were scattered…
Acts 5:37		…all who followed him were scattered.	…as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
Acts 28:24		Some were convinced by what he said…	And some believed the things which were spoken…

This is a good place to break this table since ἐπείθοντο, another passive form of πείθω, was translated both obeyed and believed in different contexts in the KJV, and the latter was contrasted to ἠπίστουν, a form of ἀπιστέω (NET: refused to believe; KJV: believed not). Peter and the apostles had already escaped from prison once (Acts 5:17-21). They were arrested again (Acts 5:27-32 NET):

When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, and the high priest questioned them, saying, “We^[4] gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood on us!” But Peter^[5] and the apostles replied,^[6] “We must obey (πειθαρχεῖν, a form of πειθαρχέω) God rather than people. The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give^[7] repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses^[8] of these events, and so is the Holy^[9] Spirit whom God has given to those who obey (πειθαρχοῦσιν, another form of πειθαρχέω) him.”

Both πειθαρχέω and πειθαρχοῦσιν are active verbs, compound words that include πείθω. At any other time it might have freaked me out to consider that God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey Jesus. But I’ve paused here because Gamaliel helped me wrap my head around what has troubled me. I’ll get to that soon. Those who obey Jesus reminds me of what Peter said at Pentecost, Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^[10]

Peter didn’t think the active imperative verb μετανοήσατε (a form of μετανοέω), to repent, or the passive imperative verb βαπτισθήτω (a form of βαπτίζω), be baptized, were works that could taint the gift (δωρεὰν, a form of δωρεά) of the Holy Spirit. This is the deed (ἔργον) God requires, Jesus said, to believe (πιστεύητε, a form of πιστεύω) in the one whom he sent.^[11] I assume that to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ is the practical demonstration of to believe in the one whom he sent, in the sense that James described: Show me your faith (πίστιν, a form of πίστις) without^[12] works^[13] (ἔργων, a form of ἔργον) and I will show you faith^[14] (πίστιν, a form of πίστις) by my works (ἔργων, a form of ἔργον).^[15]

The NET definition of βαπτίζω includes the following slightly more complicated explanation:

Not to be confused with 911, bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ (bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptised’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mr 16:16. ‘He that believes and is baptised shall be saved’. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle! (Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989).

So those who accepted [Peter’s] message, Luke continued his narrative of Pentecost, were baptized (ἐβαπτίσθησαν, another form of βαπτίζω), and that day about three thousand people were added.^[16] So I assume these three thousand people were joined in life-changing union with Christ. I’m uncertain whether Mr. Boice would have assumed that they had also been dipped in water.

John the Baptist contrasted his ministry to that of Jesus as follows (Matthew 3:11-17 NET):

“I baptize (βαπτίζω) you with water, for repentance (μετάνοιαν, a form of μετάνοια), but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy to carry his sandals! He will baptize (βαπτίσει, another form of βαπτίζω) you with the Holy Spirit and fire.^[17] His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire!”

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized (βαπτισθῆναι, another form of βαπτίζω) by him in the Jordan River. But John^[18] tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized (βαπτισθῆναι, another form of βαπτίζω) by you, and yet you come to me?” So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him. After^[19] Jesus was baptized (βαπτισθεὶς, another form of βαπτίζω), just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened^[20] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”

Since I don’t believe that this was Jesus’ first encounter with the Holy Spirit (Psalm 22:9, 10), I assume He went out of his way, much to John’s consternation, to demonstrate a linkage between water baptism for repentance and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. It was not a rule: “no one can receive the Holy Spirit apart from water baptism.” While Peter was still speaking [to the Gentiles who had summoned him], the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the message.^[21] Then Peter^[22] said (Acts 10:46b-48a NET Table):

“No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized (βαπτισθῆναι, another form of βαπτίζω), who have received the Holy Spirit just as^[23] we did, can he?” So he gave orders to have them baptized (βαπτισθῆναι, another form of βαπτίζω) in the name of Jesus Christ.^[24]

Submitting to baptism is something a new believer can do to demonstrate faith and repentance, to begin to follow Jesus. Let it happen now, Jesus comforted John, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.^[25] Jesus was baptized in the muddy brown Jordan River rather than an over-sized bathtub or a small swimming pool. As He disappeared under the water and then rose again, glistening in the sunlight, He presented a beautiful image of Paul’s teaching to believers in Rome (Romans 6:3, 4 NET):

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized (ἐβαπτίσθημεν, another form of βαπτίζω) into Christ Jesus were baptized (ἐβαπτίσθημεν, another form of βαπτίζω) into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism (βαπτίσματος, a form of βάπτισμα) into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.

Much as I like Mr. Boice’s imagery, my initial investigations are yielding a negative result, since Jesus, Cornelius and (I assume) no believers in Rome were drowned in the waters of baptism. John the Baptist/Matthew, Peter/Luke and Paul have not demonstrated so technical a usage of forms of βαπτίζω versus forms of βάπτω as is found in Nicander’s pickle recipe thus far. I won’t pursue an exhaustive search here, since I’ve already interrupted an exhaustive search of forms of πείθω to listen to Gamaliel.

When the council and the high priest heard Peter and the apostles say, we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him,^[26] they became furious and wanted^[27] to execute them. But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the^[28] men^[29] to be put outside for a short time.^[30] Gamaliel addressed the Council (Acts 5:35b-39 NET):

“Men of Israel, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about^[31] four hundred men joined^[32] him. He was killed, and all who followed (ἐπείθοντο, another form of πείθω; KJV: obeyed) him were dispersed and nothing came of it. After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people^[33] to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed (ἐπείθοντο, another form of πείθω; KJV: obeyed) him were scattered. So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone,^[34] because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them,^[35] or you may even be found fighting against God.” He convinced (ἐπείσθησαν, another form of πείθω) them…

Given that ἐπείθοντο and ἐπείσθησαν are both passive 3^rd person plural forms of πείθω, the KJV translation—And to him they agreed^[36]—is a more accurate translation of the Greek than the more active He convinced them^[37] in the NET. Also ἐπείσθησαν might have been translated obeyed, the same way ἐπείθοντο was in the KJV, since the council did not carry out its desire or counsel to execute the apostles. Gamaliel held no gun to their heads. Rather, they were persuaded by his history lesson.

What stood out in sharp enough relief for me to finally perceive it this time was the fact that all who followed or obeyed Theudas did so in their own strength. Theudas was powerless to give them his spirit, much less the Holy Spirit of God. Likewise, all who followed or obeyed Judas the Galilean did so in their own strength. He was unable to fill them with a love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that could sustain them. Theudas and Judas the Galilean left their followers to their own devices. After they were killed their followers were dispersed (διελύθησαν) and scattered (διεσκορπίσθησαν).

Here I can distinguish the true Christ from the false. The true Christ fulfills the promise of the Lord (ʼădônây, אֲדֹנָ֣י) God (y^ehôvih, יֱהֹוִ֔ה): And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.^[38] And this, not by obeying rules: For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.^[39] Paul described it this way (Romans 7:4-6 NET):

So, my brothers and sisters, 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. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.

It bears mentioning here that I have never spoken in tongues or performed a miraculous sign. I am about as mundane a muggle as you will ever meet. And still by the continuous infusion of the fruit of Christ’s Holy Spirit I am being renewed in the spirit of [my] mind, and [putting] on the new man who has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.^[40]

Pope Francis made the news recently approving a change to the English translation of the Lord’s Prayer. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this translation questioned, and I mostly frequent Protestant circles. The Lord knows He will not tempt me to sin, but I didn’t.

As I began to let go of the only way of righteousness I had ever known—forcing myself to obey the rules, norms and standards of righteousness handed down to me by God, governments, parents and teachers—to rely instead upon the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control^[41] of his Holy Spirit, that does no wrong to a neighbor^[42] and is therefore the fulfillment (Romans 8:3, 4) of God’s law, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe,^[43] I was scared. And unfortunately when I was going through the worst of it I didn’t pray the Lord’s prayer very often.

I thought it was a model prayer to be imitated rather than an actual prayer to be prayed. But now I pray daily, not just for myself but for all, from the Pope to the homeless man who blessed me at the stoplight for the last of my cash: “and lead us…(pause a beat)… not into temptation but deliver us from the evil.” Praying that daily (or more often) really helps when the Holy Spirit leads in a direction my religious mind doesn’t want to go. I sensed, especially, the love, kindness and gentleness of the Holy Spirit welling up within me before I let Him affect me, at least before I welcomed and appreciated his affect in me. I quenched the Spirit because I thought I was supposed to be tougher than that. Against such things [i.e., the fruit of the Spirit] there is no law.^[44]

If I make a mistake and head off in a direction contrary to the Spirit’s leading, if while seeking to be justified in Christ [I myself] have also been found to be^[45] a sinner, well, the Lord’s prayer has that covered, too: “Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven (or, as we forgive) our debtors…for Yours (i.e., God’s, not mine) is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. I do believe You” (see Table15 below).

A table comparing Leviticus 12:3 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET follows. Following that is a table comparing Leviticus 12:3 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor). Following that are tables comparing James 3:3; Acts 27:11; 13:43; 5:28, 29; 5:31, 32; James 2:18; Matthew 3:11; 3:14; 3:16; Acts 10:47, 48; 5:33, 34; 5:36-40 and Matthew 6:13 in the NET and KJV.

Leviticus 12:3 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 12:3 (KJV)	Leviticus 12:3 (NET)
And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.	And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.	On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin must be circumcised.

Leviticus 12:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 12:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ περιτεμεῗ τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ	καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ περιτεμεῖ τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ
Leviticus 12:3 (NETS)	Leviticus 12:3 (English Elpenor)
And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.	And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.

James 3:3 (NET)	James 3:3 (KJV)
And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.	Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ δὲ τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς εἰς τὰ στόματα βάλλομεν εἰς τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν μετάγομεν	ιδου των ιππων τους χαλινους εις τα στοματα βαλλομεν προς το πειθεσθαι αυτους ημιν και ολον το σωμα αυτων μεταγομεν	ιδε των ιππων τους χαλινους εις τα στοματα βαλλομεν προς το πειθεσθαι αυτους ημιν και ολον το σωμα αυτων μεταγομεν

Acts 27:11 (NET)	Acts 27:11 (KJV)
But the centurion was more convinced by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said.	Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ ἑκατοντάρχης τῷ κυβερνήτῃ καὶ τῷ ναυκλήρῳ μᾶλλον ἐπείθετο ἢ τοῖς ὑπὸ Παύλου λεγομένοις	ο δε εκατονταρχος τω κυβερνητη και τω ναυκληρω επειθετο μαλλον η τοις υπο του παυλου λεγομενοις	ο δε εκατονταρχης τω κυβερνητη και τω ναυκληρω επειθετο μαλλον η τοις υπο του παυλου λεγομενοις

Acts 13:43 (NET)	Acts 13:43 (KJV)
When the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.	Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λυθείσης δὲ τῆς συναγωγῆς ἠκολούθησαν πολλοὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ τῶν σεβομένων προσηλύτων τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Βαρναβᾷ, οἵτινες προσλαλοῦντες αὐτοῖς ἔπειθον αὐτοὺς προσμένειν τῇ χάριτι τοῦ θεοῦ	λυθεισης δε της συναγωγης ηκολουθησαν πολλοι των ιουδαιων και των σεβομενων προσηλυτων τω παυλω και τω βαρναβα οιτινες προσλαλουντες αυτοις επειθον αυτους επιμενειν τη χαριτι του θεου	λυθεισης δε της συναγωγης ηκολουθησαν πολλοι των ιουδαιων και των σεβομενων προσηλυτων τω παυλω και τω βαρναβα οιτινες προσλαλουντες επειθον αυτους επιμενειν τη χαριτι του θεου

Acts 5:28, 29 (NET)	Acts 5:28, 29 (KJV)
saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood on us!”	Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λέγων· παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν ὑμῖν μὴ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πεπληρώκατε τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τῆς διδαχῆς ὑμῶν καὶ βούλεσθε ἐπαγαγεῖν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου	λεγων ου παραγγελια παρηγγειλαμεν υμιν μη διδασκειν επι τω ονοματι τουτω και ιδου πεπληρωκατε την ιερουσαλημ της διδαχης υμων και βουλεσθε επαγαγειν εφ ημας το αιμα του ανθρωπου τουτου	λεγων ου παραγγελια παρηγγειλαμεν υμιν μη διδασκειν επι τω ονοματι τουτω και ιδου πεπληρωκατε την ιερουσαλημ της διδαχης υμων και βουλεσθε επαγαγειν εφ ημας το αιμα του ανθρωπου τουτου

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι εἶπαν· πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις	αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος και οι αποστολοι ειπον πειθαρχειν δει θεω μαλλον η ανθρωποις	αποκριθεις δε πετρος και οι αποστολοι ειπον πειθαρχειν δει θεω μαλλον η ανθρωποις

Acts 5:31, 32 (NET)	Acts 5:31, 32 (KJV)
God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.	Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς ἀρχηγὸν καὶ σωτῆρα ὕψωσεν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ [τοῦ] δοῦναι μετάνοιαν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν	τουτον ο θεος αρχηγον και σωτηρα υψωσεν τη δεξια αυτου δουναι μετανοιαν τω ισραηλ και αφεσιν αμαρτιων	τουτον ο θεος αρχηγον και σωτηρα υψωσεν τη δεξια αυτου δουναι μετανοιαν τω ισραηλ και αφεσιν αμαρτιων

And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν μάρτυρες τῶν ρημάτων τούτων καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὃ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς πειθαρχοῦσιν αὐτῷ	και ημεις εσμεν αυτου μαρτυρες των ρηματων τουτων και το πνευμα δε το αγιον ο εδωκεν ο θεος τοις πειθαρχουσιν αυτω	και ημεις εσμεν αυτου μαρτυρες των ρηματων τουτων και το πνευμα δε το αγιον ο εδωκεν ο θεος τοις πειθαρχουσιν αυτω

James 2:18 (NET)	James 2:18 (KJV)
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.	Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀλλ᾿ ἐρεῖ τις· σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις, καγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξον μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, καγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν	αλλ ερει τις συ πιστιν εχεις καγω εργα εχω δειξον μοι την πιστιν σου εκ των εργων σου καγω δειξω σοι εκ των εργων μου την πιστιν μου	αλλ ερει τις συ πιστιν εχεις καγω εργα εχω δειξον μοι την πιστιν σου εκ των εργων σου καγω δειξω σοι εκ των εργων μου την πιστιν μου

Matthew 3:11 (NET)	Matthew 3:11 (KJV)
“I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy to carry his sandals! He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.	I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμᾶς βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν, ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἰσχυρότερος μού ἐστιν, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί	εγω μεν βαπτιζω υμας εν υδατι εις μετανοιαν ο δε οπισω μου ερχομενος ισχυροτερος μου εστιν ου ουκ ειμι ικανος τα υποδηματα βαστασαι αυτος υμας βαπτισει εν πνευματι αγιω και πυρι	εγω μεν βαπτιζω υμας εν υδατι εις μετανοιαν ο δε οπισω μου ερχομενος ισχυροτερος μου εστιν ου ουκ ειμι ικανος τα υποδηματα βαστασαι αυτος υμας βαπτισει εν πνευματι αγιω

Matthew 3:14 (NET)	Matthew 3:14 (KJV)
But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”	But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων· ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με	ο δε ιωαννης διεκωλυεν αυτον λεγων εγω χρειαν εχω υπο σου βαπτισθηναι και συ ερχη προς με	ο δε ιωαννης διεκωλυεν αυτον λεγων εγω χρειαν εχω υπο σου βαπτισθηναι και συ ερχη προς με

Matthew 3:16 (NET)	Matthew 3:16 (KJV)
After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.	And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
βαπτισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν [τὸ] πνεῦμα [τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν [καὶ] ἐρχόμενον ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν	και βαπτισθεις ο ιησους ανεβη ευθυς απο του υδατος και ιδου ανεωχθησαν αυτω οι ουρανοι και ειδεν το πνευμα του θεου καταβαινον ωσει περιστεραν και ερχομενον επ αυτον	και βαπτισθεις ο ιησους ανεβη ευθυς απο του υδατος και ιδου ανεωχθησαν αυτω οι ουρανοι και ειδεν το πνευμα του θεου καταβαινον ωσει περιστεραν και ερχομενον επ αυτον

Acts 10:47, 48 (NET)	Acts 10:47, 48 (KJV)
“No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”	Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
μήτι τὸ ὕδωρ δύναται κωλῦσαι τις τοῦ μὴ βαπτισθῆναι τούτους, οἵτινες τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαβον ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς	μητι το υδωρ κωλυσαι δυναται τις του μη βαπτισθηναι τουτους οιτινες το πνευμα το αγιον ελαβον καθως και ημεις	μητι το υδωρ κωλυσαι δυναται τις του μη βαπτισθηναι τουτους οιτινες το πνευμα το αγιον ελαβον καθως και ημεις

So he gave orders to have them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
προσέταξεν δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ βαπτισθῆναι. τότε ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν ἐπιμεῖναι ἡμέρας τινάς	προσεταξεν τε αυτους βαπτισθηναι εν τω ονοματι του κυριου τοτε ηρωτησαν αυτον επιμειναι ημερας τινας	προσεταξεν τε αυτους βαπτισθηναι εν τω ονοματι του κυριου τοτε ηρωτησαν αυτον επιμειναι ημερας τινας

Acts 5:33, 34 (NET)	Acts 5:33, 34 (KJV)
Now when they heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute them.	When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες διεπρίοντο καὶ ἐβούλοντο ἀνελεῖν αὐτούς	οι δε ακουσαντες διεπριοντο και εβουλευοντο ανελειν αυτους	οι δε ακουοντες διεπριοντο και εβουλευοντο ανελειν αυτους

But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀναστὰς δέ τις ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ Φαρισαῖος ὀνόματι Γαμαλιήλ, νομοδιδάσκαλος τίμιος παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, ἐκέλευσεν ἔξω βραχὺ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιῆσαι	αναστας δε τις εν τω συνεδριω φαρισαιος ονοματι γαμαλιηλ νομοδιδασκαλος τιμιος παντι τω λαω εκελευσεν εξω βραχυ τι τους αποστολους ποιησαι	αναστας δε τις εν τω συνεδριω φαρισαιος ονοματι γαμαλιηλ νομοδιδασκαλος τιμιος παντι τω λαω εκελευσεν εξω βραχυ τι τους αποστολους ποιησαι

Acts 5:36-40 (NET)	Acts 5:36-40 (KJV)
For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it.	For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πρὸ γὰρ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀνέστη Θευδᾶς λέγων εἶναι τινα ἑαυτόν, ᾧ προσεκλίθη ἀνδρῶν ἀριθμὸς ὡς τετρακοσίων· ὃς ἀνῃρέθη, καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπείθοντο αὐτῷ διελύθησαν καὶ ἐγένοντο εἰς οὐδέν	προ γαρ τουτων των ημερων ανεστη θευδας λεγων ειναι τινα εαυτον ω προσεκολληθη αριθμος ανδρων ωσει τετρακοσιων ος ανηρεθη και παντες οσοι επειθοντο αυτω διελυθησαν και εγενοντο εις ουδεν	προ γαρ τουτων των ημερων ανεστη θευδας λεγων ειναι τινα εαυτον ω προσεκληθη αριθμος ανδρων ωσει τετρακοσιων ος ανηρεθη και παντες οσοι επειθοντο αυτω διελυθησαν και εγενοντο εις ουδεν

After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered.

After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
μετὰ τοῦτον ἀνέστη Ἰούδας ὁ Γαλιλαῖος ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς ἀπογραφῆς καὶ ἀπέστησεν λαὸν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ· κακεῖνος ἀπώλετο καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπείθοντο αὐτῷ διεσκορπίσθησαν	μετα τουτον ανεστη ιουδας ο γαλιλαιος εν ταις ημεραις της απογραφης και απεστησεν λαον ικανον οπισω αυτου κακεινος απωλετο και παντες οσοι επειθοντο αυτω διεσκορπισθησαν	μετα τουτον ανεστη ιουδας ο γαλιλαιος εν ταις ημεραις της απογραφης και απεστησεν λαον ικανον οπισω αυτου κακεινος απωλετο και παντες οσοι επειθοντο αυτω διεσκορπισθησαν

So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing,

And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ \|τὰ\| νῦν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπόστητε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τούτων καὶ ἄφετε αὐτούς· ὅτι ἐὰν ᾖ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἡ βουλὴ αὕτη ἢ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο, καταλυθήσεται	και τα νυν λεγω υμιν αποστητε απο των ανθρωπων τουτων και εασατε αυτους οτι εαν η εξ ανθρωπων η βουλη αυτη η το εργον τουτο καταλυθησεται	και τα νυν λεγω υμιν αποστητε απο των ανθρωπων τουτων και εασατε αυτους οτι εαν η εξ ανθρωπων η βουλη η το εργον τουτο καταλυθησεται

but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” He convinced them,

But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ δὲ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ δυνήσεσθε καταλῦσαι αὐτούς, μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε. ἐπείσθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ	ει δε εκ θεου εστιν ου δυνασθε καταλυσαι αυτο μηποτε και θεομαχοι ευρεθητε	ει δε εκ θεου εστιν ου δυνασθε καταλυσαι αυτο μηποτε και θεομαχοι ευρεθητε

and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐπείσθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ προσκαλεσάμενοι τοὺς ἀποστόλους δείραντες παρήγγειλαν μὴ λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἀπέλυσαν	επεισθησαν δε αυτω και προσκαλεσαμενοι τους αποστολους δειραντες παρηγγειλαν μη λαλειν επι τω ονοματι του ιησου και απελυσαν αυτους	επεισθησαν δε αυτω και προσκαλεσαμενοι τους αποστολους δειραντες παρηγγειλαν μη λαλειν επι τω ονοματι του ιησου και απελυσαν αυτους

Matthew 6:13 (NET)	Matthew 6:13 (KJV)
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ρῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ	και μη εισενεγκης ημας εις πειρασμον αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου οτι σου εστιν η βασιλεια και η δυναμις και η δοξα εις τους αιωνας αμην	και μη εισενεγκης ημας εις πειρασμον αλλα ρυσαι ημας απο του πονηρου οτι σου εστιν η βασιλεια και η δυναμις και η δοξα εις τους αιωνας αμην

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 2

Back to To Make Holy, Part 7

Back to Saul and Barnabas, Part 3

Back to Peter’s First Gospel Proclamation Revisited, Part 2

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 3

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 5

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 4

Back to Psalm 22, Part 6

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 10

Back to Funeral, Part 3

Back to Psalm 22, Part 11

Back to Christianity, Part 5

Back to Christianity, Part 7

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 3

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 1

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

Back to Matthew 8:23-34

Back to Exploration, Part 1

^[1] Leviticus 12:3 (Tanakh)

^[2] Galatians 5:2 (NET)

^[3] James 3:3 (NET)

^[4] The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ began this clause with ου (KJV: Did not we). The NET parallel Greek text did not.

^[5] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Peter. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[6] The NET parallel Greek and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here (not translated in the NET), where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον (KJV: and said).

^[7] The NET parallel Greek and NA²⁸ had the article τοῦ preceding give. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτου (KJV: his) preceding witnesses. The NET parallel Greek and NA²⁸ did not.

^[9] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: also) preceding Holy. The NET parallel Greek and NA²⁸ did not.

^[10] Acts 2:38 (NET) Table

^[11] John 6:29 (NET) Table

^[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had χωρὶς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκ.

^[13] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had σου following works (KJV: thy works). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[14] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μου following faith (KJV: my faith). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[15] James 2:18b (NET)

^[16] Acts 2:41 (NET) Table

^[17] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had καὶ πυρί (NET: and fire) here. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[18] The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had ιωαννης (John) here. The NET parallel Greek text did not.

^[19] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δὲ (not translated in the NET) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And).

^[20] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἠνεῴχθησαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ανεωχθησαν. The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had αυτω (KJV: unto him) following opened. The NET parallel Greek text did not.

^[21] Acts 10:44 (NET)

^[22] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding Peter. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[23] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καθως (KJV: as well as).

^[24] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had του κυριου (KJV: the Lord).

^[25] Matthew 3:15 (NET)

^[26] Acts 5:32 (NET)

^[27] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐβούλοντο here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εβουλευοντο (KJV: took counsel).

^[28] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τι preceding the. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[29] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀνθρώπους here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αποστολους (KJV: apostles).

^[30] Acts 5:33b, 34 (NET)

^[31] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀριθμὸς ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had simply αριθμος.

^[32] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had προσεκλίθη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had προσεκολληθη and the Byzantine Majority Text had προσεκληθη.

^[33] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ικανον following people (KJV: much people). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[34] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἄφετε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εασατε (KJV: let them alone)

^[35] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the plural masculine pronoun αὐτούς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular neuter pronoun αυτο (KJV: it).

^[36] Acts 5:40a (KJV)

^[37] Acts 5:39b (NET)

^[38] Ezekiel 36:27 (Tanakh) Table

^[39] Hebrews 10:1 (NET) Table

^[40] Ephesians 4:23, 24 (NET)

^[41] Glatians 5:22b-23a (NET) Table

^[42] Romans 13:10 (NET) I’m confident to make this substitution. Paul’s description of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a) is not a description of human emotion. It is at the very least a description of the fruit of the Spirit.

^[43] Romans 3:22a (NET) Table

^[44] Galatians 5:23b (NET)

^[45] Galatians 2:17a (NET)

Romans, Part 88

Posted on September 7, 2017 by admin

This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you,^[1] Paul continued his letter to believers in Rome. The hindrance here was Paul’s own φιλοτιμούμενον (a form of φιλοτιμέομαι), translated I desire (NET) and have I strived (KJV), his own fondness for honor: And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”^[2] But in two other letters Paul used forms of φιλοτιμέομαι without a hint of pride (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 NET):

Now on the topic of brotherly love (φιλαδελφίας, a form of φιλαδελφία) you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, to aspire (φιλοτιμεῖσθαι, another form of φιλοτιμέομαι) to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

Granted, Paul’s own aspiration was to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, while his aspiration for Macedonian believers was that they lead a quiet life, to attend to [their] own business, and to work with [their] hands, as we commanded [them]. But that implies a sense of order and rank, not necessarily a prideful aspiration on Paul’s part. To the Corinthian believers he wrote (2 Corinthians 5:1-10 NET):

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire (ἐπιποθοῦντες, a form of ἐπιποθέω) to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord – for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition (φιλοτιμούμεθα, another form of φιλοτιμέομαι) to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.

Surely Paul’s ambition to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, was part of his ambition to please God. Still, I wonder how different church history might have been if Paul had arrived first in Rome. He had desired (ἐπιποθίαν, a form of ἐπιποθία) to come to them for many years: But now there is nothing more to keep me in these regions, and I have for many years desired to come to you when I go to Spain.^[3] For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.^[4] He acknowledged the same at the beginning of his letter to them (Romans 1:8-13a NET):

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness that I continually remember you and I always ask in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting (ἐλθεῖν, a form of ἔρχομαι) you according to the will of God. For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often intended to come (ἐλθεῖν, a form of ἔρχομαι) to you (and was prevented until now)…

The Greek word translated was prevented was ἐκωλύθην (a form of κωλύω). It seems to be a stronger hindrance (see the table below) than ἐνεκοπτόμην (a form of ἐγκόπτω) in Romans 15:22, though Paul strengthened ἐνεκοπτόμην with πολλὰ (a form of πολλός). So while he listed his own desire for honor at the end of his letter as the reason he was hindered from visiting Rome, there is a hint here that visit was deliberately delayed as something not yet ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ (“in” or “by the will of God;” NET: according to).

I suppose I imagine that if Paul had preceded Peter in Rome churches might have become more facilitators than arbiters of the new covenant. I’m thinking especially here of for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD.^[5] But historically the western church became the de facto government after Constantine moved his capital east. Even Paul proposed governmental functions for the church to deal with those who were not led by the Spirit (1 Timothy 1:5-11) in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:1-8 NET):

When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous (ἀδίκων, a form of ἄδικος) rather than before the saints (ἁγίων, a form of ἅγιος)? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians (ἀδελφοῦ, a form of ἀδελφός)? Instead, does a Christian (ἀδελφὸς, another form of ἀδελφός) sue a Christian (ἀδελφοῦ, a form of ἀδελφός), and do this before unbelievers (ἀπίστων, a form of ἄπιστος)? The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated (ἥττημα, a form of ἥττημα). Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters (ἀδελφούς, another form of ἀδελφός)!

To speculate whether western churches would be different if Paul had preceded Peter to Rome is ultimately foolishness. We who have been drawn to Christ by the kindness of God are the ἐκκλησία. The character of our churches here and now is determined predominantly by our faith. Are we facilitators of the new covenant or arbiters, judges with evil motives (James 2:1-4 NET)? When Jesus said Do not judge^[6] He knew to whom He spoke, intimately, both as Creator and a partaker of our humanity.

We judge everything. We judge the weight of an object before we pick it up. We judge the distance and velocity of the things we see around us. We judge everyone: beautiful, ugly, rich, poor, friendly, aggressive, lying, truthful, wise, foolish. I don’t think Jesus’ point was that we stop doing the thing that makes it possible for us to live and move in this world. His point was—that after we make those instinctive judgments about other people—we love them as those for whom Christ died with his own love that flows through us from his Spirit, believing with his own faithfulness that flows through us from His Spirit that we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.^[7]

I did a word study of ἐλθεῖν (a form of ἔρχομαι), translated from coming and to come, not because I thought there was anything mysterious about Paul’s usage of the word in Romans 15:22 and 23, but because I know I’ll want a good grounding in the usage of forms of ἔρχομαι when I come around again to Matthew 23:34-36. Doing so exposed me to an interesting study in John’s Gospel narrative that I think pertinent here as it relates to judging others.

Jesus spoke to the Ἰουδαῖοι (a form of Ἰουδαῖος), translated Jewish leaders. I’ll leave it in Greek here because I don’t think being Jewish had anything to do with it beyond the historical fact that they were hardened (Isaiah 6:9-12; Matthew 13:10-17) to the point of being enthralled with what I have called the religious mind.

You study the scriptures thoroughly, Jesus said to those with religious minds, because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me, but you are not willing (θέλετε, a form of θέλω) to come to me so that you may have life.^[8] He continued addressing those with religious minds: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me.^[9] Later Jesus explained his teaching to his disciples (John 6:63-65 NET):

The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature (σὰρξ, a form of σάρξ) is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe…Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed (δεδομένον, a form of δίδωμι; literally, given) him to come” (KJV: except it were given unto him of my Father).

Then Jesus said (John 7:33-36 NET):

“I will be with you for only a little while longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

Then the Ἰουδαῖοι said to one another, “Where is he going to go that we cannot find him? He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? What did he mean by saying, ‘You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Then Jesus said to them again (John 8:21-24 NET):

“I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” So the Ἰουδαῖοι began to say, “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” Jesus replied, “You people are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. Thus I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said [to his remaining disciples] (John 13:31-38 NET):

“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Ἰουδαίοις, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same.

“I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!”

Apart from the Holy Spirit we are no different than the worst of sinners or the hardest of those with religious minds. For who concedes you any superiority? Paul wrote believers in Corinth. What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?^[10]

You were running well, Paul wrote believers in Galatia, who prevented you from obeying the truth?^[11] I was drawn here because ἐνέκοψεν, translated prevented, is a form of ἐγκόπτω like ἐνεκοπτόμην, translated I was…hindered in Romans 15:22. It’s not wrong to translate μὴ πείθεσθαι (a form of πείθω; to convince, persuade) from obeying. Several of the occurrences of forms of πείθω are linked directly to the action that conviction or persuasion produced.

The chief priests and the elders persuaded (ἔπεισαν, another form of πείθω) the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.^[12] When Pilate asked, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” They all said, “Crucify him!”^[13] In Lystra Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the crowds over (πείσαντες, another form of πείθω), they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city…^[14]

Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue [in Thessalonica], as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” Some of them were persuaded (ἐπείσθησαν, another form of πείθω) and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.^[15]

Demetrius, a silversmith in Ephesus, complained that Paul has persuaded (πείσας, another form of πείθω) and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.^[16] A centurion was more convinced (ἐπείθετο, another form of πείθω) by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said.^[17] So he ignored Paul’s warning that the voyage is going to end in disaster^[18] and they weighed anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete^[19] directly into a storm that ran them aground two weeks later.

So while it is not wrong to focus on the obedience aspect of forms of πείθω, it is a bit of misdirection in Galatians 5:7 since obedience was not really at issue. Believers in Galatia were all too willing to obey the commands of anyone who came along in the name of Christ. Apparently some had come preaching circumcision. Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!^[20] He said this not to the disobedient but the overly obedient. For the act of circumcision as a body modification was meaningless to Paul vis-à-vis the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 7:17-19 NET):

Nevertheless, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. I give this sort of direction in all the churches. Was anyone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was anyone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Instead, keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

Paul’s concern was the persuasion (πεισμονὴ, a form of πεισμονή; Galatians 5:8) that led to the obedience of circumcision. His concern was that the desire for circumcision indicated that the Galatian believers were not persuaded of the truth of the grace of Christ and were, in fact, following a different gospel.^[21] The act of circumcision among Gentile believers signified a different persuasion to Paul, a different faith that the Holy Spirit they had received was incompetent and required the aid of the σαρκὶ (a form of σάρξ), translated human effort (Galatians 3:2b-5 NET):

Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort (σαρκὶ, a form of σάρξ; literally, flesh)? Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing. Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ, Paul wrote obedient believers persuaded by an incorrect persuasion, you have fallen away from grace! For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.^[22] None of this was written to disobedient people unwilling to obey God’s commands.

The tables I used to write this essay for forms of κωλύω and πείθω follow. I’ve just become aware of the differences in the Greek between the received text (Stephanus Textus Receptus) and the parallel Greek in the NET. At those points where the form of the Greek word is different I’ve broken the table to insert the full Greek text of the verse.

Form of κωλύω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἐκωλύομεν (εκωλυσαμεν)	Mark 9:38	…we forbad him, because he followeth not us.	…we tried to stop him because he was not following us.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰωάννης· διδάσκαλε, εἴδομεν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠκολούθει ἡμῖν	απεκριθη δε αυτω ο ιωαννης λεγων διδασκαλε ειδομεν τινα τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια ος ουκ ακολουθει ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει ημιν	απεκριθη δε αυτω ο ιωαννης λεγων διδασκαλε ειδομεν τινα τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια ος ουκ ακολουθει ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει ημιν

Form of κωλύω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἐκωλύομεν (εκωλυσαμεν)	Luke 9:49	…we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.	…we tried to stop him because he is not a disciple along with us.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Ἰωάννης εἶπεν· ἐπιστάτα, εἴδομεν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν	αποκριθεις δε ο ιωαννης ειπεν επιστατα ειδομεν τινα επι τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα τα δαιμονια και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει μεθ ημων	αποκριθεις δε ο ιωαννης ειπεν επιστατα ειδομεν τινα επι τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει μεθ ημων

Form of κωλύω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἐκωλύσατε	Luke 11:52	…them that were entering in ye hindered.	…you hindered those who were going in.
ἐκώλυσεν	Acts 27:43	…kept them from their purpose…	…prevented them from carrying out their plan.
ἐκώλυσεν	2 Peter 2:16	…forbad the madness of the prophet.	…restrained the prophet’s madness…
ἐκωλύθην	Romans 1:13	…but was let hitherto…	…and was prevented until now…
κωλύει	Acts 8:36	…what doth hinder me to be baptized?	What is to stop me from being baptized?
κωλύει	3 John 1:10	…and forbiddeth them that would…	…but hinders the people who want to do so…
κωλύειν	Acts 24:23	…and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister…	…and not to prevent any of his friends from meeting his needs.
κωλύεσθαι	Hebrews 7:23	…because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:	…because death prevented them from continuing in office…
κωλύετε	Matthew 19:14	…and forbid them not…	…and do not try to stop them…
	Mark 9:39	But Jesus said, Forbid him not:	But Jesus said, “Do not stop him…
	Mark 10:14	…and forbid them not:	…and do not try to stop them…
	Luke 9:50	And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not:	But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him…
	Luke 18:16	…and forbid them not:	…and do not try to stop them…
	1 Corinthians 14:39	…and forbid not to speak with tongues.	…and do not forbid anyone from speaking in tongues.
κωλύοντα	Luke 23:2	…and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar…	…forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar…
κωλυόντων	1 Thessalonians 2:16	…Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles…	…because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles…
κωλυόντων	1 Timothy 4:3	Forbidding to marry…	They will prohibit marriage…
κωλῦσαι	Acts 10:47	Can any man forbid water…	No one can withhold the water…
κωλῦσαι	Acts 11:17	…what was I, that I could withstand God?	…who was I to hinder God?
κωλύσῃς	Luke 6:29	…forbid not to take thy coat also.	…do not withhold your tunic either.
κωλυθέντες	Acts 16:6	…and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost…	…having been prevented by the Holy Spirit…

Form of πείθω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἔπεισαν	Matthew 27:20	…chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask…	…chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas…
ἐπείσθησαν	Acts 5:40 (39)	And to him they agreed…	[verse 39] He convinced them…
ἐπείσθησαν	Acts 17:4	And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas…	Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas…
ἔπειθεν	Acts 18:4	…and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.	…attempting to persuade them.
ἐπείθετο	Acts 27:11	Nevertheless the centurion believed the master…	But the centurion was more convinced by the captain…
ἔπειθον	Acts 13:43	…persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.	…and were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.
ἐπείθοντο	Acts 5:36	…as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.	…all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it.
	Acts 5:37	…even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.	…and all who followed him were scattered.
	Acts 28:24	And some believed the things which were spoken…	Some were convinced by what he said…
ἐπεποίθει	Luke 11:22	…he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted…	…he takes away the first man’s armor on which the man relied…
πείσαντες	Acts 12:20	…having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend…	And after convincing Blastus, the king’s personal assistant…
πείσαντες	Acts 14:19	…who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out…	…and after winning the crowds over, they stoned Paul and dragged him out…
πείσας	Acts 19:26	…Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people…	…Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd…
πείσομεν	Matthew 28:14	…we will persuade him, and secure you.	…we will satisfy him and keep you out…
πείσομεν	1 John 3:19	…and shall assure our hearts before him.	…and will convince our conscience in his…
πεισθῇς	Acts 23:21	But do not thou yield unto them:	So do not let them persuade you to do…
πεισθήσονται	Luke 16:31	If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.	If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
πείθεις	Acts 26:28	Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.	…are you persuading me to become a Christian?
πείθεσθαι	Galatians 5:7	…who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?	…who prevented you from obeying the truth?
πείθεσθαι	James 3:3	…put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us…	…put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us…
Πείθεσθε	Hebrews 13:17	Obey them that have the rule over you…	Obey your leaders and submit to them…
πείθω	Galatians 1:10	For do I now persuade men, or God?	Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God?
πείθων	Acts 19:8	…disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.	…addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God.
πείθων	Acts 28:23	…persuading them concerning Jesus…	…and trying to convince them about Jesus…
πείθομαι	Acts 26:26	…for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him…	…because I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice…
πείθομεν	2 Corinthians 5:11	…we persuade men…	…we try to persuade people…
πειθομένοις	Romans 2:8	…and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness…	…do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.
πειθομένου	Acts 21:14	And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased…	Because he could not be persuaded, we said no more…
πειθόμεθα (πεποιθαμεν)	Hebrews 13:18	…for we trust we have a good conscience…	…for we are sure that we have a clear conscience…

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν· πειθόμεθα γὰρ ὅτι καλὴν συνείδησιν ἔχομεν, ἐν πᾶσιν καλῶς θέλοντες ἀναστρέφεσθαι	προσευχεσθε περι ημων πεποιθαμεν γαρ οτι καλην συνειδησιν εχομεν εν πασιν καλως θελοντες αναστρεφεσθαι	προσευχεσθε περι ημων πεποιθαμεν γαρ οτι καλην συνειδησιν εχομεν εν πασιν καλως θελοντες αναστρεφεσθαι

Form of πείθω	Reference	KJV	NET
πέπεισμαι	Romans 8:38	For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life…	For I am convinced that neither death, nor life…
	Romans 14:14	I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus…	I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus…
	Romans 15:14	And I myself also am persuaded of you…	But I myself am fully convinced about you…
	2 Timothy 1:5	…and I am persuaded that in thee also.	…and I am sure is in you.
	2 Timothy 1:12	…and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him…	…and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me…
πεπεισμένος	Luke 20:6	…for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.	…they are convinced that John was a prophet.
Πεπείσμεθα	Hebrews 6:9	…we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation…	…we are convinced of better things relating to salvation.
πέποιθα	Galatians 5:10	I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded…	I am confident in the Lord that you will accept no other view.
πέποιθα	Philippians 2:24	…I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.	…I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon.
πεποίθαμεν	2 Thessalonians 3:4	And we have confidence in the Lord touching you…	And we are confident about you in the Lord…
πέποιθας	Romans 2:19	And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind…	…if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind…
πέποιθεν	Matthew 27:43	He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him:	*He trusts* in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now…
πέποιθεν	2 Corinthians 10:7	If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s…	If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ…
πεποιθέναι	Philippians 3:4	…thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh…	…thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials…
πεποιθὼς	2 Corinthians 2:3	…having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.	…since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.
	Philippians 1:6	Being confident of this very thing…	For I am sure of this very thing…
	Philippians 1:25	And having this confidence…	And since I am sure of this…
	Philemon 1:21	Having confidence in thy obedience…	Since I was confident that you would obey…
	Hebrews 2:13	…I will put my trust in him.	…I will be confident in him…
πεποιθοτας	Mark 10:24	…how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter…	omitted
	Luke 18:9	…unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous…	…to some who were confident that they were righteous…
	Philippians 1:14	…in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds…	…having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment…
πεποιθότες	2 Corinthians 1:9	…that we should not trust in ourselves…	…so that we would not trust in ourselves…
πεποιθότες	Philippians 3:3	…and have no confidence in the flesh.	…and do not rely on human credentials…

Romans, Part 89

^[1] Romans 15:22 (NET)

^[2] Romans 15:20, 21 (NET)

^[3] Kenneth Berding, “Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey (And I Don’t Mean His Trip to Rome),” The Good Book Blog

^[4] Romans 15:23, 24 (NET)

^[5] Jeremiah 31:34b (Tanakh) Table

^[6] Luke 6:37 (NET)

^[7] 1 Timothy 4:10b (NET)

^[8] John 5:39, 40 (NET)

^[9] John 6:44, 45 (NET)

^[10] 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NET)

^[11] Galatians 5:7 (NET)

^[12] Matthew 27:20 (NET)

^[13] Matthew 27:22 (NET)

^[14] Acts 14:19 (NET) Table

^[15] Acts 17:2-4 (NET)

^[16] Acts 19:26 (NET)

^[17] Acts 27:11 (NET)

^[18] Acts 27:10a (NET)

^[19] Acts 27:13b (NET)

^[20] Galatians 5:2 (NET)

^[21] Galatians 1:6 (NET)

^[22] Galatians 5:4-6 (NET) Table

Romans, Part 12

Posted on August 15, 2012 by admin

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